The Te Awamutu squad of special constables at Hamilton, enroute to Auckland.
During the Great Strike of 1913 mounted troops from the Waikato were sent to Auckland, including C squadron from Te Awamutu.
The troops comprised men who were enrolled from rural areas as special constables. They supplied their own horses and equipment, but chaff had to be purchased and sent to Auckland to be used at the camp. The strike, actually a series of strikes, started with two small disputes – one at Huntly coalmine and the other at Wellington waterfront.
Auckland watersiders struck on 28 October in support of the Huntly miners. Mounted and foot constables, along with regular police, descended on the wharves catching the strikers by surprise and taking the wharves without a struggle.
At Paterangi a plain and fancy dress ball was a great success. The hall was decorated with nikau palms, arum lilies and Chinese lanterns. An archway was constructed between the hall and the supper room. A lavish supper was provided twice during the evening and Mr Wrigley’s orchestra provided excellent music. Fancy dress costumes included a witch, a domino, powder and patches, and Yates seeds. Several ladies and gentlemen were in evening dress and all entered into the spirit of the dance with much enjoyment.
Several large estates had been cut up for subdivision at Ōhaupō and the town was progressing. Mr Molesworth was building a fine billiard room, replete with all conveniences. It would accommodate two tables, and have a club room, suitable for meetings, at the back. The front was to contain a hairdressing saloon and tobacconist’s shop. Mr Vletcher’s new tailoring shop adjoined Mr Molesworth’s and both premises were resplendent with plate glass windows – the first at Ōhaupō. A new post office was fast approaching completion, and more than 20 applications for the telephone exchange position were received. One drawback to the township was the fact that the weekly half-holiday was held on Saturday which inconvenienced the public.
Ping pong at Pirongia raised funds to purchase a new fireplace for the library. Around 30 players took part in the fund-raising tournament. As well as ping pong, the library committee earmarked future Saturday evenings for debates, lectures, and socials.
At Kihikihi a farmer experimenting with Angora goats formed the opinion that they were indispensable for eradicating blackberry. The goats cleared the whole of his property of the plant evidently preferring it to grass. Blackberry at this time was known as the Black Peril. Where the plough could not go the pestiferous plant flourished – along fence lines, in rocky and broken places, and in patches of native bush. Blackberry was so troublesome it featured in the questions on the Order Paper in the House of Representatives.
More than six species of blackberry were being offered for sale by various seeds men and the Government were asked to ascertain the extent to which blackberry was spreading over the Dominion, and to find some effective way to halt its increase.
