LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2145, 17 April 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr M. Eyre, who left Pirongia some years ago to farm a property at Ohauiti, near Tauranga, has returned to this district.

■ The total value of new buildings and additions, for which permits were issued in the borough of Te Awamutu during the past year was £9627. The complimentary social tendered to Mr and Mrs H. V. Nielsen, who are' leaving the Dominion, takes place this evening.

Last night's meeting of the local Borough Council was the adjourned fortnightly meeting that ordinarily should have been held last Monday evening. The Council will meet again next Monday evening. , , •■•.;, Mr E. McVerry, of Pokuru, had the misfortune to be thrown heavily from his horse last Thursday, due to the girth breaking. Mr McVerry injured his shoulder considerably, and had to be removed to the Waikato Hospital, where at latest adivce he ismaking a good recovery.

Mr Norman Tate, known in New Zealand and Australia as the Fun Doctor, is at present in Te Awamutu giving his healthy entertainment at the schools. Mr Tate cheers thesifik in all hospitals free, also the prisons and orphanages. His Baby Austin is taking him through gradually to Wellington.

Two names freely mentioned in connection with the chairmanship of'the Railway Board are those of Mr H. H. Sterling, a former member of the Board, who resigned in order to accept an appointment with an important dairying concern, and Mr J. S. Hunter, official secretary to the Minister of Railways.

The death occurred at the Waikato Hospital this morning of an old and well known Te Awamutu resident, Mr William G. H. Wolfe, at the age of 70 years. Deceased had been undergoing treatment lately for an internal complaint, and death ensued rather unexpectedly. The funeral takes place to-morrow afternoon at Te Awamutu Cemetery.

At the annual meeting of the Cambridge Rugby Union the Kaipaki Junior Club applied for affiliation to the Cambridge Union. It has decided to endeavour to arrange with the Waipa Rugby Union for certain players re>siding a (short distance within Waipa boundary to play for the Kaipaki club, as the Ohaupo Football Club, affiliated to the Waipa Union last season, had disbanded.

When it was mentioned at yesterday's meeting that the statutory annual meeting of the Waipa County Council is set down for Wednesday, 23rd May, it was suggested that the ordinary monthly meeting (on Monday, 14th May) might well be merged with the annual meeting. It was eventually decided to hold the meetings on the dates mentioned.

Big piles of logs are at preesnt lying along the western banks of the Waipa River down-stream from Pirongia, ready for transport by Avater to sawmills down beyond the junction of the Waipa and Waikato Rivers as soon as the river levels rise to enable the logs to bo floated. The logs have been brought down from the hill-sidss, where cutting over a considerable area has bjeen in progress for some time past. A further area of land, with a lot of millablq timber on it, is at present being surveyed, and timber cutting will provide employment for many men for some time to come.

Details in connection with the local observance of Anzac Day were referred, at Monday's meeting of the Borough Council, and referred to the Deputy Mayor (Cr Spinley), Cr J. Marshall and the town clerk to confer with the church ministers to draft a programme. The Deputy Mayor said he would like to see the returned soldiers present at the memorial service in larger numbers. He took it that the Anzac Day service was intended as a memoi-iam to those soldiers who did net return and also as a recognition of those who did come back. Cr Marshall suggested that the Municipal Band should also parade at full strength, and that the service at the monument might be brightened by a variation of the hymns sung on that occasion.

The local* Chamber of Commerce meets this evening.

Mr D. S. Reid, M.P. for Waikato, has been a patient in a private hospital in Hamilton for the past ten days. He hopes to return home shortly.

The engagement is announced of Myrtle Clavis, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs J. R. Gemmill, of Cambridge, to Alfred Duffin, second son of Mr and Mrs F. C. Bluck, of Cambridge.

A really good practice game of Rugby football was indulged in at Albert Park last Saturday afternoon, teams representing Rovers and Te Awamutu playing, with Mr B. Kelly as referee. The form shown by most of the players was distinctly encouraging for the coming season.

" It seems to. me that these settlers desirous of forming a drainage district under County Council control want the same facilities as a drainage board can give but without the cost of an engineer."—Cr Livingstone at Monday's meeting of Waipa County Council.

