LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20494, 21 December 1938, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"What a Season!"

"What a season!'' explained a Plains farmer yesterday, when relating the number of times he had attempted to stack his hay. "If I've cocked it once,

I've done so a dozen times, but always there is rain about, and sure enough it falls at the wrong time," he added.

Expecting Hectic Time. Thames butchers and bakers arc ex

pecting a hectic time op Saturday, for they will be obliged to deliver four days' supplies on that day in view of the Christmas holidays.

Australian Butter Increase. The expansion of the Australian butter output in spite, pf adverse conditions is indicated by the fact that Australian exports,for the four .months ended November wore 33,593 tons, against 25,405 tons for the corresponding period of last year, an increase, of over 32 per cent.

Parking Cycles in Pollen St. ; During the next few days cyclists should, as far as possible, avoid leaving their machines along the busy sido of Pollen Street footpaths, thereby adding to the congesion. Care should also be taken to rest the cycles on the outer side of verandah poles.

Pensioners' Cottage. "There is plenty of room in Grahams town for the erection of pensioners' cottages on the lines suggested by Mr. J. Thorn, M.P.," said a resident of that quarter of the town yesterday. "Tito area could be nicely laid out and would make a nice residential locality," ho concluded.

Bird-in-Hand Hill. A spot which could be easily beau titled in Thames is the summit and slopes of Bird-in-Hand Hill. A few trees and shrubs would make this attractive and the work could be undertaken at trifling cost. r'.lt is a popular "look-out" spot for visitors, being easilv accessible.

Campers Busy. In spite of unsettled weather condi tions, a large number of camps havo been erected in the Coast bays. Thero has been a heavy demand for cot tages, and this year there is an increase in the number of motor caravans during the Coast, as a, holiday resort.

Business Active. Thames businessmen report increas ing activity as a prelude to the Christmas Eve shopping. Country people are placing early orders and there is no reason to doubt that seasonal trado will be well up to that of last year

Centennial Legal History. A suggestion by the Department of Internal Affairs that an official history of the legal profession and the administration of justice in* New Zealand for the past 100 years should be published during the Centennial year is under consideration by the Council of the New Zealand Law Society. Mr. N. H. Good, secretary of the Auckland Law Society, has been invited by the council to prepare an outline of the pro posed book. What Will Thames Do? Several boroughs and towns in tin) Dominion have already envisaged what form their Centennial commemoration will take. For instance, the New Ptymouth Borough Council has under consideration a proposal of the Pukckura Park Committee for the planting of avenues of trees leading into the town along the main highways, and the beautifying of streets by planned treeplanting as a Centennial memorial. What will Thames do?

Make Room For Others. "After making purchases, many people use shop space as a rendezvous for meeting and talking to friends. Under ordinary circumstances, wo do not mind this, but during the Christmas rush much crowding and jostling could be avoided if people after completing their business, made room for others." Thus commented a Thames shopkeeper yesterday. f\ ""'

The Water Race. After serving the town "faithfully for very many years, the old water race is showing increasing signs of oldage, and its upkeep costs have becomo a matter of concern to the Borough authorities. The present Commission er is well aware of the facts, and is fully seized with .the necessity for facing the I

First 'Xmas Day in Thames. It is a pity that no records were kept of the first Christmas Day in Thames in 1867. One can only im agine that the hundreds of miners celc brated the occasion in tents and shacks, and sang the old carols and exchanged greetings*. ••■No-work would be done, and camp cooks would excel themselves in producing the time-hon-oured plum puddings.

Progressive Matamata. Matamata is a progressive Waikato town, and its plans for celebrating the Centennial include two proposals. The first is an avenue of trees, and the second is to build-a swimming bath at a cost of £.2000. The - Borough Council has agreed lb provide £SOO, the public is expected to raise £IOOO, and the Government subsidy of £1 for £3 of local money will provide the balance. Both proposals have been I agreed to. - < I