THE WEEK AT FOXTON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 676, 29 November 1909, Page 8

THE WEEK AT FOXTON.

A . MORIBUND ENTERPRISE. PORT AND REGATTA ACTIVITIES. • : (Prom Our Special CJorrespondent.) : ' The event,'of- interest-at Poxton' last" week was'-the school, concert."'-' The- children,'?to]>the ■number -of ; about 250,, acquitted - theinselves' in a more than/meritoriOus mariner. The, schoolsongs- and choruses were-splendidly given;' and the .sketchy pieces were much, appreciated.-The. whole entertainment,-'-which: was continued]for 1 two, nights, reflects, great credit on' the -head-;' master- (Ifr, •J. 'Jackson) .and his. staff. Miss Jaokson,- sister ]of;. the - headmaster, is, also] -.to']', be included 'in the list/ of thfce who ~gav'e . .their:'. servites . in, training ■ the children. ' The nit;,-financial --of. the effort wi11;,,b6 a surii-.-of t i£3sif',iwhi6h it'ris intended •to . use iff. improving, the gfourid'6;]6fi:'the, sohool.. If;' the. : Education' - Board inducedto,.;supple-: merit' this ,amount, it- wi11.,-bevpiissible to., have' the , grounds .'put cin -order ].d,uring ,the .holidays; and thus remove: the' reproach' that'.th'ei 'Foxton sohool grounds .are, aniong- the'worst 1 iri' tho Dominion. .

In reference to schoOl matters, it is matter for'regret , that the Technical- Sohool has died l a natural death. It .'seems thajt the present exerted : themselves to' open .classes ,and: popularise. technical work, but' so. .little interest was taken in the: matter by local' yoring people that , the effort was practically,.-a'j failure.' : To -stimulate .'interest;-the commit-1 tee' applied for. .equipment foK a .class for; instruction in oooking.- . -The Department .sent', an .inspector to report '.on .the matter,: but. his ..report must -have been of an unfavourable .character, as tho Department, has. replied'to- the-effect: that, owing to' the. : limited, interest ■ taken■,in. technical;classes : in. Foxton'• the. Department '.cannot., see. its '.way-.to...make the,.necessary , grant,', some .660 or .£7O, for: the purpose. The .School' dbmmittee 'feel;: much discouraged; oyer the ■ matter,"as -they'hid'.'expected that'the "class for - instruction -: in cooking Would create, -an ':interest;'in: technical, work generally. . On'", the other ..hand, 'those ,'jrho : would benefit most- from technical instruction are greatly to blame for the scant' encouragement given to the movement. - ■ The. annual show of the Fojton Horticul-. tural Society .wiis held in the , public hall last Wednesday-..and . Thursday. ... The show on - the. wholeidid not- ! come-up to, the display of lastyear; ■ Many, of the - classes were poorly supported; and in seyeral there was noncompetition. The query, is:. Do the efforts of the Horticultural Society meet the same' treatment that practically every progressive .movement.;'seems- to meet here? For 'any.. first' effort-there'always seems to . be - a certain amount of enthusiasm, but ■ after- that the -icy ■ hand .of indifference^generally-paralyses everything; . The committee worked very hard,! and deserved better; results. ' However, . there is plenty of grit in those 'who managed, the affair, and,- if:!the autumri .effort is not sue-, cessful, the, blame will not-be theirs. '■■ ' Shipping at,the port continues fairly active. The -harbour-master's report for the present month is.as • follows^—"The depth of- water on the Itanawaiu Bar, has been ten-feet at high water spring -tides, and seven - feet six inches at, ; high water .neaps.. -Since; my ; last -report the Southhead has, cut away considerably, causing the bir to work, to the southward. The river ' continues ,to . carry good water, - with .the exception of the crossing-at Robinson's.". At the Harbour Board meeting last' Monday it was decided to approach the Minister for Railways -with a view, to purchase the wharves, which , his. Department ...refused".; to 'hand over'to the board. .If the board is' successful in this the difficulty which the board experiences in effecting improvements .to the harbour will be removed,:. and permanent river improvements .undertaken. . : /"'■ • Tenders are! now called for, tho erection of. wharf and sheds for the Manawatu and West Coast Shipping Company,' Ltd., whose :.prosr pectus, wis recently, published- in Tns Dominion. . Tho erection, of further wharves and sheds is an indication of. progress, and, as the new company are putting on a couple of boats to compete for the trade, of tho port,. a • considerable increase in the river .traffic is anticipated. It is ..stated that the new boats are' to. be fitted .up with cOol -so that, produce of every ' kind can be . carried from here to Wellington • for transhipment into the' Home-going vessels. As trade 1 with the; port is developed,', and the 'harbour inuiroved, 1 vessels of a much-larger : tonnage will be able .to navigate our river and so increase' the volume of' trade.'; ■ ' '■ - ■ ; '

The rowing handicap which takes place on the river n«ar Foxton is' ; approaching. Some of the competitors have fixed up their camps on'the river-bank, and arohaving daily spins up and down the-river. There, will, no doubt,' be a large'influx of "visitors, _ and-our little, town will . be.; fairly; beside itself with the unusual crowds that will be . parading our thoroughfares, if the weather keeps' favourable. The /days just now are delightfully bright and .pleasant, and, :if., present conditions continue, the meeting will .be tin excellent one. ;■ The. stretch of river on which the contest takes place is one of-the finest to be found anywhere! and the visiting oarsmen are loud in their .praises of it. > It' extends for upwards of three miles without a'turn or bend. . There is no river regatta course like it in' the Dominion.