Mr F. R. Howard, sight testing specialist, representing Messrs Barry and Beale, Ltd., of 322 Queen Street, Auckland, will attend at Mr G. Gifford's Buildings, on Thursday, April 19th. Appointments may be made with Mr J. F. Brooks, chemist, Te Awamutu. 321

During the progress of a football match at Waikeria last Saturday afternoon, between United juniors and a Waikeria fifteen, one of the latter players, Leonard Crawford sustained serious injury, his left leg being broken above the ankle while he and an opposing player were kicking at the ball. Crawford was at once rendered assistance, and then brought in to Te Awamutu, where Dr. G. J. Hall dressed the injury and ordered Crawford's removal to Waikato Hospital. Latest advices indicate that he is making satisfactory progress.

The matter of exchange on cheques on payment of rates from settlers who bank at Cambridge and Hamilton was referred to at Monday's meeting of the Waipa County Council, when the chairman made it clear that the Council did not require oxchange to be added in those cases. Two councillors remarked, that many ratepayers in their were under the impression that they had to add exchange. The clerk pointed out that the office practice was to lodge all Hamilton or Cambridge cheques, and pay the bank a rate of 2s 6d pe<r £IOO as exchange thereon.

Eel fishing has its attractions among Europeans, but to the native race it is more or less of a business ((says the Wanganui Chronicle). An Okoia farmer was recently awakened in the dead of night by the sound of voices near his homestead. His investigation revealed a party of ten Maoris working the creek in his property with the aid of lanterns. "Eight of the party were wading the stream almost waistdeep, and throwing the eels on to the dry land with bare hands. The fish came out so quickly that the two men on the banks had a steady job killing and bagging them.

Rugy football enthusiasts at Pirongia arte keen on their team's prospects this season, and predict that both the senior and junior fifteens will be powerful factors in the Waipa Rugby Union's competitions. The differences in control, that were in evidence a few weeks ago, have all been amicably settled. One of the club's warmest supporters, Mr Lyn Macky, has made available a building -beside the football ground as a dressing shed for the players. This is in addition to the playing area, which Mr Macky provides gratis.

When it was remarked at Monday's meeting of the Waipa County Council that both Mr Justice Herdman and Mr W. Wilson, SJVL, who heard the ease against a service motor car for exceeding the speed limit, are now out of New Zealand on holiday, surprise was oxpressed that legally the defendant had not been convicted, and the case could not be brought on again until the magistrate or the judge returns. Cr Livingstone thought there was undue delay in instituting Court proceedings, but Cr Clarke* remarked that the Council's solicitors often had a great deal to do before Court proceedings were possible.

The greatly-increased work, both inside and outsicd the office, involved by the association with the Main Highways Board, was mentioned at Monday's meeting of the Waipa County Council by the engineer, Mr J. W. Civil. He said there was a great deal more clerical work, practically entailing the full time of his assistant in office work. The work outdoors was also increasing, and he was working long hours to try to keep pac~> with it, but if he was required to take charge of another drainage area, as suggested, in the Pukekura district, he could not state a time when he could attend to it. There was certain work an unqualified engineer could not do. If the Counail adopted the suggested main road scheme it would appreciably reduce the clerical work. The Council indicated that it would approve thri engagement of extra clerical assistance when occasion required.

A lady who lives not a hundred miles from Te Awamutu was strangely disappointed the other day. Her husband is away at present on holiday, and word came that a parcel awaited the* lady at the post office. She, with characteristic feminine curiosity, decided with all possible haste to obtain possession of the parcel; hurriedly she went to the post office. The Department, however, made an impost of Is 8d before delivery could be given, and for a moment she demurred, but on seeing the address in " hubby's " hand-writing she paid cheerfully. Expectant and excited that her husband had been so thoughtful, she marched off triumphant,' conjuring visions of opera coats and the like. Her legs could not quickly enough retract her steps homeward, but in due course she reached the privacy of her homo, where exf:<ited fingers ;revealed !the contents to view. And, oh! " hubby " had rtemembered right enough to send home a dirty shirt for washing !

The annual meeting 'of St.- John's Church takes place this evening.

The total pay-sheet preesntled at Monday's meeting of the Waipa County Council amounted to £3341 17s lOd.

The royal commission which is to inquire into transport conditions in Auckland i's expected to begin its sittings on 26th April.

The engagement is announced .of Eileen Rose, eldest daughter of Mr and .Mrs James Watt, of Fencourt, Cambridge, to John Russell, second son of Mr and Mrs Walter Haworth, also of Cambridge.

