Cambridge 100 Years Ago - April 1905
Mr W F Buckland had two variegated chrysanthemum blooms ('Henry Perkins' and 'Rosy Morn') on show in a local shop window - one was eight inches across and the other ten inches. He was a leading prizewinner at the Auckland Chrysanthemum Show and advocated the refining influence of the love of flowers.
The Maungatautari Block came before the Native Commission in a dispute between the Ngatiraukawa and Ngatikoroki.
The Maungatautari Poi Dancers, who were awarded first prize at the Ngaruawahia Regatta, gave an exhibition in the Alexandra Hall.
J R S Richardson wrote to the Cambridge Road Board complaining that John McCann insisted on filling in the drain from his swamp. A Public Notice then appeared with John McCann saying that seeing J R S Richardson's 50 acres were infested with furze he was not going to have the drain water running through his property.
W F Buckland and Thos Wells were running for Mayor and the Editorial says that the large audiences at the candidates' speeches - "shows that the electors are fully alive to the future welfare of the borough".
The first monument was erected in the Pukerimu Cemetery over the grave of Miss Laura Anderson who died 13 December 1904.
Cambridge Primary School roll for 1905 was 254. Both inspection and examination reports were of a highly satisfactory nature and testified to the good work done by the teaching staff. The High School, now in a specifically built room, had 25 pupils.
Wynn Brown, W H Goodwin, John Hannon, Andrew Jamieson and Robert Swayne were elected to the Board of Trustees for the Fencourt Drainage Board.
A new lockup was built at the police station and the old lockup turned into a stable for the constable's horse.
'Maid Marion' wrote suggesting that it maybe time to have one or two lady candidates for the office of Borough Councillors. (18 men were standing for the 9 positions.) 'Draw the Line' replied that women would be "out of place" in Council and nine out of ten men could not respect a woman who would abdicate her sphere in life for his.
The telephone service started in Cambridge at 9 o'clock on the morning of 15 April. Farmers could connect a private wire to the Exchange wire with an annual charge of £5 per subscriber.
Farewell services were given for Rev S J Gibson of the Methodist Church and a welcome was tended to Rev W Beck. Adjutant Brown of the Salvation Army was on his way to Wellington to hear General Booth. St Pauls held weekly meetings of the Christian Endeavour Society.
The results were regularly reported for bowls, croquet, Waikato Mounted Rifles, tennis and gymnastics. Reports were also run on the Orchestral Society, the Drama Society and the Band.
The Kaiser had a dream - to separate France and England; to induce Italy to repeat her flirtation with France; to dictate terms to France. The ideas were frustrated though, owing to Britain's attitude.
Eighteen candidates came forward for 9 Borough Council seats. W F Buckland won the mayoral race from Thos Wells - 198 to 193. (One lady was escorted from the polling booth by the man in blue, after getting into an argument with her husband.) Soon after, Mr Wells announced his retirement from public life.
All the householders met to elect committees for the various schools in the districts. At the Cambridge School the chairman was deplored by the apathy of only 25 pupils enrolling in the High School. The mayor hoped that in the future the benefits of higher education would be more appreciated than what they had been in the past.
W J White's tender of £3 12s 6d was accepted for two kissing gates at the Cambridge West Domain. J Chambers and A White complained about a hole in Hemans Street as "they found it impossible to wend their way home on dark nights without falling into it".
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