District News.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 16 July 1915, Page 3

District News.

TAUPIRI. (Own Correspondent.) Owing to the efforts of the Taupiri Progressive League, we have good hopes of general improvement in our postal facilities. Word has been from Mr R. J. Bollard, the member, that the Postmaster-General intends to have a sufficient sum for a new Post office placed on the estimates. Meanwhile the installation of a Telephone Bureau has been hung up pending the question of the Post Office being settled. The Railway .Department are also in response to the urgent representation of the League, going into the question of a new entrance to the railway trucking yards. The matter of the erection of a public hall has been adjourned to enable the secretary to make enquiries re the probable sites. The President, Mr R. S. Thomas, and the Secretary, Mr P. P. Byron Powell, together with the Executive are to be congratulated on the real progress obtained through their efforts. Word has been received that Mr Clarence Smith, the popular footballer, son of Mr Thos. G. Smith is dangerously ill at Trentham. Mrs Smith has proceeded thither, and there is reason to believe that Mr Smith is not in real danger. Mr E. Martin, a popular settler and secretary of the Taupir-r Branch of the Farmers’ Union is leaving the|district for Morrinsville. During his sojourn in our midst, Mr Martin has proved himself to be a public-spirited, and conscientious citizen, and he carries with him the best wishes of the community. Mr and Mrs Martin will be missed by a large large circle of friends.

A social in aid of the Wounded Soldiers Fund, realised a net profit of £lB has been forwarded to tHe Mayor of Auckland. The promoter, Mr T. T. White is to be congratulated on the success of the venture. The Taupiri Branch of the National Reserve continues to have good parades. Sergt. Campbell, the instructor, has received an appointment as Staff-Sergeant Major at Morrinsville, so Capt. Colhoun, of Ngaruasvahia, has kindly consented to act as “drill.” Mr W. E. Joll, the President, has been appointed to the command of the detachment. A.N.C. O’s. class is being held, and the vacancies for N.C.O’s. will he filled by competitive examination. The League has determined to hold a monthly entertainment in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. An energetic committee under the lead of Mr Thomas Hill, the Secretary, has the matter in hand, and it is expected that good financial results will follow. rotonglroT Own Correspondent. Leaving C. Alders we next come to Sefton Bros. Again we find great improvements, and as far as I have noticed, an innovation in this district, that is the growing of winter fodder crops. I saw here excellent crops of winter tares,oats, mangolds, carrots, etc.; indeed the scotch tares seem to have been on first class soil as they have made excellent growth. I saw some that were being mown for the second time, already this winter,which I think is a record. The autumn sown oats here are also looking very heavy, dangerously so, it appeared to me, for, if the spring weather is very boisterous, they will surely go do down. Passing on we come to a farm owned by G. Tukeri, and it appears to me that the natives are learning farming in an excellent school. Here we have a farm, that was, two years ago, growing luxuriant ti-tree. As seen today, it is quite another picture —- a nice house, with water tank and other improvements, fruit trees, all doing well, acres of autumn sown oats, besides other crops, also grasses. If all the native farmers would take an example from this one, the face of the country would be altered, In fact the only two things that seem to be standing still in these districts are the main roads and the Huntly township. I think that Huntly ought to be renamed, and I should like to be at the christening, especially if the chairman would crack a bottle of fiz —and re name it ‘Sleepy Hollow,’ for surely Huntly is asleep. To go round this enormous district, and see the latent possibilities there are, to look ahead a little, say a few years, and what a great enormously rich district it [must become. Then if we go round the head ot Lake Whangape we strike another enormous district, and possibly one of the most fertile districts in the Dominion, the Te Alcau Block. The settlers in these districts, as they get their farms under must have an outlet. The natural one is Huntly, hut evidently Huntly is quite unconcerned, " and a township that expects people to negotiate an approach like the railway

bridge, surely does not deserve any consideration, and certainly all or the greater part of this trade will go by launch, down Whangape Lake to the Waikato River, or the settlers will not rest until they get an outlet on the new railway line at “Mahuta,” and already a petition largely signed has been sent to the Minister in charge, asking to have this work dohe. Personally I have seen 3 men for half a day trying to get a mob of fat bullocks across the bridge into Huntly. The Raglan County is doing its best to have the bridge made more approachable, what has Huntly done ? If the mountain won’t come to Mahomet, then Mahomet must go to the mountain. Although farming isprogressing by leaps and bounds, the roads seem to get no better, in fact the crying need of these districts, is better and still better roads. As this is one of the great draw backs to advancement, it seems to be a great and costly undertaking as metal seems to be scarce, but the day is surely coming when the situation must be boldly faced, perhaps by local loans, specially earmarked “ for metal only,” and in a great work of development like this, surely the Government of the day, would lend a hand, to make transit more rapid and less costly. As the land is brought into profit, so the roads must improve.