MOTU NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1005, 25 September 1903, Page 2

MOTU NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Tho weather for tho paßt few weeks has been all that could be desired, in fact it has resembled summer more than spring. Chiefly owing to tho good weather experienced little or no mud can be seen on the roads. Fruit trees are now in blossom, and grass is growing rapidly. I regret to chronicle yet another accident, which occurred last Wednesday to Mr P. Hansen. It appears ho was busy Retelling timber at their sawmill, when by some means tho circular saw came iu contact with a rnaire wedge, throwing tho wedgo with considerable force into the air. During its passage it struck Mr Hansen across the face and nose, inflicting a nasty cut and rendering him unconscious for a short time, immediate aid was given him aud his wound dressed, but it will be sometime before he will be exactly himself again. Mr Tyreman, who has purchased MrChrisp’slaud, arrived hero last week with a gang of bushmen to commence bushfelling. He hails from tho Manat watu district, aud being a practical bush farmer liis kuowledgo will be of great service to him. He is a firm believer iu tho dairy industry, aud also the saw-milling trade. Ou his holding ho has a lot of magnificent tirnbor suitable for saw-milling, which for royalty alouo at sixpence per hundred feet would represent a sum of fully £2OOO.

Another Gisborne gentleman has sold his property at a satisfactory figure. On this land there is also souio fine timber worth for royalty alone about £2OOO. Is it any wonder that the settlers of Motu want tho sawmilling industry started when such valuable assets are yearly being destroyed by fire. Whether their assets cau bo realised through tho service of tram or railway is of little consideration to them so long as their timber is made uso of immediately. Being iu communication with milling persons, 1 have been given to understand if a tramway or railway were laid to Motu, milling timber could bo landed for tho small sum of os per hundred feet, total cost, yet at the prosont time firstclass timber is boiug sold in that city for 19s (>d per hundred. It will thus be seen what a beautiful harvest awaits a company of millers in Motu timbers. Mr It. Garrick, representing Little’s Sheep Dip has just made a satisfactory tour of the Motu. He showed me somo very fine samples (powder) of this beautiful dip, sales of which are annually increasing. Gisborno agents are Messrs Common, Shelton and Co., and Mr McGregor is to be appointed agent for Motu. At last all the telephone posts are in position to the Motu accommoda-tion-house, aud some settlers are now engaged erectiug the wire, so that within a weok or two we should have telephonic communication with Gisborne and elsewhere.

A gang of men are now busily engaged felling and clearing Whinray’s road, a new road to Opotiki. It is to hoped that the bridge acrose the Motu will be erected at an early date, as without this structure the new road will be practically useless. Mr Bullen has sold his Motu property at a satisfactory figure; the greater portion of this land is suitable for dairying. It also carries a fine crop of milling timber. Mr O. Hansen, licensee of the accommodation house, has been compelled to seek medical attention, owing to his eyes failing him. He loft Motu last week for Wellington aud perhaps Dunedin, to consult eye-specialists. It is to be hoped he will receive great benefit from medical attention.

At Kakaroa, on October 2nd, there is to be a grand plain and fancy dress ball: this is now the every day topic, and the Motu ladies are busy with their dressmaking and preparing generally for the ball. As Rakaroa always does things well there is every prospect of the gathering being a large, representative, and successful one. Later.—Mr Elliott, of Gisborne, arrived here last Monday -with a gang of bushmen to fell an area of his bush near the Motu accommodation-house. It is Mr Elliott’s inteution to get grass on his property as early as' possible so as to enter the dairying industry. He expects to be able to milk for the factory next summer twelve months. Motu is undergoing a rapid aud complete change, judging by the merry ring of the axes and the rattling of the sawmill. In a few weeks the hum of the butter-maker and separator will materially add to the noise. The Postal Department are now calling tenders for a weekly and biweekly mail service to Motu. It is to hoped the Department will see its way clear to accept a tender for a bi-weekly service. This, I think, Motu has a perfect right to, the importance of Motu cannot now be overlooked, and its progress during the past year shouLd exemplify this, but lam quite safe in saying Motu will more than rise to the occasion during the next two years. As showing the forward season wa are experiencing, Mr P. Hansen has potatoes (new shoots) appearing above the ground, these should be ready in ample time for Christmas dinner.