COUNTRY NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 4, 30 September 1907, Page 2

COUNTRY NEWS.

(From our own Correspondent). HAVELOCK NORTH. Hastings, 'Septt/mber 28.' A largo and enthusiastic meeting of Havelock North ratepayers was held in that J»irnship on Friday evening, Mr. C. A. J'ltzroy presiding. Mr. R. I!. Holmes was appointed secretary to tho meeting, and matters ■ affecting tho progress of tho . Havelock district were discussed. The principal business dealt with was the state of the \ Has-tings-Havelock-To Mata Road, and tho County Council was subjected to severe criticism. Tho question of forming Havelock into a town district was discussed, and a stroflg committee was formed to collect information for placing boforo a futuro meeting. A resolution was . carried calling tho attention of tho County Council to tho stato of tho Hastings-Havelock-To. Mata Road, and asking that body for a statement of expenditure on this road. . It was also resolved to protest against tho Government parting with any' part of tho nowly-acquired land, adjoining the Government vine station at To Mata' to tho Hastings Borough Council. for .uso as <a ; gravel'-pit.' • A resolution ,wa scarried asking tho Government :to ..station the districtmounted constablo at Havelock North, which has at present no police, OTAKI. : The members of the Otaki Ladies' Hockoy Club entertained some sixty friends at an afternoon tea in tho Town Hall. The building had boon tastofuily decorated, and tho / Stage set out effectively as a drawing-room. During tho afternoon Mrs. A. E. Anderson, Misses " M'Cloland (2) and Coates, for long tho most consistent players, wore presented with handsome trophies donated by Mesdames Byron Brown,' J. G. Stevens (2), and Mr. Hector Nicolson. Tho ladies also made a' presentation to the founder and "coach" of their club, Mr. Nicolson, and, gavo a valuable silvermounted shaving companion, nicely inscribed. Hearty applause followed each presentation. Musical items wero interspersed, and fully appreciated. Great credit is duo to the Secretary (Miss M'Cleland) for tho manner in which sho carried out all arrangements. .

•The weather' for the past few days has been exceptionally stormy, and the. low-lying lands at, Ranguoru havo been submerged, and considerable damage ha£ been done. The river has boon running'close by the "City or Auckland;" while tho ribs of the " Felix Stowo" are now laid bare. Portions of a third wreck aro also disclosed, and visitors to the beach aro frequent. • ' TAIHAPE. Continuous ruins have had the offect of converting; our roads int) quagmires, and slips aro reported generally throughout tho- district. These aro not, liowover, of a serious nature, although they will hamper traffic for a few days. In the lowlying country south of Taihapomuch of the land is .under water, this being particularly noticeable at Mangaonoho, whoro the roads arc reported to bo flooded. The water has not, however, reachcd tho. lino. All tho fields, aro swamped and havo tho appearance of miniaturo lakos. The rain abated towards Friday afternoon. 'Tho effect on the prospccts of an early lambing season can bo well imagined.. ■

Reports from Ohutu I are to the cffcct that the operations of the local dairy company aro much hampered, suppliers not being able to get their milk in owiijg to tho impassalilo stato of tho roads. Moro especially has this affected tho' creamery on the road, and it is not known at present when this branch will open. Dairy farmers aro already looking askance at tho prospects, for tho bad weathor is keeping tho feed back seriously. AVaimarino reports stato that tho rain there is general and trafDc is impeded to a great extent. _ • _ . It is stated that a petition is btsing signed at Taoroa, praying for tlin reopening of tho money-order and savings bank, , which was removed some timo back. Tho closing of the bank lias very much inconvenienced settlers.

TJtiku is also busy with a petition to inombors of both. Houses of tho Legislature, asking that tho native township of Potaku bo purchased by the Government, and that leaseholders bo given tho right of purchase. Tho passing of a special Act is awaited with interest and some anxiety.

