OTOROHANGA NEWS

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1687, 17 November 1925, Page 5

OTOROHANGA NEWS

ITEMS FROM KINO COUNTRY.

(Resident Representative.)

iSix people alighted at Otorohanga from the express train at 11.22 on Sunday night. This was the first on Sunday night, and five boarded her. This was the first ordinary night express from, (Auckland to stop here under the new time-table. The express from the south is timed to arrive here at 3.53a.m.

" Farmer” in a short note, expresses his appreciation of the fact that the county engineer hos suggested the obtaining of a road roller. ,He is convinced that such a .piece of plant would, assure the county having as good roads as any in the North Island, providing Waipa River shingle is used as the metal. In this connection he wonders why the Main Highways Board has not seen to the making of both the Ngutunui-Kawhia and the PirongiaKawhia roads. Is there, “ Farmer ” asks, any personal influence keeping hack the making of the Pirongia-Te Rau-a-Moa Road?

The Town (Board resolved at its last meeting to apply to the Main Highways Board for its subsidy to the maintenance of the main street, which, of course, is part of the main highway from Auckland to Wellington. There is no doubt that the rabbit pesf has been greatly diminished in this district during the past year or so and a great factor in this diminution has been the amount of trapping done for skins. 'Week after week sacks of skins are consigned from Otorohanga to centres both north and south, and there are men who have been making a good income thereby. What amount comes into this district from the sale of rabbit skins is not known, but it is fair to assume that this and other places are responsible for portions of the 15,'500,000 rabbit skins that, according to the London Daily Mail, were exported from New Zealand to Great Britain and the United States last year, of a total value of £740,000. During the same period the value of the gold exported was £557,788. The modern woman’s fondness for furs is responsible for this profitable return from a pestilential nuisance. The Waitomo Power Board’s subcommittee has recommended that the wiring to be held over for the present is in the following cases: Honikiwi, Somerville’s, Irvine’s, Rangitoto, Patterson’s, Oudaille’s Ngahape Soldier Settlement, Gadsby’s, Hangatiki railway station, Barkley’s, Wilson’s, Kio Kio, Waitete, Arapae Ahuroa and he Humua road.

There have been several improvemens in the local train services of late but there is one other that might well be made, and that is the banishing of school boys from the secondclass smoking carriages. These boys are a nuisance to adult passengers in the said carriages in both morning and afternoon trains, and in the latter, unfortunately, many of • the adults are not fit company for the boys. If these school boys were; confined to travelling in the non-smoking carriages they would probably be under better control owing to the presence of women, and the men in the smokers would be free to indulge in their racing and other talk untrammelled by the presence of the said youngsters, and with plenty of seating accommodation. , The secretary-manager of the Waitomo Power Board stated at the last meeting that owing to the rise in the price of material the cost of wiring would have to be i increased directly the Board’s present stock of riiaterial was exhausted. It behoves everyone, therefore, to have their wiring done without delay. The visit here to-morrOw night of the members of Te Awamutu Ladies’ (Club to perform .Sir J. M. Barrie’s four-act comedy, “ Quality Street,” ■may be looked upon as an act of reciprocity to Otorohanga, whose dramatic representatives have paid two visits to Te Awamutu, Avhere they were much appreciated by large audiences on both occasions. It is natural, therefore, to expect to see a large audience at the Town Hall to-morrow night, not only as a sign of appreciation of the company, but also as an earnest of support of dramatic art for which public interest is reviving. The company, which] numbers some twenty members, will come down by motor car, and return by the same means. Any surplus over expenses will go to the Anglican Church fund.