LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1780, 8 July 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Waitomo Electric 'Power Board holds its next meeting on Tuesday, 13th instt at Te Kuifci.

The next sitting of the Magistrate's Court at Te Awamutu is set down for Wednesday next, When Mr C. R. OrrWalker, .S.M., will preside. The membership of the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society now totals nearly 1800—one of the. largest memberships of such societies in .New Zealand, it is said.

As everyone is aware; the kiwi is particularly rare, and it is' very unusual for one to he seen. The other day, howeveit one was. fottfnd (the .Stratford Post says) in the Te Popo district, where it had become caught in an opossum trap. Unfortunately, it died shortly after being extricated. The call of the kiwi has often been heard in the district mentioned, hut few, if any, people have been fortunate enough to find the bird. .

" The secret of keeping a road in good order," said Mr E. Bowmar, at a meeting of the Southland Motor Association last week, "is putting a small amount of small gravel on the road before the pot-holes become too deep. There is almost as much harm in putting down too much as too little. Distribute with a gradler," he said, " and keep the level flush, and there will never be any trouble." Smoking is not one of the habits of the Sikh members of the Indian army hockey team, and, so far as New Zealand drinks are concerned, they are teetotallers. They know nothing of the western form of dancing. Before their arrival in New Zealand many of the Indians had not spoken to white women, of whom they have a high opinion. Rev Alex Hardie, of the Paterangi Presbyterian Church, has been advised by the Wairarapa Presbytery, that arrangements have been made for his induction to the Martinborough charge on the 29th inst. At the ceremony Rev. G. Mcßae will preside, Rev. Geo. King will address the congregation, and Rev. W. W. Howes, M.A., will deliver the customary address to the new minister. Mr Hardie informs us that Sunday. 18th inst., will be the occasion for his farewell services at Paterangi.

Now that a settlement has been reached with the coal miners in the Auckland district, there only remains the negotiations with the Southland miners to complete a two years' agreement with the whole of the coal miners of the Dominion for two years. The Auckland agreement is exactly on the same lines as that arrived at on the West Coast of the South Island. The conference between the Southland mine owners and-the representatives of the miners will take place next week.

It is surprising how seldom members of the Maori race are extended charitable assistance, states the Taranaki News. Particularly is this noticeable among children whose parents have died. In such cases there is no fuss made to 1 the charitable institutions to take over the care of the bereaved children. Instead relatives' of the deceased parents quietly adopt the young people into their families, and no more is heard of the matter. Where there are no relatives of the children other members of the village undertake the responsibility. Should the village folk not be able to do this then natives from outside districts come Ito the rescue. It sometimes happens, too, that where there is a large family of children and parents are poor, relatives of the father or mothe r will take a child at birth, or when the baby is about 12 months old, and out of pure kindness of heart assume the responsibilities of foster parents. This humanitarian spirit is an old law of the Maori. Would that it were wore in evidence amongst the more "advanced" pakeha.

The road from Pukeatua to the Aro r hena settlement, several miles to the south east, is reported to be in very bad condition at present.

A Press Association message from Hamilton this morning sftates that influenza is prevalent and the schoolattendances have suffered.

A small staff of borough workmen is at present employed effecting improvements to the footpaths of the business area. The work is greatly appreciated for there have been scores of potholes existing for many monlths.

Arrangements are being made for a conference of South African veterans to be held in Wellington about Ithe end of August. Owing to the big increase in membership throughout the Dominion, it is anticipated that the gathering will exceed in point of numbers any previously held by this organisation.

A Te Awamutu bowler in close touch with the affairs of the South Auckland Bowling Association, assures u s that there is no likelihood of the proposal (emanating from Hamilton) in favour of the South Auckland, tournament being held at Hamilton at Easlter time, thus displacing the 'extremely popular Easter tournament conducted for so many years by the Cambridge Club. " Merino sheep of to-day are not like they were twenty years ago," said Mr J M. Keane, a Shearer giving evidence in the Arbitration Court at Christchurch last week. " Now they have allconcertina necks, and —" '"What sort of mecks?" asked. Mr A. Cook, general secretary of the New Zealand Workers' Union "Concertina necks," repliedwitness. " They have necks all wrinkled like a concertina." Playing at Paterangi yesterday afternoon a Te Awamutu team '(Waratah) was defeated 1 by the home team by two goals to one. Scorers for the winners were B. Spiers and L. Tarr, and for the losers H. Andrew. Mr C. J Spiers was referee. On Albert Park United and Ramblers played a practice game, neither team being at its full strength, owing to defections due to influenza. A ladies' practice match was also played.

A novel and very useful way of raising money for a boys' camp has been inaugurated by the All Saints Boys' Club, says the Manawatu Times. Lads are available on Saturdays for odd iobs, gardening, lawn mowing and window cleaning, and any payments to the lads are "pooled." The object of the club is to raise enough money to pay the expenses ot"a-Christmas camp.

"Fanners must get away from the habit of purchasing seed from samples," said Professor Stapledon, in answering a question after his lecture at Canterbury College the other evening (reports the Press). "This has been the ciirse of things in the past., Strain and variety should be put before qual T ity of seed. Neither the farmer, the scientist, nor the seedsman can tell by samples, no matter how attractive they look. They all have to begin together and back one another up. New Zealand can compete quite well with Denmark in the matter of butter, so why not in seed]s?"

Te Awamutu residents will be interested in the following item from the Te Kuiti Chronicle:. Cr O'Connel gave notice of motion at the Borough Council last night to discuss at the next meeting the building of a town hall in Te Kuiti. Two years ago, he said, the project had been discussed by the Council and deferred for six months, since when nothing had been heard of it. He drew attention to the fact that in other towns—Otorohanga. for example—good town halls had, been built and were paying well. He exhorted the councillors to give the matter consideration in the interim so that they would be prepared Ito discuss it at the next meeting.

"I think it is tiir.e we considered the establishment of a Municipal Band." opined Cr O'Connell •at the Te Kuiti Borough Council meeting last Monday night. He drew attention to the fact that a band: from Otorohanga had been playing in Te Kuiti on a recent evening. He thought it humiliating that a band should have to be got from a town the size of Otorohanga to play in a town the size of Te Kuiti because there was no band here. There was plenty of talent here and it only needed some organisation and financial assistance: A band has been in existence off and on for the last 10 o r 12 years, but to hold such an organisation together some backing from the borough was necessary. The Mayor said lie had recently received a letter from Mr Timbers, who had -formerly been bandmaster there. He was thinking of returning to Te Kuiti and enquired what chance there was of forming a band. A band was most difficult to keep together, and he j considered (that the only organisation in the town capable of running a band was .the Fire Brigade. He referred the letter to them, and the brigade was calling a special meeting to consider the proposal. Other councillors said there were a number of bandsmen among the Brigade's members, and voted the Mayor's action a good idea.