A petition will also probably bo arranged in Taihapc asking that tho chief towns of the Waimarino, Ohakuno and llaetihi bo'connected with tho Taihapo telephone bureau which is to bo installed in tho now post office buildings. Commercial people in Taihapo are largely interested 111 the Waimarino, and it is hoped that the petition will he favouraoly considered at headquarters. . Tho Taihapo Co-operative Dairy Company has now commenced operations. The main factory is situated at Ohutu. and its supply is rapidly increasing with good tests, ranging from

I 3.6 to 4.2. The company oxpects to put out 120 boxes of butter during the season. The crwimery at Manga\vcka, connected with the company, has also opened, and a sccoud creamery, situated nortli of Taihape, on the Mataroa road, will open when the roads aro hotter. At a meeting of the directors, it was decided to sell this season's output of butter at lOgd. Considering that Urger and better situated companion have sold from 10Jd,. the price should be satisfactory to the suppliers. The name of its purchaser has not been divulged so far. The Ilaetihi Co-operative Dairy Company has also held its annual mooting. The business was mostly of a formal nature. The Chairman (Mr. Bennett) presented tlio annual report and balance-sheet, which showed thatthere was no surplus to carry forward, as'£loo had been written off for use less machinery, and the redemption of debentures out of the workings last season had reduced their indebtedness to Messrs. MacEwan and Company b,v £177 lis. 3d., making a total deduction from the>year's payments of £271 lis. 3d. It was pointed out that the amount of £357 had been oirculated in tho district, being ail averago of £2 for each acre in grass, without taking into consideration the by-products.. The workiiig expenses of the factory could be reduced by selling tho Oliakuno creamery site and removing the creamery. As may be imagined, sawmilling in the Waimarino is going ahead, the bush being such as to make this industry a staplo one for many years to come. Messrs. Bennett and Punch, of Raetihi, are erecting a new mill a little' south- of the township, which will be a going concern'within a few weeks. A new mill _is now being crected for the Raotilii Sawmill Company near Eaetihi, and will, when completed,, contain one of the most modem plants in the Dominion, being, capable of turning out overlo,ooo feet- per day. This is oxpected to bo ready for work in about three weeks. MASTERTON. At a meeting of the directors of the. Wairarapa Bacon Freezing .Company hold on Saturday at Cartorton, it was decided to call the shareholders together on October 26, in order to consider whether the company should continue its business on tho same lines as hitherto, or go into liquidation. It is almost ccrtaiu that the company will liquidate, owing to the financial non-success of its business. It was formed about seven years ago on co-operative lines, and though beset by troubles and misfortunes it has made a hard fight. Up to tho present time tho farmers liavo stood well to tho concern, which has well repaid them by keeping up prices and preventing any monopoly. About two hundred preference shares were issued last year, and with tho closing of the North Island Bacon Company's works at' Woodvillo it ■ seemed as if the Wairarapa institution would, yet weather the storm. Thero was a loss of some £200 last Christinas over the purchaso of Forty-Mile Bush pork through prices dropping. ■ This could not be made up,- and tho promised advent of the Christchurch Meat Company at Woodville' appears to be tho last straw. . An offer has already been received from a privato firm to. take over tho works. This offer will be' considered at tho meeting in October. - During tho past twelve months tho general failure of tho co-operative bacon companies to make headway has resulted in many of them closing their doors, .and-handing their businesses over to private firms.' Several Taranaki factories stopped running, and th.cn followed tho North 'Island Bacon Company at Woodvillo, and now. Wairarapa has been added to the .list/ There.,was only a small attendance .of farmers "at tile ' annual- ; horse' parade of the Wairarapa P.' and A; Society held on Saturday afternoon at Carterton. Eleven horses put in,-an appearance, but there was 110 interest' in tho parade. The same condition of tilings was noticeable at the Masterton parade, on tho previous Saturday, and both associations aro soriously considering tho advisablcness of terminating the fixtures, which now appear to bo out of dato, owing, partly, to >ne ! increased facilities possessed 'by tho farmers for coming into the country towns almost . any day 'of'.thc'week, and . partly to the.; regular stock salo days, when thoro aro 'always congregated largo numbers of people fro'ni the farming district's. ' FEILDING. • Owing, to the occurrence of another slip on the railway lino at Turakina, down trains from; Wanganui on Saturday wore running an hour late. Heavy rain' during this week did serious damage to country roads all through the district. Tho Waituna, Tapuae, and Pakihikura Roads in Kiivitea county suffered severely from slips, and necessary repairs will press heavily on cost of tho country's revenue. '

