LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume XIX, Issue 1076, 12 April 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce will meet this evening.

The regular monthly meeting of the Waipa County Council is being held at Ohaupo to-day. At Te Awamutu Police Court yesterday Mr E. J. Taylor, J.P., convicted two Maori first offenders for drunkenness and discharged them.

Nominations are invited for candidates to* represent the Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Te Aroha, and Morrinsville boroughs on the Waikato Hospital Board. Nominations are to be lodged before 20th April.

The Rotorua Chronicle understands thatjSir John Findlay has been instrumental in securing capital to build the railway from Kakahi on the main trunk line to Tokaanu, opening up fine tourist country.

The extraordinary ignorance in the Old Country as to the geography of these parts of the Empire is shown in a recent issue of the Solicitor’s Journal and Weekly Report, published in London. It gives an account of the one hundred and first anniversary of establishment by George Cartright of the first qualified legal firm in Tasmania, and heads the article “An Old New Zealand Firm.”

A regular fortnightly meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough Council was due to be held last evening but it had to be postponed for a week for lack of a quorum. The absent members were the Mayor (Mr L. G. Armstron) who is expected back from the South Island next Thursday. Cr. J. Oliphant, in Auckland, Crs. H. Innes Jones and M. C. Lawson who have left the district, and Cr. G. Spinley pos sibly engaged on account of the visit of the Dandies. This leaves only Crs. E. J. Taylor (deputy-mayor), S. Clark, A. Young and C. Bygrave, who are insufficient for a quorum. Owing to the rain on Saturday the sports arranged in connection with the horticultural show were abandoned. They will be held on another date to be announced. The sum of £l4 4/9 was taken at the gate and £5 Os 6d at the refreshment tent. The expenses of the show, including the hire of the large marquee from Auckland (about £ls), will amount to a considerable sum. Plans are now being considered for some innovations by which to pay off the deficit including a “field day.” In this connection a number of the large exhibitors, including Waikeria Reformatory, are ieturning their prize money.

Preaching at the Methodist Church on Sunday, the Rev. S. Henderson referred to the world’s continued restlessness, and declared that industrial and other peace could come only out of the principles of Christianity. Carngie, sincerely seeking to do good, made the mistake of embracing the teachings oh* Spencer and others whose panacea for the world’s troubles was—educate, educate. The war had proved this teaching to be a delusion. The most educated nations—Germany, Britain, France and America —were foremost in the war, and Carnegie according to his biographer, in bitter disappointment, died of a broken heart.

Last Saturday appeared to be a day of troubles in Te Awamutu in spite of its perfection in the opinion of far/.iers. Not only did the rain spoil the horticultural show and the week-end generally but the picture theatre was closed owing to trouble-' with the engine, much to the disappointment of a considerable crowd. Fortunately the trouble, which had not been apparent during the matinee, revealed itself before the time for opening the evening doors, so that ticket difficulties did not occur. The waiters, however, were drawn by importance and curiosity to invade the back regions, where tihe engine shed was located. It was, of course, very dark ouside, but inside some lanterns were used. About thirty curious persons gradually gathered there and filled the little shed to the doorway, most of them preserving a wise and inoffensive silence lest they should be expelled en masse. There were of course exceptions, and in some instances unintended humour resulted. For example, one man, arriving late on the scene, came to the front and enquired loudly: “Hullo! What’s-wrong? Can’t you start her?” Whereupon one of the engineers, puffing hard after a bout of tough pulling on belt or fly-wheel, but with his wits surviving longer than his breath or perhaps his temper, cheered the audience with the retort: “Why no! We can’t stop her.” The efforts were continued till eleven o’clock without success, but operations were resumed on Sunday and the engine was at last got going. The trouble was not clearly ascertained, but was apparently on the electrical side.. This is the first break-down of the engine since the theatre was opened.