October 1908

Players welcomed a new rule at the local golf club. It was that a ball may be lifted out of the ditch leading into the casual water approaching the 'Bunker' and also out of sheep or cattle tracks, without penalty. Hoof-marks were not included in the new rule.
There was a large crowd at the formal opening of the new Oddfellow Lodge rooms in Empire Street.
Friends and supporters of the Mayor, W F Buckland, gave him a complimentary social in recognition of his public services. Mr John Ferguson was in the chair and advocated - the waterworks and the gasworks were splendid successes; the drainage scheme would safeguard the health of the inhabitants; the high level bridge should have been called 'Buckland's Bridge'.
The celebration of the first anniversary of Dominion Day was not observed with much enthusiasm or gusto in Cambridge. The Post Office was closed but the banks and businesses were open as usual. Flags were flown from the Post Office and the Fire Station and a streamer was hung across Lake Street at the Jubilee Gardens where a ceremony was held. The school children were presented with a Dominion day medal.

The Chiming Clock finally arrived in Cambridge and it was expected to take three or four weeks to install in the Post Office tower.
Bit of a Kifluffle over funding the Library! Cambridge Borough Council wrote to Andrew Carnegie asking for funding for the library. The chairman of the Public Library wrote to Carnegie saying that 'There was no need to ask you for help, and to do so comes with a very bad grace from the Cambridge Borough Council, which has never contributed a penny to the Library Funds'. The Council then wrote back to Carnegie outlining the plans for the new Town Hall and Library.
C Reid, architect accepted P La Trobe's tender of £111 9s for three class rooms for the Presbyterian Sunday School.
Mr Jas Dean, headmaster of the Leamington School, was welcomed home after a six-month trip abroad. He thought colonial schools compared very favourably with some of the best schools in England and had picked up a number of new ideas to introduce into his school. He said we were chiefly known at Home for our connection with the Boer war and the 'All Blacks'.

The Town Band played a selection of tunes at Te Waikato Sanatorium on Sunday then put on a concert on Tuesday to raise funds for their contest funds. They won the B grade medal at the Hamilton Competitions playing 'Gems of Mendelssohn'.
The making of new tennis courts at the Domain, was almost complete. Some rose trees had been taken 'holus bolus' from the gardens and dogs were damaging the flower beds. Messrs Massey Bros, well known iron founders of Auckland, had donated a handsome seat to the Board.
The Inspector's report of the Cambridge High School showed compulsory subjects were on the whole very satisfactory; reading was well taught and a wide course had been taken. Additional subjects were satisfactory; order, discipline and tone of the school was good; efficiency of the school was satisfactory.
The young ladies of Tamahere organised a plain and fancy costume ball in the local schoolroom. Miss Pearce as 'Columbia' and Mr F Devine as 'Punch' were the popular choices for best costumes. Dancing was kept up with vigor until the 'wee sma' hours'.

'Mr F J Marfell, Victoria Street, has been added to the list of subscribers to the telephone exchange. His number will be 58.'
Miss Eves in conjunction with Mr Cooke bought Mr Peppercorn's Milk Round. Prices were kept the same - 3d per quart under one gallon; customers taking one or more gallons, 10d.
Messrs Souter & Co have disposed of their timber business to Mr H Speight of Auckland.
Nearly 200 people gathered at the Tauwhare Hall to see the annual concert given by the Tauwhare School children. After singing 'God Save The King' there was supper and then dancing till the early hours of the morning.
Mr Giles Keeley, on his return from a visit to the 'Old Country' was of the opinion that farming methods in England were quite out of date and that the emigrants being sent to New Zealand were not of the right stock.
The crowded state of the local courthouse (John Sterling a Seventh Day Adventist was working on a Sunday) made it again evident that a new courthouse was needed in Cambridge. 'The atmosphere at times was stifling.'

The chimes of the Post Office clock pealed out twelve o'clock for the first time on 27 October. It was officially sent on its chiming way at 4 o'clock, 29 October 1908.
'John Sterling, labourer, was charged that on the 20th day of September 1908, being Sunday, at Pukekura he did work at his calling in view of a public place, to wit, by working a team of horses attached to a disc harrow, in a field adjoining a public road, contrary to the form of Statute in such case made and provided.' Edgar James and William James Smith were also charged. They paid their fine under earnest protest.
Settlers of Maungakawa objected to a petition by the Acclimatisation Society to protect the deer at Maungakawa as the deer caused a great amount of damage to their crops.
A demonstration of the cooking capabilities of the 'Perfection' kerosene stove was given at Messrs Souter & Co's premises. An expert was in attendance and afternoon tea was provided.
Three of the new garden seats were placed in the Jubilee Gardens.
The workings of the septic tank and filter beds were inspected by the Government Bacteriologist. He found the effluent after passing through one filter only was almost odourless and highly clarified.

 

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