LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1410, 26 June 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The local Borough Council meeting last evening was a lengthy one, for it commenced promptly at 7.30 and did not conclude until 11.10. An alarm of fire was sounded at about 3 p.m. last Saturday. The Fire Brigade turned out promptly, but its services were not required, the cause of the alarm being a chimney ablaze in Alexandra Street premises. According to the latest Gazette, the Governor-General in Council has consented to the Maru Rabbit-proof Fencing Board (Pukeatua) raising a loan of £SOO for erecting rabbit-proof netting around the boundaries of the district. Overheard at Armstrong’s corner yesterday at midday: Jack, “Coming up to the christening at the Town Hall this afternoon?” Pat, “Eh? what’s that? Whose christening?” Jack. “ Oh, Te Awamutu had a little sun this morning!' Then he grabbed Pat’s sleeve and led him along the street to procure a restorative. The local Municipal Band made another public -appearance on Saturday afternoon in pursuance of its endearotir to raise funds to liquidate the liability on its members’ uniforms. The Band played several marches while en route to the football grounds, and. arrived there, half a dozen selections were played. The public appreciated the music and contributed £7 5s by way of collection.

■•Personally I have never had a ‘hop’ in my life but 1 cannot see the slightest objection to our nurses having an annual dance.” So said the Rev. T. W. Potts at a meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital Board. Te Awainutu Methodists played aL Hamilton last Saturday the Wesley team, which remains unbeaten this season in junior championship games there. The Methodists won a very keen and fast game by 9 points to 6, Te Awamutu’s scorers being A. and F. Johnson and T. Martin. in a report to t'lie Te Awamutu Borough Council last night the engineer (Mr H. F. Toogood) submitted a plan of a rather extensive property subdivision which is proposed immediately westward of Te Awamutu railway station. Mr W. R. Hayes also conferred with the Council relative to this sub-division, and after discussion regarding the direction and location of proposed roads it, was decided that the property he (lagged and that the Council make an inspection a fortnight hence. A delight fill picture .of Mr Mass'-v 1 in the role of Cincinnatus was drawn | in the House the other day by Mr f. j E. Macmiihui (Tauranga), who dei dared that just as Cincinnatus saved : he Romans, so Mr .Massey d saved | New Zealanders. But Mr il. Afmnre ! (Nelson) pointed out that Cincinnatus v.ns asked to return to his farm, ai d ; lie wondered if Mr Massey proposed 1 to do likewise. “Not much.” retorted | ;h" Prime Minister. I “I've made up my mind lo stop tin’s I speeding, if if is possible t) do it by | £ s.d, ' said Mr Mowlem, S.M., when ! liming a motor cyclist for rookies.; : riding ar New Plymouth pd:P'v, the ; Taranaki Herald). “You voting men don ; seem in realise that, oilier peo- ■ pie .it-., entitled to use Hie roads as w< i i •.•mi rsd •. es and Can pa rein . are '.'ithin their rights in sending ! their children messages. I wan: m ! make it public that I shall go ui in- ' Cl e : bllg ; lie [j |>es until t ills prael idil has always been obvious tha; the level crossings which abound in this ! country are dangerous, and that such : safeguards as are provided are inadeI quale. When motor traffic came, and 'Hie greater liability to accidem was 1 such that even a blind man could see it. the same old policy of inadequacy was pursued (says the Wanganui Herald). Warning bells, which are good enough for horse and pedestrian traffic. were installed in a great hurry to safeguard motor traffic, for which they were no safeguard at all. The Railway Department has also endeavoured to protect itself by placing the onus on the public, and has chosen to ignore the fact that the condition of | dozens of crossings is such as to trap i the most careful driver. For some time past it has been evident that the Bank of New Zea- ! land could find profitable employment for more capital, and because this institution is largely owned by the Slate, and may be practically controlled by the Government, and also because it competes with other banks whose policies are decided in Australia, we think the proposed expansion is entitled to public approval (says the Lyttelton Times) A further advantage to the State is that together with the | new issue of capital it is intended to j make the Government’s A preference I shares cumulative for dividends instead of non-cumulative as at present. This means, of course, that if in a lean year the profits should be insufficient to pay the 10 per cent dividend allotted to these shares, the deficiency will be a first charge on future profits. There was a discussion at last evening’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough Council when the minutes of last meeting were forward for confirmation. It had been decided that the deposited plans of sewerage connections showing the position of private service lines should be brought up to date by the drainlayers. it having been alleged that certain plans were irregular. Cr Peate raised the point of the legality of a plan if altered after hearing the signature of a responsible officer of the Council, and Cr McCarroll contended that >a most dangerous thing had been done in allowing plans to he altered without supervision. 'This question pave rise to considerable discussion, and it is evident that, the Council is on the track of any sewerage contractor who desires, for sake of private gain, to lodee false records and do any faulty ; drainage work. As Britain is the great destination of New Zealand’s exports of primary . nroducts it. is futile for our producers ' to ignore her fundamental conditions j and experiment with compulsory con- j trol as something which will right , them. As a matter of fact, the disquieting term of over-production has j crept into more than one market re- • port from London in recent weeks — j in the apple industry, for instance — j while it has applied for months past ' to beef. Production has not passed the world’s normal ability to consume even in those two commodities, hut I evidently it has exceeded the world’s ability to buy at. prices that will he , profitable to the producer. Early in the war it was stated that New Zea- ; land would feel its economic effects I last, and would he one of the first to recover. In the main this has proved j true: but recovery is a slow process, . and is dependent in a community liv- : ing so largely by exports on the rate I of recovery elsewhere (remarks the Dunedin Evening Star).