LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1639, 9 May 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“Fine morning, your worship,” affably remarked the man who had been arrested the night before for dangerous driving. “Yes, indeed,” responded the Justice; “quite a fine morning—m fact, a ten shilling fine morning. The erection of-a Roman Catholic Church at Ara-puni has now been arranged by the many members of .this church there. The materials are being ordered and labour is being provided by working bees.

The Hon. J. G. Anclerson stated at the annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday night that the Hon Downie Stewart, who had been- under treatment in New York, had greatly benefited in health and expected to reach New Zealand early in June.

The following Legislative Councillors have been reappointed for a further term by the Governor-General: Hons. E. W. Alison, D. T. Fleming, G. J. Garland, J. M. Geddis J. B. Gow, A F Hawke, C. H. Izard, H. L. Michel, Sir J. R. Sinclair, W. Stewabt, C. M. Thomson and W. H. Triggs.

In place of their usual bazaar the Methodist workers last year expressed a preference for a direct giving effort. By circulars printed in this office an eloquent appeal was issued to all the members and adherents of the church aiming at extinguishing the church debt of £225. So far £BO odd has been paid in and the officials hope that promises and amounts handed in to-mor-row will total £125. Probably the effort will be helped by the proceeds of “The Haymakers” cantata. The Banker, official organ of the New Zealand Bank Officers’ Guild, reports that the directors of tbe Bank of New Zealand “have this year been good enough to recognise again in a practical manner that the high cost of living continues to eat enormous holes in our pockets, and it has afforded us tangible relief by granting a bonus as follows: To all married men, £275 to £395, 121 per cent for the year; to all single men, £275 and upwards. 10 per cent; to all married men £4OO and over, 10 per cent; to each woman clerk, £lO. We take this opportunity of returning our best thanks to the board for its generosity.” The annual winter farmers’ farm school will be held at Ruakura farm of instruction from May 25 to 30. The farm school offers a unique opportunity for farmers of the Auckland province to obtain modern ideas on farm management. The syllabus set out for the week's course embraces lectures on pasture establishment and maitnenance crop production on dairy farms, diseases of dairy .-cows, management of sheep and pigs, farm plantations, and farm equipment. A good feature of the course at Ruakura is that the farm itself demonstrates many of the points touched on by the lecturers and “farm strolls” are worked in with the lectures, so that'the farmers can see for themselves the practical utility of the subjects dealt with in the lectures. f ■

A deputation from the Kakepuku School Committee waited upon Mr F. Lye, M.P., at Ppkuru last Wednesday evening and pointed out the great disadvantage the. progressive district was tinder in not having a teacher’s residence. It was explained that five years ago the provision of a residence adjacent to the school was recommended by the Board’s advisory staff, but the recommendation has not yet been acted upon. Whether the Board or the Department are to blame is not so important as the actual provision of a residence. It was pointed out in support that the scholars’ roll number has more than doubled in the last five years, and the school now has two teachers, whereas when the recommendation was made there was a sole teacher. Mr Lye said he recognised the position, and he would make representations again to see if the school residence could not be provided.

When the Post and Telegraph Department was asked to undertake the work of distributing the number plates for motors in December, it was found that none had been ordered. They were required by January 1, and at such short notice the only place they could be procured from was California, and instead of black and white, green and white alone was available. Complaints were made that these colours were difficult to decipher at a distance, but none other could be procured. The estimated number required was 73,000, and 92,000 were ordered, to be on the safe side. Even this was not enough hence the delay, which was another sourse of complaint while ar fresh supply was on its way. The total registrations to March 31 were 99,233; Wellington heading the list with 15,804; 'Christchurch 15,2001, Auckland 14,783. They are still coming in at the rate of 1800 monthly, and the total registered was now about 103,500. Registers are kept of owners and numbers, and the local authorities can obtain copies.

; VSihUC K‘ : W : ’i \' The following official bulletin was issued at midday yesterday:—“The improvement reported'in the Rrirne Miiiister.’s condition at the end of last ,w;eek lias'nbt b'e'eir ihaintaihed during' the last twenty-four hours.” '{

/■ “CatJs. i the,,jpamq, of an animal and therefore a noun,” declared a pupil 1 of the Te, Kuiti .school, ip, answer to one 'of tiie Education Board’s home ■lessons. . “Kitten is what the cat' has, therefore it is, a, verb.”' V;, t ,

•'Messrs W. Claud-Motion (of Waiuku) and W. lorns (of Wairarapa) who have been appointed to represent, the New Zealand Dairy Produce . Control Board ih London, expect to leave New Zealand on July 7th to take up .their duties. ■ 1 ■ ■

Following is an extract from the report of t'he Cambridge Orphans’ Club: —“A number of visits were paid to 'sister clubs. The club would like to record its appreciation of the Te Awamutu Club in paying a visit, with about 40 members,. including their very fine orchestra.”