At the monthly meeting of the Matamata County Council last Friday the engineer (Mr M. E. Fitzgerald) stated that the Council had again had a .successful year with public works grants moneys, and had lifted £5584 or £759 above the allocation of £4825. The amount lifted from the Main Highways Board was £14,471.

Three To Awamutu anglers who fished in the Arapuni lake, up near the top end, on Sunday last, experienced good sport. Their catch for about three hours' fishing was thirteen beautiful-conditioned trout, ranging up to 53 lbs in weight, with an average of nearly 4|lbs. All the fish were vigorous, and before being landed tested the skill of the anglers.

During the Borough Council meeting last evening, the Deputy Mayor referred to an argument between the Mayor and Cr Gifford some three months ago, re the acceptance by the Main Highways Board of the recommendation that Puniu road be declared a main highway, during which Mr Armstrong offered to supply Cr Gifford with a new hat if the recommendation were accepted. All Councillors now knew that the Puniu road is a main highway, and consequently he was commissioned by Mr Armstrong to hand over to Cr Gifford an order for a new hat. (Laughter.)

That " ringing in " is feared at country sports meetings, even among the juveniles, was indicated the other day at Te Karaka. A small boy, who desired to enter for a race for boys under ten years of age, was asked his age. " Ten to-day" was the ready reply. Upon the official explaining that the race was for boys under ten years the would-be competitor, to'the surprise and amusement of all the officials, rejdined, "Oh, but I was born at three o'clock in'the afternoon ! " As the official's watch indicated 2.15 p.m. the boy got into the event by 45 minutes, and was allowed to start. He won the race, too,

" What do you propose to do about the very rough metalled surface of the Kihikihi-Arapuni Road near Pukeatua" inquired the chairman at yesterday's meeting of the Waipa County Council, addressing the engineer. Mr Civil replied that until now the riding had no funds to tackle the job, but lately the road had been declared a main highway. He hoped to have improvement effected at no distant date. The present metal would make a good foundation. He could break it up after the winter, add smaller metal, and make a splendid roadway. He indicated part of his plan for improving about three miles of the road on the Kihikihi side of Pukeatua.

St. John's Girls' Club members had an unexpected, but very welcome guest last evening, when the president (Mrs Trill) introduced Professor Longwell, who occupies the chair of biology at Middlebury College, U.S.A., and is spending a brief vacation in the Dominion, studying animal and plant life. The professor gave a brief and interesting address to club members, chiefly pointing out differences in the animal and plant life in America, Australia and New .Zealand. After the address a social hour was spent, .many of the members interestedly seeking impressions of American life and conditions. At the close the professor was accorded very hearty thanks for his entertaining visit.

The officials of the Te Awamutu Presbyterian Church recently decided to have their ecclesiastical edifice at Te Kama endowed with a very muchneeded coat of paint, and engaged a well-known Te Awamutu painter to perform the operation. It is now stated that on arriving at Te Kawa the painter's staff was directed to the church, and they repaired thither, fully armed with their pots and brushes. Imagine the feelings of the Te Kawa congregation when, at the end of the day, it was found that the. painters had made a splendid job—not of the church, but of a neighbouring building —the office of the Te KaAva Drainage Board. The question is: Is the Te Kawa church like a drainage board office, or is the office like a church? One of the interested congregation wants to know which route from Te Awamutu the painters took. We content ourselves with the observation that some practical joker, obviously not a Presbyterian, succeeded in_ a clever ruse. Presumably the Drainage Board will record a hearty vote of thanks to the painter. They surely would not be justified in claiming damages !

A farewell social was tendered by the local Presbyterian Church people Jast evening to Mr and Mrs Win. Ross (Hairini) and Mr and Mrs H. V. Neilsen (Te Awamutu). The former, who are leaving shortly on an extended holiday visit to the Old Country, while Mr Neilsen proceeds to the United States, having accepted an important appointment there with a big company of dairy produce merchants. Mrs Neilsen and family will, for some time to come, make their home in Hamilton. The Rev. W. Butterworth presided, and the proceedings were most enjoyable. During the evening Miss Edwards contributed delightful vocal solos and Mr J. B. Wilson was responsible for a series of humourous storiettes. An amusing competition created much interest. The chairman referred to the splendid work for the church rendered by the guests, mentioning Mr Ross' splendid services as an elder and Mrs and Mrs Nielsen's great help in the church besides other activities in various bi-anehes of church work. They would all be missed greatly, but he wished them a very pleasant voyage, good health and prosperity.