OTOROHANGA NEWS

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3470, 24 May 1934, Page 4

OTOROHANGA NEWS

TOPICS OF THE HOUR. ITEMS OF INTEREST. (Our Resident Representative.) Complaints of thieving in the district are rife. During last week cash was taken from Holmes' Service Station, and from the till of the Farmers' Trading Co.'s tea rooms, totalling several pounds in the aggregate. A large gathering of the various tribes of the Waikato and King Country will be held at Otewa Pa during the last week of this month, lhe Maori "king" will be present on the 29th inst. Special dances, hakas and poi measures are already .being rehearsed' by the iocal natives. A largely-attended kitchen eveningwas tendered to Miss Jessie Murdock and Mr T. H. B. Martin, at the residence of Mr and Mrs Cockburn on Monday evening. The guests were presented with numerous utensils and appliances oi use in the kitchen, and were the recipients of many congratulations on their future happiness. Dancing, games, community singing and items, supplied by Misses Sheehan and Kay and Mr Alex Cockburn, were the order of a pleasant evening- ~ At the recent meeting of the Otohanga Druids visitors were present from Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, Ruawai (Northland), Hamilton and Wjellhigton. D.P. Bro. G. Corban invested P.A. Bro. George A. Lawrence as District President for this year. The social gathering <hat followed the formal business, was largely attended by craftsmen and their friends.

TOWN BOARD MEETING. At the monthly meeting of the Town Board there was a full attendance of Commissioners, presided over by Mr F. 0. R. Phillips, chairman. Mr George Goldthorpe wrote asking for a building permit for the erection of a new picture theatre in Tuhoro Street, on the site of the existing Turner's Hail. He submitted plans and specifications. The matter was considered in committee, and ultimately it was decided to return the plans, on the grounds that the exits did not give on to a public right-of-way or on to applicant's own land. The chairman said this had no connection with any opposition theatre, and if the plans and specifications were in order, the board must pass them.

Asked if a start was made on the building what would happen, the chairman stated that it would be a breach of the by-laws. The St. John Ambulance Association applied for permission to use the Town Hall annexe free of charge for lessons. —Granted. The Anglican Church community was also granted the free use of the annexe (after school hours) for practising a play. A plan to provide a private right-of-way from Tuhoro Street, at the rear of the premises of the Union Bank of Australia and others, was approved. The Finance Committee had previously recommended a total rating scale of 6fd, which meant a rise in the general rate of 15d, by increasing it from 13d to 3d. A resolution to this effect was narrowly defeated by an amendment that the rate remain as at present (13d), and this was adopted. The total rates adopted are as follows: General rate 12d, hospital rate id, roads and paths id, kerbing and channelling 3d, water 2d —a total of sid.

Mr Gosse, the board's engineer, reported that the county grader had been hired for grading most of the roads in the township. Hinewai Street footpath was proceeding as labour was available. The railway parking area was nearing completion. Also a six foot wide footpath, three chains long, had been metalled with metal supplied by the Railway Department. Clarke Street was now ready for metalling, and Hilder and Sons' tender at 2s 9d per cubic yard had been accepted. The Maniapoto Street footpath from Te Kanawa Street to Clarke Street was ready for metalling as soon as weather permitted. Rain had interfered with the brushing off of chips on the main street. Mr Pratt had visited the dam and cleared a slip and had also issued summonses for straying stock. The town clerk reported that the receipts for the month totalled £290 7s 6d, and the expenditure £258 6s 2d. The Commissioner of Unemployment wrote that the King's Birthday, June 4, was to be observed as a holiday by all relief workers, and that those eligible are to be paid as though working. The annual return of building permits showed that four buildings, of a value of £4170, had permits issued to March 31. In addition £691 was the value of alterations and additions to 20 other buildings. There were 105 private dwellings in the township and no empty houses and 57 business premises, of which 10 were vacant. There was no apparent increase in the population.