There were eleven candidates for the seven, seats on the Ohaupo School Committee, those elected being Messrs IA. J. Doueh 46, ,E. M. Jenkinson 44, W. Smillie 34, E. J. Edwards 32, J. M. Boyd 32, G. Hogan 32, N. J. Finlay 31. Messrs Cowley, Steenson, Sage and Sowerby were unplaced.

The members of St. Andrew’s Ladies’ Guild have been working for months in an effort to make a success of the annual bazaar, which is to be held next Wednesday in tbe Parish Hall, in aid of St. Andrew’s (Presbyterian) Church funds. We gather that a very fine array of saleable goods will be presented, while an attractive programme of music and competitions will he’p to interest patrons.

Apparently “disaffection” in school committee affairs is infectious for a correspondent at Ohaupo, reporting on the householders’ meeting there on Monday night, records that the atmosphere of the meeting began to get very hot soon after the reading of the various reports. Shells (mostly personal ones) came from all corners. The majority, being duds, failed to explode.

At this week’s meeting of the Waikato Presbytery, held at Hamilton, a considerable .part of the meeting was taken up with the consideration of reports from the home missionaries. There are at present ten of these agents stationed within the hounds of the presbytery, and at least two others are urgently needed. The reports and facts furnished indicate that very efficient and self-sacrificing work is being done by these missionaries, who usually have very wide charges and often labour under conditions which require endurance and considerable self-sac-rifice.

One of tbe visitors to the Wanganui Horticultural Society’s autumn show, who has had a lifelong experience Of horticulture, informed a Herald reporter that one of the most beautiful things he had in his garden was a cultivated dock. He said that the dock was generally despised, but it could be created a plant of surprising beauty, and an ornament to any garden. It was a surprising announcement for the reporter, who has spent much good, time eradicating docks from -a suburban garden, in blissful ignorance of the fact that they might have added to the ,picturesqueness of the suburb where he resides.

Matters in connection with acclimatisation affairs in this district have led to a number of the enthusiasts deciding to convene a meeting next week. From what we can gather the meeting will be asked to consider proposals affecting the supplies of both pheasants and trout in this locality. One of the keenest enthusiasts upon acclimatisation affairs informed us this morning that the date and place of meeting will be advertised next Tuesday, and he hoped every license holder in the Te Awamutu district would avail himself of the opportunity to attend for it would he the most important meeting of the kind held in Te Awamutu for a long time.

In maintaining the efficiency of the telephone system the officials have to combat many strange elements. In the office of the engineering branch of the Telegraph Department at Christchurch, there is a small collection of pieces of telephone cable and armouring, each of which tells a story. One interesting exhibit is a piece of lead armouring taken from an underground cable between the post office and the telegraph office, which has a hole of about three inches in length on it. This was caused by rats, which had entered the wooelen trough, and had apparently found their means of going an further blocked by the cable, chewing a hole in.it in order to proceed. Such a happening is not likely to occur again, as all the new underground cables which have been laid recently have , been encased in conduits of earthenware piping (states the Lyttelton Times). Another piece. of armouring, this one from an overhead cable, has a small hole in it. This was caused by a .22 rifle bullet which penetrated to the inside of the wires.

Mr Alan P. Day, clerk of the Franklin County Council, who acted as secretary of the Franklin Electric Power Board, and the Provisional Committee, until a permanent secretary was appointed, was accorded a ’hearty vote of thanks and granted a bonus of £2OO for services rendered, at last Tuesday’s meeting of the Board, on the motion of Mr W. Claud Motion, seconded by the chairman, Mr John Dean. The various members were of the one opinion, and that was that had it not been for the efforts of Mr Day the Board would not have been so far advanced as it was at present. All paid tributes to his sterling work, and the intense interest he had manifested in all matters appertaining to tfhe welfare of the Board. It was pointed out that Mr Day, although burdened with extra work, had worked day and night to fulfil his duties faithfully. “He is a dirt cheap man at the price,” declared Mr W. McEwen, “and had it not been for Mr Day’s experience in local body affairs we would have been put to no end of expense in consulting solicitors in the preparation of the various documents constituting the Board. As it was, our legal costs were practically nil.” The motion was carried unanimously, and it was also, decided to grant Mr Day’s staff a bonus of £2O for the extra work entailed.