Waihi telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1938. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXVII, Issue 9205, 5 April 1938, Page 2

Waihi telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1938. LOCAL AND GENERAL

The secretary o£ the Waihi Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr .1. Mitchell, in a preliminary notice appearing in our advertising columns, calls attention to a dance to bo held in St. Joseph’s Hall on Monday evening next.

At the annual meeting of the Waihi branch of the New Zealand Teachers’ Institute held last week, a presentation of an ornamental lamp was made to Mr A. D. McDell, secretary of the branch, who has been transferred to Whangarei. At a social held in St. Joseph’s Hall, a presentation of a case of razors was made on behalf of the High School pupils by the head pupil. Mr Allan Robinson, to Mr McDell. Opportunity was also taken at the same function by the staff of the High School to present Mr McDell with a card table. The gifts were suitably acknowledged by the recipient.

“It is not the brilliant boys who need help or a long training, but the average boys and those below average who should be provided for in the best possible way in our primary and post-primary schools,” said Mr W. S. La Trobe, retiring Superintendent of Technical Education, in his reply at the Education Department staff’s farewell function recently. “I am quite sure that from the point of view of democracy it is the person below average who needs care and attention throughout, and that the greatest danger to any country is to have a few people in charge of affairs and to create a crowd of people who don’t know how to think for themselves.”

Commenting on the weather during March, the local observer, Mr M. P. 1-laszard, said that the month was the warmest recorded in Waihi since the taking of records was inauguarted over 40 years ago. Another feature of the month was the absence of wind. On nineteen mornings when records were taken, a flat calm prevailed. Earth temperatures at two feet down were particularly high, being 6S degrees Fall., and did not vary more than a tenth of a degree during the whole month, and the rain fall was low, but not the lowest during the past 40 years, as on three occasions during this period the rainfall was slightly lower.

The “back to childhood” carnival at the Rollerdrome on Saturday evening attracted a large number of') skaters and onlookers. The award for the best “child” was won by Miss D. McGonagle. Following are the results of the various events: Dual hooprace, Ailoen Crocker and M. Hendry; ladies’ walking race, Connie Stamp; most improved graceful couple, Cusla Croker and E. Ilaines; Monte Carlo, Mollie McKenzie and W. Morrison; hockey, The Rest 4. Reps. 4; 10-lap race (ladies)), Ailoen, Croker; 15-laps (men’s championship), M. Hendry; gliding, Pal Comes and W. Patton; two-step, Cushla Croker and E. Haines; rubber round-up, Connie Stamp; treasure hunt, M. Addy and A. Sutton: relay race, Connie Stamp and 1C Osborne; partner race, Cushla Croker and M. Hendry; wheelbarrow race. 11. Miller and T. Ritchie. During : the evening exhibitions of skating ; were given by Miss Joan Cherrie and t Mr Larsen, of Hamilton.

Amongst the visitors to Waihi this week is Mr James Mair, who was a resident of Waihi 41 years ago, and who left, the goldfields township 2.7 years ago. Mr Mair was engaged in the land agency business in Waihi, a vocation he successfully followed for some time after he left, and later took on farming. He is running a dairying and sheep farm in Ohnewhero, near Tuakau. The likelihood of Waihi becoming an agricultural district in those early days was remote indeed and the transformation that lias taken place in this respect was a revelation to (lie visitor. "Or course,” said Mr Mair, I have heard and read about Ihe successful dairying in and around Waihi, but I never expected to see the splendid pastures that I have seen on the Waihi Plains, and the one or two farms I inspected to-day are, in my opinion, as good as any I have seen in the Waikato."

Commenting on Waihi’s pastoral progress, he said, “I have never seen such a transformation in any part of the North Island, and it’s come to stay.”

Sole Bros.’ Circus and Zoo will be showing in Waihi for one night only on Wednesday, April 13, the.location being Bonnici’s paddock. The full show, including forty international circus stars and trained horses, elephants, dogs, etc., will be brought, to tlio town and popular prices will be charged.

There was a good attendance at the annual meeting of the Waihi-Wai-kino-Wailekauri Ratepayers’ Association, held in the Miners’ Hall reading room last evening and presided over by Mr C. Hands. Representatives for the two ridings, the Thames Hospital Board and the Thames Valley Power Board were nominated. A report of the proceedings will appear in our next issue.

The on-and-off behaviour of the electric light between nine and 10 o’clock last night was somewhat disconcerting to the members attending the annual meeting of the Waihi-Waikino-Waitekauri Ratepayers’ Association in the Miners’ Hall reading room. However, with the aid of an electric torch the secretary and press representative managed to get along during the short intervals of lights off while outside the orbit of the torch semi-darkness prevailed. The picture show, in the adjoining hall, was, as a result of the erratic power, reduced to silence. Fortunately the intervals of no light were shortlived.

Mr James Mair, an erstwhile resident of Waihi, and who has had considerable experience in stock and sheep farming, has during the past few days been renewing acquaintance with old friends, some of whom are now farming on the Waihi Plains, is a firm believer in a combination of sheep and dairy farming. A few sheep with the dairy herds on the Waihi Plains would not only be a profitable proposition but would be beneficial to the pastures, was Mr Mair’s definite opinion. He considers this young country is admirably adapted for such a combination. He also emphasises the value that sheep would be on farms where blackberry prevailed. Sheep had proved invaluable in keeping the blackberry down and revelled in the tender shoots that always made their appearance following the cutting or burning of the parent plant. Since his visit he had noticed one farm in the district which, unless some such action was taken, the blackberry would ultimately take charge of.