LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 96, 22 March 1912, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Talk carnival!

A movement is on foot to establish a chamber of commerce at Otorohanga.

Tenders are called by Mr R. P. de Ridder (architect) for the erection of two dwellings at Te Awamutu.

In to-day's issue notice is given of a dance to be held in the Town Hall at Kihikihi on Wednesday, April ioth.

The finals for the tennis trophies (writes our Pirongia correspondent) are drawn, and some interesting games should follow.

The amount paid for butter-fat for the month of February at the New Zealand Dairy Association creamery at Te Awamutu was £770 3s 3d.

We give a reminder of the Druids' dance to be held in the local Town Hall on Friday evening next. This dance is being well organised, and promises to be most enjoyable.

A most unfortunate fire occurred at Pokuru on Wednesday morning, whereby Mr J. Newton lost the oat crop off 40 acres of land. These oats were stacked, and by their loss Mr Newton will suffer considerably through a shortage of feed next winter. The origin of the fire is unknown.

In to-day's issue the Public Trustee notifies that all interested in the estate of the late Rowland Jesse Jacobs must communicate with the Hamilton agent of the Public Trust office on or before May 20th.

It may not be generally known that according to a revised Act it is the duty of any member of a school committee or teacher to report any case of a pupil being mentally defective. A heavy penalty can be imposed if this matter is neglected.

The Rev. W. Woollass will conduct Divine services in the Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening next, and the choir will render a number of Alexander's favourite hymns, commencing fifteen minutes before the sermon —tnat is, at 7.15 p.m.

By advertisement in to-day's issue notice is given that the Princess Pictures will be shown in the local Town Hall on Thursday evening next. A varied programme will be submitted, including the famous drama, " Zigomar." The same programme wdl also be shown at Utorohanga on Wednesday evening.

The scarcity of farm labour is exercising the minds of farmers in Fielding district, and Mr Conway, chairman of the Farmers' Union, is to draft a resolution asking that the Government will bring out a batch of farm labourers on conditions similar to those on which domestics were brought out from the Old Country to Gisborne. ,■

Sir Arthur Guinness does not think very highly of Hansard as a Parliamentary record. He referred to the system of revision of speeches prevailing, and said that some members had a habit of altering the reports of their speeches so that Plansard did not convey what was really said. But its worst offence, in Sir Arthur's eyes, was that it encouraged members to talk so that their speeches might be reported and circulated among their constituents.

It would be unnecessary for us to again call special attention to the sale of the leases of town sections to be sold by Messrs Lawson and Swain on Saturday, March 30th, as prospective buyers will doubtless have availed themselves of the opportunity to inspect these sections and ascertain the conditions regulating the sale. The sections are valuable, and above all are excellent building sites, and will no doubt be keenly competed for.

Just at present the Pahiatua Borough Council is engaged in a little financial problem, states the Herald. Some time ago the Sinking Fund Commissioners loaned to the council on debentures, the sum of £7OO. The Audit Department, however, has taken exception to the transaction and attached a tag to the borough balance-sheet. The council now has to devise ways and means of refunding the amount, otherwise it will have to be paid out of the general fund. The matter is receiving the attention of the borough solicitors.

The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, (writes the Waikato Independent) is determined to leave no stone unturned to have the proposal introduced by Mr J. A. Young, M.P., at the recent session, carried into effect. This proposal is to have the main Rotorua railway line linked by a connection from Tjrau or Putararu and Cambridge, and as explained by Mr Young, this extension would traverse some of the most fertile and best-watered country of the Auckland province, and at the same time reduce by many miles the journey between Auckland and Rotorua.

Subscriptions for the building of the new Catholic presbytery, which will soon be erected next the Catholic church at Te Awamutu, are accumulating very satisfactorily. The list is headed by one hundred guineas from Captain Hope-Johnstone (Aratitaha), this being the largest subscription received in the parish from any one Catholic family during the past four years, except that of £l5O from Mr and Mrs D. O'Shea, of Pirongia, for the new church at Pirongia, and £l2O for the building of the Te Awamutu church from a family living near Te Awamutu.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has determined to put a stop to the practice —held to he so customary with rabbit trappers —of keeping rabbits alive after capture in traps, which, in almost every case means that one or two legs are broken. A case before the Magistrate's Court at Auckland on Wednesday showed that the trappers put the rabbits in a cage until such time as a sufficient number was obtained to make up a shipment. This procedure is adopted in order to keep the rabbits fresh until they reach tiie dealers in the cities. Being the first case before the Court the offender was cautioned and ordered to pay costs (325), the Magistrate remarking at the time that any future offenders would not receive any leniency.

Mr J. W. B'ackman, engineer to the Masterton Borough Council, is inTe Awamutu to-day for the purpose of preparing a report for the installation of a lighting system at Te Awamutu.

Mrs Wm, Taylor, of "Green Hill, leaves Auckland on the 12th of next month by the Marama for Vancouver, en route to England and the Continent, where a few months' holiday will be spent.

Dr and Mrs Pairman, who purpose spending a few days in this district, arrive by the Auckland express train this afternoon. Dr Pairman is making the journey for the express purpose of taking part in the Bowling Club's " at home " to-morrow afternoon. During their stay they will be guests at " Green Hill."

We frequently read of some splendid crops being obtained in various parts of the Dominion, but the experience of Mr F. McGovern shows clearly that the Te Awamutu district is capable of producing a very high return. We have been informed that a crop of barley grown at " Greenmeadows " returned just over 50 bushels to the acre, and that correspondingly high returns are being obtained from the oat crop. Messrs H. Andrew and Son, with the new harvesting plant, are handling Mr McGovern's crops.

A somewhat trying journey was undertaken, by two young ladies well known to this district some two or three -weeks ago. The day before the recent storm broke over the Dominion Misses Green and Pairman set out from Auckland to cycle to Te Awamutu but before many miles had been covered the weather became boisterous. The trip was necessarily one rather of hardship than pleasure, as the incessant downpour and consequent bad roads x were not likely to add any degree of pleasure to the trip. Ultimately Te Awamutu was reached, and it is a matter of conjecture as to what means of transit will be adopted on a future occasion. Certain it is that bicycles will not be favoured.

Messrs Flemming and Johnson, representing the Porter Company of Wellington, are at present in this district taking orders for a volumn of " Charming Bible Stories." The book is attractively written in simple language, so that children can understand the stories, each of which is illustrated with very fine halftone engravings and reproductions from paintings in the art galleries of Europe. It is a hand-somely-bound book, and is undoubtedly an acquisition to any home. From a list submitted it is clearly shown that prominent statesmen and clergy of every denomination have appreciated the work, and we feel sure that Messrs Fleming and Johnson, who propose to canvass the whole of this district, will receive a continuance of the same appreciation while at Te Awamutu.