In an editorial to-night the "Star" says:—"lt is passing strange that while workers think nothing of. contributing a couple of pounds a year to the funds of their unions, many farniors wonder why tho executive of their union require money at all-to carry on- operations which aro infinitely more costly than tho more modest field occupied by those belonging to tho workers. Tho result is that tho Fanners'- Union Executive aro very much hampered in work that they know should ho properly attended to,. and their officials are so poorly.. remunerated that they must often feel sorry that they do not como within the operations of. tho Arbitration "Act themselves." The " Star" expresses; its approval of tho Executive's decision to recommend striking a levy on a" graduated scalo of 55.. for holdings up to £1000 in value, and Is. per £5000 above- that. The 1 annual ball of _ the'. Feilding Mounted Rifles last night was a great succcss. Two months ago tho shop window of a Chinese hero was mysteriously broken. Lato oh Friday night two Chineso shopkeepers had their plateglass windows smashed. < This is a further mystery, and the police have no clue. ■ Tho Feilding Fire Board met this afternoon, when thcro were present: —Messrs. Fred Pirani (chairman), Trowin (Mayor), Councillor Tollcy, and Messrs. It. M. Simpson and Ewen, the Fire Company s representatives from Wellington. Mr G. 11. Saywell (captain of the lato brigado) was appointed . superintendent, and Mr.' W. Jones, deputy superinr tondont.

The, Feikling A. and P. Association committcu held a well-attended meeting on Saturday afternoon. Mr. H. Booth (president) was in the chair. The Department of Agriculture wrote regretting that it .could not agree to tho suggestion that it should give prize of tlireo guinons for a, dairy cow competition. The committee endorsed tiie Manawatu Association s disqualification of D. A' Dennett for 1 having ridden a different horse to that entered and catalogued for tlio jumping competition at tho last winter show. Thanks wero ordered to bo returned to the Wnnganui Education Hoard for granting Mr. Browne's services as judgo for the milk-testing contest. Tho manager of the Wellington Meat Export Company sent a cheque for £21 17s. 9d. representing tho proceeds of a • sale of lambs sent to London on behalf of exhibitors at last Feikling Show. The resignation of the Hon. John Brvce was received with, regret. Donations were thankfully received from Messrs. 1). Be.il £5 os.), C. Dick (£0 55.) R. E. Young £2 2s.J, Quibell's

and M'Dougall's 'Sheep Dip Company's (two cases of dip each), and Mr. A: F. Fitzhcrbert (£5). All tho donors of one guinea and over aro to bo sent complimentary tickets for tho next show. Mr. A. R. Mayo was appointed the Association's representative 911 tho Feilding Technical. School, vice Mr. ]j, -J], Jackson, resigned. OTAKI. At a meeting of the Hockey Club 011 Friday night it was decided/ to wind up the season with an invitation social, and to invite tho wholo of the members of tho local ladies' club, and two representatives from each of the other clubs. Strong committees were appointed to work up various branches. It was decided to hold tho function on. Wednesday next. Mr. K.' Hardie,. of Wellington, is at present relieving stationmastor here in placo of Mr. J. White, who is on furlough. At tho Polico Court on Friday Frank Rumsey, 011 a charge of drunkenness, was convicted and discharged, and a prohibition order waa issued against him. MARTON. Considerable interest'is being taken in the walking race from Marton to Bulls and back, a distance of eighteen miles. Tho' race has been fixed to take place on Wednesday next, ■ and soventeen nominations liavo been received, including A. E. Wakeman (Taihape), C. Wilson (Utiku), O. Stratford (Hunterville), Hansen (Bulls), and L. Dahl (Palmerston). . LEVIN. " Mr. W. Richards has sold his farm at Shannon to: Mr. Oag, a now arrival in this district, from England. , The Wellington' Acclimatisation Society has been generous to this district, having liberated 25,000 trout in tho rivers and streams hereabouts. Some 46 pheasants .were also allowed freedom in Levin recently. A fire, which might hayo had. very serious results, occurred in the Woraroa Hotel on Friday morning at . about 10 o'clock.' Mr. '"J. Meagher, the proprietor, had to fight' very nard .* to get ( the better..of the flames, and. ho did not succeed, until ho had,one of his hands severely burned. ( , The , fire was apparently caused 'by some' careless person throwing'a lighted match on to one of the large arm- , cliairs in tho commercial room, and as no one was about, just at the time it did not take the fire long so get a good hold in "the room. r The damage is covered by insurance. PALMERSTON NORTH. The annual horse parade, under the auspices of the Manawatii A. and P. Society, was held on Saturday. The weather had been stormy, and there was only a small attendance of • farmers. . A drying wind has; reduced the quantity of water' on tho farms. If the: weather continues fine, there is every prospect of agricultural operations being resumed in ' some parts of the district within a wnck. ■ • Owing t : 6' the recent flood a number of llaxmill hands are idle 1

THE SHEEP RETURNS.

