LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1440, 15 December 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Among recent callers at the High Commissioner’s Office in London was Mr George Kay, of Te Awamutu.

The Te Awamutu Electric Power Board holds its monthly meeting on Friday next.

A Wanganui Maori had some ducks very dark in feather (relates the Herald). One day a local business man looked over the fence and inquired what breed the ducks were. “Py corry you know, eh. They te polley angus ducks.”

A reminder is given that entries for the garden competitions under the auspices of the Te Awamutu Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Association close on Wednesday next.

It is stated that a cow in a Te Mawhai farmer’s herd recently produced 1121bs of milk in one day, and for the month her butter fat production was 781 b. A few like her in a herd would be very acceptable by any farmer. There may be some, but only systematic testing will find them.

People often speak of slums in New Zealand towns, but that is because they do not know what a real slum is. The Brady Street area, Bethnal Green, now being cleared by the London County Council, had 528 houses on seven acres, or an average of over 75 houses to the acre. The Crosby area of just over one acre had 88 houses.

Doubtless during the holiday season local anglers will be making an effort to grass some of the bonny rainbow trout in the various streams in the neighbourhood of Te Awamutu. So far this season the Waikato river at Arapuni has given the best results, but it should not be assumed from this that the Waikato is the only stream where trout abounds.

The old proverb “It’s an ill wind that blows nobobdy any good” seems to apply to the present shortage of rain, for although farmers with grain crops are suffering seriously from the drought, the sheep men are having a record run with their shearing, and many have been able to carry on with shearing every day for some weeks past without a break. This state of affairs (says the Timaru Post) is just the reverse of last year, there wa3 plenty of water for the grain and sheep farmers were hardly able to get two consecutive days for shearing in several weeks.

At a meeting of the No. 3 District Highways Council on Thursday at Taumarunui, members generally expressed themselves strongly concerning the hardships suffered by local bodies in regard to the enforcement of their by-laws, exception _ being taken to the fact that, according to the Public Works Act, a "magistratt had power to question whether such by-laws were reasonable, and if he deemed otherwise, the defendant was allowed to go free. This invariably happened when a shrewd lawyer was employed by the defendant. It was pointed out the by-laws were framed by men possessing a technical knowledge of the roads concerned, while the magistrate might he quite ignorant of such matters.

The handicap imposed by the nonpayment of native rates was referred to at Te Puke by members of the Tauranga County Council to the Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister for Internal Affairs. It was stated that some of the ridings in the county were penalised by having greater areas of native lands, on which rates had not been collected. The rates could not at present be collected, although the money had to be made good. The Minister replied that he would be only too pleased to investigate the matter. The question of Maori rating was a burning one, but a section of the people thought the Government was trying to rob the natives and filch land from them. They had his hearty support in the endeavour to rectify the trouble. —Mr K. S. Williams, M.P., mentioned that the Native Minister was appointing a commission to deal with the native rating question on the East Coast.

Apropos to-day’s races: Advice can always be had for nothing, and is usually worth it. Buyers are now paying up to 9d per lb. for fat lambs in the Wairarapa.

An increase of £3 per ton on all prices of raw and refined sugar is announced. All roads lead to Te Awamutu today, for the annual race meeting. There is already a big influx of visitors to the town from all directions. while motor car parties have been arriving all the morning.

Mr H. Alan Bell, of Cambridge, took his seat on the Waikato Hospital Board on Thursday, as representative of the combined district of Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Morrinsville and Te Aroha Boroughs. The chairman welcomed Mr Bell to the table. There was a fair attendance of sportsmen, both visiting and local, at the racecourse this morning to witness the final gallops. Short sprints were indulged in by several of the competitors this afternoon. Some of the spectators looked wise as a resul: of their observations, but whether their deductions will be profitable remains to be seen.

! Orders continue to come in from all quarters for copies of “The Old Frontier,” the history of the Waipa Valley (recently published by the Waipa Post). The book makes an ideal Chris'mas present, and the price. 7s 6d post free, is within the reach of all. [■Repeat orders, from satisfied readers, have been fairly frequent and it is apparent that the duplicate copies in each case are intended for presentation to friends. It does not seem to be generally known that apple trees planted as long ago as eighty years are still growing vigorously in this district. They are situate on the site ,of one of the very first mission stations established in the Waipa Valley, at Kopua. We are informed that cherry trees planted almost as long ago are also growing there. That they are gnarled and decrepit, and long past their active stage, goes without saying. but they are an object of considerable pride to the older settlers and of great interest to the younger generation even in these utilitarian days. The mission station was established by the Rev. John Morgan before white settlement reached the Waikato.

A recent visitor to Sydney from this district .relates an amusing incident. He was asked where he came from and replied Te Awamutu. Asked to spell it he did so, whereupon he was asked just where Te Awamutu is situated. Pie replied, with a smile, that it is thirty miles from Ngaruawahia. Further questioning elicited the information that our town is 22 miles from Wharepuhunga, eight from Ngahinepouri; a dozen or so from Otorohanga and Maungatautari and upwards of a score from Puketotara. This was too much for the seeker after information, so the talk was switched to Australian names, among those mentioned being Adjintoothbong, Bongongolong, Yarrangobilly, Nimitybelle, Terramungamine, and Eunonyhareenyha. Our Te Awamutu friend was left speechless, but ’tis said that he will not try any more Maori names on Australians.

The twenty odd scholars attending the pretty little native school at Kopua, near the foot of historic old Kakepuku, celebrated the close of another school year on Thursday when the annual picnic was held. Other children with their parents and friends—Maoris and pakehas—to the number of well over one hundred, assembled and the day was given up to enjoyment. A lengthy and varied sports programme was participated in by nearly everybody present, while a feast of plentiful and appetising viands was served, including pork and potatoes prepared Maori style. The teacher in charge of the school, Miss Churton, was eulogised during the customary after-dinner speeches for her splendid work among the young folk and she was wished a happy and merry Christmas among her relatives and friends in the Wanganui district, and a safe return after the vacation to Kopua. Miss Churton left yesterday for the south.