LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 87, 20 February 1912, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Talk carnival!

Tomorrow, the occasion of the combined trades' picnic, will be observed as a full holiday by local Dusiness people.

The Napier Borough Council raised only a little over £IO,OOO for the purpose of building a new theatre. The building is nearly completed, and the cost is estimated at about £17,000, leaving a deficit of nearly £7,000. A special meeting of the council is to be held to take the initial steps to raise a loan without a poll of the ratepayers to pay off the overdraft.

Recently the member for Waikato conferred with the Cambridge Borough Council and the Chamber of Commerce on matters of local public interest, and the Cambridge paper in reporting said, " Mr Young showed himself to be fully acquainted with the whole matter, exhibiting a masterful grip of the needs of the Tautari settlers in the matter of road communication. Owing to what he believed to be a misconception of what route the settlers desired, the engineer had reported adversely. He stated he would take steps to have the representations made to him given the fullest consideration. His sympathies were heartily with the settlers."

The New Zealand correspondent of Dalgety's Review affirms that not for fifteen years past has there been a spring similar to last one, the climatic conditions having been wet, cold and boisterous. The milk yield, he mentions, shows a considerable shrinkage, as confirmed by the butter exports to the United Kingdom. Comparing this season's exports with the corresponding period of last year, the decrease is 56,000 boxes of butter, equal to 1400 tons. From this shrinkage there must, of course, be deducted the quantity sent to the West Coast of America, but even when that is taken into account it does not materially affect the point at issue. Cheese, on the other hand, has increased by nearly. .'15,000 crates.

By advertisement in today's issue the Town Clerk gives notice of several town sections to be offered for lease by Lawson and Swain on Msrch 30th.

Here is an ingenious Customs fraud, which has been going on unperceived, for nearly two years. Customs officers, examining the cart of a man who has crossed the Italian frontier three times a week for the past 18 months, discovered that the axles of- the wheels contained watches. Altogether 400 were found and confiscated.

The points prize at the Te Kuiti show —a handsome tenguinea cup, presented by the president —which is awarded to the exhibitor scoring most points in the horse, cattle, sheep, and pig classes, was keenly contested by Mr Taylor, of Te Awamutu, and Mr Gadsby, of Te Kuiti. The cup was won by Mr Gadsby by a narrow margin.

" Gisborne is absolutely lucky, and places like Invercargill, which have thrown out the Edison storage battery cars will regret it because without a possible doubt it is the coming motive power," said Mr Wilfred Sandlant, who for many years carried on business as a coachbuilder in Gisborne, when giving an account of his visit to the Edison-Beach Storage Battery works in America.

Arrangements are now well in hand for the farewell to Mr A. Gifford, to be held in the Town Hall on Friday evening. Dancing will for the greater part form the programme, while a feature of the evening will be the somewhat novel combination of a " song evening." Prizes will be awarded to the competitor who records the highest number of marks in this part of the programme. Supper will be provided by the ladies, and a most enjoyable evening is promised.

We give a final reminder of the combined trades picnic and sports to be held at Mr Pollard's paddock to-morrow. An energetic committee has been busily engaged in preparing the ground, so that arrangements are completed for the sports programme. 7'he annual picnic in connection with the public school will also be held, and the school committee has been busily engaged in making preparation for the children. Given fine weather the picnic to-morrow will undoubtedly be the success for which the promoters have worked so consistently.

The forthcoming concert in connection with the Philharmonic Society is being looked forward to by many. This concert gives every promise of being a most enjoyable one. Mr Alan McElwain (of the lyric quartette, Auckland, and principal prizewinner at the Auckland and Wellington competitions) has been specially engaged by the Society, and undoubtedly MrMcElwain will, in no small degree, contribute to the success of the evening. Miss Ring, of Hamilton, has also been engaged, so that an excellent musical programme is assured. The box plan is now open at Le Sueur's.

The Wanganui Harbour Board meeting came to an abrupt and unprecedented termination on Friday evening remarks a Wanganui exchange. At five minutes to ten, after a couple of lengthy debates, someone moved and someone seconded that members should be allowed to smoke. Then someone moved and someone seconded that the board adjourn for ten minutes for " smoke oh." In the excitement a motion was carried—some thought the first and some the second. There was, however, an exit, only five, including the chairman, remaining. The latter became somewhat indignant at having to wait while other men went out to get a drink, and as a protest he left the meeting. When the rest of the members returned the meeting decided to adjourn for a week.