LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20287, 12 April 1938, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Convent. Work on the new Convent at Thames is progressing steadily, and the roof has now been added to the structure.

H.P. Rugby Season. The Hauraki Plains Rugby season will bo officially opened on Saturday, April 23, according to a decision at the annual meeting of the Union. To Aroha Rate Collection. Rates collected this year represented 94 per cent, of the total amount levied, according to a statement by the Te Aroha Town Clerk. This represents an improvement on last year, when 91.24 per cent, were collected. Kaiaua Rugby Boundary. The Thames Valley Rugby Union at the annual meeting decided to endeavour to arrange a conference with the South Auckland Union to discuss tho matter of the Kaiaua Club boundary. N.Z. Birth Rato. Tho birth rate in New Zealand has fallen from 41.21 per 1000 of mean population in 1880 to 16.13 in 1930. Further, our statisticians estimate that in 1942 our deaths will equal our births and the population will thereafter decline each year—To Aroha News. “Souvenir” Hunters. A displeasing episode of the junior rep. team’s visit to Auckland, stated the annual report Thames Valley Rugby Union, presented at the meeting at Paeroa, was the collection of “sou venirs” by two players while they were lunching at the Jolly Farmer Inn at Drury. It was stated the articles were returned. Garaging in the Street. Many Wellington people, instead of keeping their ears in a garage, park them in the street all night. This if contrary to the Wellington city bylaws. At the same time it is quite impossible that they should all be garaged when not in use, because there are in Wellington more than 13,000 private cars, but fewer than 7000 garages. And it is certain that at present the number of cars is multiplying faster than the number of garages.

Improvements at Taupo. It has been decided to construct new municipal baths at Taupo at a cost ol approximately £12,000. It is proposed to erect a new and up-to-date building in which will be a standard sized swimming pool with a depth of 9ft at the deep end. The mineral water to bo used will be drawn from what is known as the Kathleen Spring.

Tempting Offer to Play League. Mr. W. 1L Carlson, of Matamata, who now acts as secretary of the Matamata Rugby Union, has received several offers recently to join Rugby League clubs in Auckland. A particularly tempting offer from the new Papakura club, which offered Mr. Carlson a lucrative permanent position on condition lie played for the club, was received last week, but alter consideration the offer was turned down. Failure to Report Accidents. “It seems to me that persons involved in accidents think that there must be blood —and plenty of it —before they are required to report the accident to the police,” said Mr. E. C. Lcvvey, S.M., commenting on the number of charges brought by the police for failing to report accidents in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court. One day lie would impose a fine that would make everybody take notice, he said. Usually offenders in this class of ease took the advice of friends with no knowledge of the law.