CHANGE OF DATE SUGGESTED; ■ (From, Our Correspondents.) i .oQuihs'tcjidech, September 29. Referring-to the delay iu the publication of the 'aunual sheep returns, "The Press" points out, as in ( previous years, that,their appearance in' September iitieans that';the,v are almost useless for any practical purpose beyond showing .in^a 1 general way'., where' we I 'stand ill regard' to -stocks. : 'If? the were available, say. in March, they would be much, more-useful as showing the number of breeding ewes, store wdthers, and lambs available s for what is really the most important, part of the year. Farmers who aro now buyers as well as breeders want to know then what their annual- autumu purchases aro to be. . If tho returns could be taken, as Mr. Ritchie (Secrotary for Agriculture) has suggested, on January 31 instead of April 30 the da> sired end would be. attained.

PAUPERS ON THE FARSI.

Why keep anarmyof paupers? Ticks and' Lice aro paupers—and fat ones at that.' You cannot grow good wool and good mutton—and good Ticks too. Cooper's Dip "will, however, clear out these paupers, and, if used as directed, prevent' them from returning for tho longest possible period after, leaving the sheep with nothing to do but. to eat and grow fat, and yield good fltcces. Cooper's Dip was invented sixty-five years ago especially to accomplish these purposes. That it has well succeeded is proved by - very remarkable facts, which admit of no comparison. It would be invidious,' and, iinprao-. ticable, too, to publish the names of all the groat sheep-breeders who use Cooper's Dip, for their, name: is .legion; And the same applies to the top prices realised'by Cooper-dipped clips. As an instance, tako that great sheep gathering" of the-world,' namely, the lloyal Agricultural' Show' of Tlio latest census to'hand shows , that, out of 229 sheep prizes awarded;'every■

prize-winner—excepting : only two—was • a user of Cooper's Dip.''.And,'by-.'the u'ay, please, note that this occurred'in the British .'lsles, where all tho leading dips of the world are manufactured ana pushed for all they am worth. ■

' Please tako another instance. Tag* manian flocks are perhaps the highestpriced and linest-woolled sheep in the world., ■ According to u census taken there, five-sixths of the leading breeders: use " Cooper." If individual instances were quoted, hero would be found a proof of the superior merits of " Cooper." The 13elle Vue' flock ; is historic. Probably no Merino flock in tho world has secured so many princely prices as Belle Vue sheep. "President" was a Belle Vue sheep, and realised 1600 guineas. And it was only tho other day that the manager of this , classic Hock laid' tho writer that, o£ all the dips that had been used on Belle Vue, Cooper's hail given tho greatest satisfaction, wid nobody need iiow try to peisuado him to use any other dip.

Another prominent • Tasmaiiian breeder was, however, last season diverted from "Cooper"- by arguments that a certain other dipping powder, "whilst being tho same as 'Cooper's was "more finely prepared.-" - But this gentleman has recently signified his intention to return to the use of "Coopor"in future.

In every wool-growing country in the world, Cooper's Dip occupies a similar position.

King Edward, by Royal Warrant, recently _ appointed the proprietors of Cooper's Dip, Sheep Dip, .Manufacturers to His Majesty, and by Royal Decree '" Cooper" has been' officially recommended, on account of its superior merits, for use upon the flocks of the Spanish nation. The merits of Cooper's Dip are not only recognised .by great sheet- ' breeders, but by the rank and file ■ ' tho shecpowners of the world, for annual sales of "Cooper" iuffice tp over 240 millions of sheep. through tho period of sixty-five ' ". it has thus constantly and sterir creased in popularity and esteei> This acceptance throughout • toral world may not, perhaf. > the assumption that Coopcbest sheep dip. It is evidi • „oiv. ever, that tho majority of t,:. world's sheenowiters find that it is—that its uso yields the most profitable results—or they would not thus patronise it. Upon these grounds Cooper's Dip is respectfully recommended to sheepowiters the coming season. Its credentials show that it will be to their own interests to uso it. It is THE Dip for the show ring, for the free7.i,. b -works, and for the wool market.