DISTRICT PARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 23, 29 March 1907, Page 2

DISTRICT PARS.

A notice declaring Taumarunui Native township to be subject to the provisions of " The Native Townships Local Government Act, 1905," appears in the last issue of the Government Gazette. An Order-in-Council, for the purpose of validating the consolidated by-law of the Waitomo County has been gazetted. A further addition to the business premises of Te Kuiti is contemplated. Mr Matheson, who secured the billiard room section in Rora-street at the sale, intends erecting two shops on his -section, and will return to Te Kuiti in about a week in order to supervise the work. One of the Crown leasehold village sections, at Te Kuiti, changed lhands last week, Mr V. S. Hattaway purchasing from Mr Read}*, his 2 acre section on the eastern side of the river. Mr Ready is about to move to Warkworth, and the figure realised for the section was a satisfactory one. The intricacies of thelawhaveoften been commented upon, and according to Mr Northcrott, S.M., they are quite as bad as they ore held to be by the uninitiated. In referring to a question asked of a witness in the Te Kuiti Court recently, Mr Northcroft held that it was a point of law, and therefore a question upon which any ordinary layman's opinion would not be of any use. "You, and the opposing counsel, and mygelf could all have different opinions upon the same point, and each of us could be entirely wrong." What wonder that " the law is an ass " to the general public ! The postal and telegraphic facilities are being gradually increased in the King Country. This week Oparure was connected by telephone with Te Kuiti, and thevconnection of Aria and Mairoa should shortly be accomplished. The Waitomo settlers are assisting themselves in this respect, and will very soon have the private line to the Caves completed.

The lot of the schoolteacher in the the backblock districts is often a severe one, but the hearty assistance of the settlers is usually a bright redeeming feature of the situation. A case in point is reported from Oparau, near Kawhia, where two settlers built a residence for the schoolmistress, gratis. It is gratifying to meet with such evidences of a broad public spirit, though the necessity of it substantiates the charges made recently by Mr Greenslade, to the effect that the backblocks were heavily penalised in educational matters. The trouble over the collection of rates on Native lands appears to be general. A deputation from the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce waited on the Native Land Commission last week, and urged that some means be devised for the collection of rates on Native-owned land. In replying, the Chief Justice said the remedy appeared to be in the Natives being encouraged to farm their lands, as they could not be expected to pay rates on lands yielding no profit. At the last meeting of the Kawhia County Council the letter from the Chairman of the Waitomo County Council, inviting the co-operation of i the Kawhia body in conferring with I the Minister for Public Works with reference to obtaining loans for road works, was discussed. It was resolved to send a delegate to the conference and support the Waitomo Council. At the sitting of the Native Land Commission at Wanganui last week, Sir Robert Stout'said that the Natives there were the first he had met who did not think it was their duty to preserve their race. The only way they could do it was by training their young people to be industrous. The race that was not trained in industry was dead, and would be sweptloff the face of the earth. The Chief Justice also said that the Government should provide agricultural education for the Maoris.

At a meeting of the Waipa Racing Club, held in Jackson's Hotel, Te Awamutu, on Saturday evening last, it was decided to hold the annual race meeting ou April 27th. The local post-office will observe Good Fridaj' as a close holiday, and on Easter Monday the office will only be opened feom 9 till 10 a.m. for the transmission of telegrams and the sale of stamps.

At the Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.'s sale at Te Kuiti on Wednesday last prices were somewhat dull at the start, but nearly I everything yarded was sold. The stock raising capacity of the King Country was evidenced strongly by some very fine lines of bullocks from Messrs Troup, Julian, Hetet and Somcrville, several judges who were present pronouncing the cattle to be some of the finest of their class yarded this season. The blackberry must be greatly in evidence on the Wanganui Native lands. One witness at the Native Land Commission stated that there were over a thousand acres, on one block, perfectly impenetrable because of the blackberry. The first stock sale to be held in the Ohura is arranged for April 19th, when Messrs McNicol and Co will sell at Matiere. This is gratifying evidence of the progress of the Ohura, and within the next few years there is no doubt that the stock markets will be very largely patronised. The Ohura is rich country, with a large carrying capacity, and as the land is thrown open it is taken up eagerly. Steady progress has been made since the country was first opened for settlement, and the necessity for a local market, which has been felt for some time, is now being satisfied. At the meeting of subscribers to the medical fund held at Te Kuiti on Wednesday evening it was stated that when canvassers approached settlers for the purpose of enrolling subscribers, questions were asked as to the manner in which the fund was to be administered, and what the doctor's duties were to be. In reply to the question, the Chairman pointed out that there could be nothing definitely decided, until the fund had been established. Each subscriber would have a voice in the matter, and of course the doctor had to be conferred with. The first and most important matter was to obtain the necessary subscribers. After that, delegates from each district could be appointed; the requirements of each locality would be considered, and a suitable basis established on which to confer with the doctor.