MOTU NOTES

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1441, 29 April 1905, Page 2

MOTU NOTES

{From Our Own Ccrre-sponaent.) The annual meeting of householders took place in the Meta school on Tuesday evening, Mr T. Elliot presiding. . The committee reported that they had held 13 meetings during the year. The services of Mr VV. McDonald as teacher were dispensed with on April 25th, 1904, and Mies Jackson was asked to take charge of the school and continue teaching until the appointment of another one. Mr Dines, the present teacher, took charge on June27tb, 1904, and the committee could not' praise him too highly for the way that he had brought the children forward, eb they were in a very . backward state when he took charge, owing to the school having been a half time one for some time previous. The examination by Mr Hill took place on March 11th, when all pupila passed. Mr Hill reported highly in praise of Mr Dines, and considered that he had done excellent work. ' The Chairman, in speskiDg to the report, considered that the teacher,'Mr Dines, was deserving of their warm congratulation, and in the face of great drawbaoks had done well. He was pleased to see the interest the teacher was manifesting in nature study. Mr Dines had taken np a work which he ventured to say few schools in the district had taken in hand. He had a fine collection of grasses and trees from the bush, whilst his enterprise in getting together a fernery was a matter for hearty tongratulation. The following were the :ommitteo elected :—Chairman, Mr H. J. Ellis (re-elected) ; secretary, B. F. Jackion (re-elected) ; T. B. Tyerman (rejected), T. Elliot, and Taylor. At the annual met of the Motu formers’ Union, evenog, T. Elliot as}’ vif ' the union in.

j, *• uji vuu union m. ; tended to take to regulate the ; price of carting into the district. The a present system was not satisfactory, and h he thought if settlers would unite and have a constant carter on the road the - difficulty would be solved. Mr P. Wright 3 said that previously nearly all goods td’or 1 from Gisborne were carted direct. Now ) that the railway was extended to' Te . Karaka it must be patronised. A number of members emphasised the necessity of patronising the railway to Te Karaka. The secretary was authorised to canvass the district as to the support that would be given to a carter, and to make an approx, imate estimate. Last week ,a mob of 140 head of cattle passed through here en route to Gisborne from Opotiki:- They were the property of Messrs Butler and Carroll. Mr J. Butler, the well known auctioneer, accompanied the party. ■ ’ '. ■ _ Mr W. Wright, who has obtained the oontraeffor the cutting of the timber for the new Motu bridge, brought a mob of horses for hauling purposes from Oppiiki yesterday. The weather is again beauti* fu), and the roads are in very fair order. Bushfelling will be very shortly in full swing. Tho hillsides that wsro a month dr two ago looking very bluck after the different burns are now showing that they can grow grass and turnips in abundanoe. Certainly this is a very fertile district,