LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 68, 8 December 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Rev. W. Woollass will conduct Divine service in the Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening next.

An advertisement in this issue announces that the bazaar in connection with St. John’s Church is being continued today.

Owing to pressure of our space the report of St. John’s Anglican Church bazaar, all correspondence, and several other items are unavoidably held over.

To M. and Mme. Limboley, of Saint Barthelmy (France), were recently given triplets. This lucky couple have already had three pairs of twins ! 'Fact.

Eltham reports that the unfavourable weather is seriously affecting the growth of grass and winter feed, and that the milk supply is below that of last year.

A meeting of ladies was held in Bockett’s Buildings on Tuesday afternoon to make preliminary arrangements for a public farewell to Mr and Mrs Galbraith prior to their departure for Auckland. There was a very large attendance, and the meeting was most unanimous in furthering the proposal. As a result of this meeting a concert and dance will be held in the local Town Hall on Wednesday evening next, and an advertisement to this effect appeal's in another column. The chairman of the Town Board will preside during the concert, and a good musical programme is being arranged. Supper will be provided by the ladies, and strong committees are making the various necessary arrangements.

An interesting fact not generally known in regard to the Macquarie Islands is that cats have been introduced there at some time or other, and that their decendants, which have grown to a very large size, have worked havoc among those birds of the islands which were not gifted with flight. The flightless rail, it is thought, has disappeared, as it is many years since a specimen has been seen, and the same story has been told of a semiflightless parrot which used to feed on kelp on the beaches, and which could fly about 100 yards in one flight. No specimen of this bird has been sighted for a long time, and it is feared it has fallen a victim to the cats. There are also plenty of rabbits on the islands, and these will be available as a means of food supply for the members of Dr Mawson’s expedition, should they be required.

Extra express trains will be run on the Main Trunk line from December 15 to January 6. The service from Auckland to Wellington will comprise the ordinary express train leaving at 9.10 p.m. daily except Saturdays, and arriving at Wellington at 4.12 p.m. on the following day, a schedule running time of 19 hours two minutes ; and a second express leaving at 10 p.m. and arriving at Wellington at 5.46 p.m. on the next day, a schedule time of 19 hours 46 minutes. While the additional express is running the first train will take passengers from Auckland and stations between Waipukurau and Napier. The ordinary express train from Wellington which leaves at 11.50 a.m., is due at Auckland at 6.58 a.m., the journey taking 19 hours 8 minutes. The second up express will leave Wellington at 12.35 p.m. on week days, and is scheduled to reach Auckland at 7.55 a.m., taking 19 hours 20 minutes on the journey.

Between 5000 and 6000 acres of the Hauraki Plains, twelve miles from Morrinsville, between the Piako and Waitoa rivers, will be open at the end of January, and further areas aggregating between 3000 and 4000 acres Waikaka, will come on the market later. The big drainage works on the Rangitaika Swamp (Bay of Plenty) will make available for more profitable about 80,000 acres, which has already been taken up. Tenders are now being invited for about nine miles of drainage work through easy country. There will be two contracts of 356 chains each. The other drainage works on the Tarawera river are being vigorously pushed on, and a new Priestman dredge of a design superior to those which have done such splendid service on Hauraki Plain will shortly be delivered on this work. At Tc Tumu, near Tauranga, acres of secondclass land will be opened on December iSth. Of the Whirinaki Block nearßavvene 6539 acres of second-class land will be available on the same day. Early in the New Year 32 sections aggregating 5311 acres, situated in various parts of Auckland province will be advertised for selection. ©