LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3468, 19 May 1934, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The next meeting of the Waipa County Council, to have been held on Monday, is to be held on Wednesday next, in conjunction with the statutory annual meeting.

Messrs Mizen and Company report having held a very satisfactory auction sale at Pukeatua on Wednesday of timber, iron, fittings, etc., on the site of the old public hall. Practically a complete clearance was effected at prices satisfactory to vendor and purchasers alike. There was a large attendance of prospective bidders.

Yesterday was probably the coldest day experienced in Te Awamuitu since last winter. Rain early in the morning was followed by a bleak southerly wind that was decidedly unpleasant.

Tenders close to-day for the carting of pipes, metal, and other materials to the local Borough Council’s water supply headworks on Pirongia mountain.

Information was received in Te Awamutu yesterday afternoon that principal officers of the Hamilton and Cambridge Orphans’ Clubs will be present this evening at the opening of the Te Awamutu Club’s 1934 session, to extend fraternal greetings to the club and its new president, Bro. S. G. Riddell.

Housewives especially, and all other consumers in general, should note that the electric power supply throughout the whole of Te Awamutu Power Board’s aera will be cut off on Sunday afternoon from 1 o’clock until about 3.30, at the special request of the Public Works Department, while some necessary adjustments are being made.

Amending regulations under the Education Act are published in the “ Gazette ” issued last Thursday evening. They deal with miscellaneous matters and for most part are of a machinery nature. Provision is made whereby one assistant may be a male teacher in the case of higher grade Native schools. Anomalies in respect to the salaries of headmasters in district high schools are also rectified.

The son of a Christchurch relief worker who recently asked for “ unemployment nibs ” instead of “ relief nibs,” has a counterpart in the Wellington boy who was sent to the grocer’s by hi's mother for a bottle of acetic acid. He forgot the name and asked for “Sarcastic ” acid. The grocer told him to tell his mother that he was sorry that he was out of stock, but would get a fresh lot in at the first opportunity.

It is understood that during the visit to the Arohena district yesterday of Messrs W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., A. Sutherland, A. H. Storey and others, a proposal was advanced that, if adopted by the authorities, will have far-reaching effects so far as the Arohena district is concerned. Details are not yet available, but the acquisition by the Government of one or two occupied farms adjoining Crown holdings so that a large and compact area can be made available for use as a central farm is part oi the scheme. , Te Awamutu district experienced its heaviest frost of the present year this morning, but later the sun shone out brightly, and conditions are f much more pleasant to-day.

At the Magistrate’s Court sittingin Te Awamutu last Thursday a resident of Pirongia, John Mitchell, was called upon to answer a charge of failure to comply with a maintenance order in respect to his illegitimate child, payment for which was very much in arrear. The case had been adjourned from the April sitting. Mitchell said he was a farmei on a native leasehold of 109 acres, and former cream carrier; married with five children. He admitted the order for maintenance, but said he could not possibly keep up the payments. He had paid £l2 12s 6d since the order was made, nearly a yeafl ago. He thought he could manage to pay 7s 6d per week, by getting some outside work.—-His Worship adjourned the case until the June sitting of the Court, Mitchell to make every effort to overtake the arrears and ‘keep up current payments.

In the course of a well-attended meeting of returned soldiers at Te Aroha on Wednesday night Captain ,S. J. Harrison, general secretary of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, recapitulated the history of the national war fund and the canteen fund, and showed that, for the past few years a heavy drain had been made on the capital of both funds. In 1931 the national war fund stood at £166,000; in 1932, £157,000; in 1933, £140,000; in 1934, £130,000, the latter being the estimate as for July next. The canteen fund in 1932 totalled £202,660; Ist February, 1934, £188,830; estimated amount for July, 1934, £176,000. It had to be remembered that the canteen funds were controlled by returned soldiers and not by the Government, as many believed. T,he speaker gave particulars of the number of men assisted throughout the Dominion, no less than £45,000 having been given from the various funds in twelve months. He spoke at length on the cases that came, before the Association for assistance. Unemployment was the leading factor in the applications for assistance from the national war fund.

In the course of a chat this morning with Mr H. L. Waters, who has decided to commence business here, he stated that he came from Napier, where he held an important position with one of the leading firms. Napier, he says, has changed out of all knowledge compared with its condition before the earthquake, and the people are rapidly regaining their wonted enthusiasm for their town. He recalled the community efforts of years ago to make Napier the laiv gest, most important and most attractive centre in the North Island other than Auckland and Wellington, and said the next ten years will very probably see Napier regain its former prominence, exceeding Wjanganu*, Palmerston North and New Plymouth in population. Mr Waters, speakingmore particularly of his own work, mentioned that he had gained a first class diploma for signwriting and pictorial work from London, and he displayed some photographs to give an idea of the wide range and quality oi his artistry as a signwriter and decorator.

This week’s Gazette contains notification of the closing of a road in block 12, Pirongia survey district, Otorohanga County. The area is rather more than 2J acres.

The Otorohanga County Council, in furtherance of its scheme for metalling roads in the vicinity, invites tenders for quarrying and crushing 500 cubic yards of metal chips at Korakonui.

Some of the spoil removed at Albert Park in connection with the proposed erection of a grandstand building has been used to fill slight hollows in and near the playing areas. When consolidated, this filling will improve the park for Rugby football and athletic sports meetings.

The opening date of the rock oyster season in Auckland has been fixed for May 31. The picking of the oysr ters usually commences about a week before the actual opening. Good prospects are indicated. The beds at W.hangarei and the Great Barrier Island, which were closed last year, will be available for picking.

The public meeting at Te Awamutu next Monday evening when Mr W. J. Jordan, M.P., was to describe Labour’s “ Prosperity Plan,” has been cancelled for the present, owing to the sudden illness of Mr Jordan. A telephone message to this effect was received this morning. The nature of Mr Jordan’s illness was not stated, but we were assured that the address will be given at a later date.

The election for the extraordinary vacancy on the Waipa County Council, caused by the recent death of Mr Robert Speake, of Kaipaki, is to be held on Wednesday next. There are two candidates, Messrs E. J. Edwards (of Oihaupo) and R. J. Graham (of Kaipaki). Polling hours are from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m., and the polling booths are at the Ohaupo Town Board office and the public hall at Kaipaki.

“The famous artist who painted the Menin Gate, Win. Longstaff, has now painted a further picture. This has been purchased by Lord Wakefield, and is to be sent to New Zealand by him with 1000 replica’s. The donor’s express' wish is that it be utilised for raising funds to l-elieve ex-soldiers, and the New Zealand R.S.A., with, this end in view, has made application for it.”—)Mir S. J. Harrison last Wednesday evening at Te Aroha branch of the R.S.A. meeting.

Thursday of next week (24th May) is to be observed thr*oughout New Zealand, an|d no doubt throughout the British Empire, as Empire Day, and in this connection representations have been made to the. Mayors of the several cities and boroughs of New Zealand, asking them to participate in, or arrange for, suitable ceremonies at the principal public schools. We understand that it is probable a brief but informative address will again be given at the Te Awamutu District High School on Thursday next, on similar lines to the qeremony of a year ago, when My A. J. Sinclair was the principal speaker.

In reply to a question of interpretation of the scrummage rule asked for by the New Zealand Referees’ Association, the management committee of the New Zealand (Rugby Union has decided to give the following in-terpi-etation as to when the ball can be hooked: “Before the ball can be hooked it must be past both feet of a front-ranker of both teams, be on the ground, and be midway between both sets of hookers.” In reply to a request from the Wellington Union as to when the ball must be on the ground, the Committee ruled that the ball must touch the ground by the time it has passed the second foot.

The May issue of the Australian Journal, a copy of which is to hand, contains, in addition to the twelve interesting stories, the usual up-to-the-minute phases of fashion, special knitting pages, cooking hints, and recipes. The first instalment of “ Broken Marriage,” Alan Sullivan’s latest romance, will make readers eagerly await the June issue. Those who read William Hatfield’s “Desert Saga,” “ Shipmates,” and “ Ginger Murdoch” will not be disappointed with “White Nigger.”

Exports of butter from New Zealand for the nine months of the 193334 season ended on 30th April tot- 1 ailed 112,043 tons, compared with 100,768 tons for the corresponding period of 1932-33, an increase of 11,275 tons, or 11.189 per cent. The quantity shipped during the last nine months was only 14,030 tons less than the total of 126,073 tons exported during the whole of the 1932-33 season. Shipments during April were 9848 tons, compared with 12,528 tons for April, 1933, a decrease of 2680 tons.

A letter from the Transport Department concerning the allocation of heavy traffic fees in No. 10 Heavy Traffic District, received at the monthly meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, gave rise to some brief comment on the existing position so far as local body taxation is concerned. The council agreed that the time was overdue for a review of the whole of local-body taxation, and that representations should be made to the Prime Minister accordingly. The Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, said he was strongly of the opinion that the time was over-ripe for an overhaul. The position with regard to heavy traffic fees was entirely unsatisfactory, while much the same could be said regarding auctioneers’ licenses and the petrol tax.

Booking appears to be proceeding so satisfactorily for the presentation, on Tuesday evening, of the three-act operetta, “The Mystic Mirror,” that, the Empire Theatre will be well filled. Rehearsals are, we learn, proceeding pleasingly, and it is anticipated that patrons will have a very enjoyable and entertaining evening. The operetta. is being presented by the Te Awamutu Musical Club, with Gene Strong as producer, and it promises to be creditable to all concerned. The cast includes about forty local amateurs, some of whom will be seen on a public platform lor the first time, but nevertheless they are sure to acquit themselves well. In addition to the adults there will be a juvenile ballet of sea sprites, and the special lighting effects will certutinly show off the participants and their pretty costumes effectively.