DISTRICT PARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 60, 13 December 1907, Page 2

DISTRICT PARS.

Mr F. C. Rollett, special commissioner of the Auckland Weekly News, paid a visit to Te Kuiti this week, and is making an extended tour of the district. Mr Rollet i£ well acquainted with the King Country, having been through it on several occasions, and as he has a weakness for leaving the beaten track and seeing for himself the more unfrequented and remote localities, his store of knowledge is garnered from many places which the white man seldom treads. Mr Rollett was one of the first persons who took a wheeled vehicle over the main road from Te Kuiti to Taranaki.

The garden party, to be held at the breaking up of Te Kuiti school, on Thursday next, is being well organieed arjd, favoured with fine weather, an exceptionally ; large gathering is sure to assemble at the school grounds. The subscription lists are being filled rapidly, and parents generally are exhibiting deep interest in the project. The Qtorohanga Sports, to be held on Thursday nest, Have attracted record entries in lajl classes, and a highly successful carnival should result. The gathering is always an attraction to King Country residents, and as special train arrangements have been made for the day, a large attendance is expected from Te Kuiti and other centres along the line. Mr C. W. Hursthouse, Chief Engiof the Government Roads Department arrived at Te Kuiti on Monday evening, on a short visit to his old district. Mr Hursthouse, by Mr Burd, District Engineer, " has been visiting works in various parts of the district, and is naturally struck with the progress made here during the Jast cOupie of years. ' 4-lreadv there are signs of a drought in {.lie South' Island, jt \yill be no surprise to see last'seasQir s expcncijcc repeated in the matte;.' of weather. Fuj-iijers are beginning jLo gef anxiotjs, and wiUioui Lfqoij rains in the near future the gi ; aiii a|-e gifre tq suffer. i

It is gratifying to see that the King Country lands are being rapidly ;i\ and our settlers are, where possible,'adopting VjPvfOjJair. methods of cropping. Messrs' PVtcK lii os., oi JVIa-iroa,' purchased from Mr C. S.tever/s j 1-,;s Week, a .Cooper and Duncan jjceVJ cTrflliof \k)Uotfg'6p the>ir place, 3|jfl Rfr Stevens Vepbiis W.yepj Q !' ;C f enquiries foj-si'roijap n]acj?i»es.

Information has been received from the member for the district that the Postmaster-General has given instructions for a money order office to be opened at Piopio. This will supply a much needed convenience in a district which already carries a good population, and which must develop rapidly as settlement proceeds. A lai'ge amount of business is now being done in the King Country at each sitting of the Maori Land Administration Board, andjudge Browne, President of the Board, expressed the opinion, at last sitting, that there would be very little land left for the Native Land Commission to deal with in this district —it was being all taken up by private arrangements. Country hospitality is proverbial, and many a project for the public weal is fostered and assisted by the courtesy extended by individual settlers to their neighbours in placing their homes at the disposal of those anxious to meet in a convenient' place

for the discussion of matters affecting the public welfare. Those interested in the Kawa drainage scheme performed a graceful act in placing on record their recognition of the hospitality of Mr and Mrs George Kay in providing a meeting place and entertainment for the first meeting of settlers convened last week.

Intending subscribers are reminded

that tne shilling subsciption list for the Waikato Hospital Christmas Gift Fund is open at the Chronicle office and those who have not yet forwarded a shilling are requested to do so at the earliest date. The object is a thoroughly worthy one, and considering the benefit the King Country has derived';from the institution, the opportunity of marking our appreciationlshould not be lost. The Native Land Court has not

been renowned in past years for the rapidity of its machinery, but recently it has begun to adopt quite a business-like air, much to the benefit of its own dignity and that of those whose tempers sometimes felt the strain of suspense. During the present sitting of the Court, at Otorohanga Mr John Ormsby, the well-known interpreter, established a record in obtaining thirty-two orders of the Court

in one afternoon. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report having received the following cable from their London office

Wool. —As compared with last sale's closing rates, prices are about 5 per cent, lower for greasy merino supei, about 10 per cent, lower for merino medium and scoured merino super, and about 15 per cent, lower for inferior merino and faulty wool. Meanwhile the market is fairly active. Tallow. We quote present spot values for the following descriptions of tallow Fine mutton 34s per cwt. ; good beef 32s ad per cwt.; mixed 32s per cwt. Market firm. The Government is evidently bent upon obtaining extensive reserves in the King Country for scenic purposes and in years to come, when bush and swamp give way to grass fields, and the landscape in general is bare of natural bush, the reserves will serve as special attraction in a district, so admirably adapted for the town holi-

day - maker or for visitors from other lands. The cult of beauty may be pursued in many directions but Nature, especially as revealed in New Zealand bush, presents wonderfully alluring features. In preserving these to posterity the Government is doing good work, the value of which will be

appreciated more and more as the unswerving hands of Time move onwards. At the present sitting of the Native Land Court, at Otorohiinga, several reserves in various parts of the district were set apart, and the Natives were granted compensation for the land thus taken. The Waitomo areas, about which there was some trouble recently with the Native owners, were satisfactorily dealt with. Mr John Ormsby represented the Natives, and the compensation allowed by the Court proved sufficient to soothe the feelings of the truculent ones.

" Thirty * six years experience in Colonial Gardening," by Mr William Levy, of Waikumete, is a handbook which will appeal to settlers and amateur gardeners. It is written in a clear and concise style; it is thoroughly practical and modern in its ideas ; and it gives exactly that class of information which readers of gardening handbooks usually require, and, moreover, it is particularly adapted to North Island conditions. Mr Levy is an experienced and successful horticulturist, but he evidently possesses what few of his class possess, and that is the faculty for making this knowledge and experience available to the uninitiated by printed words.

The attention of our readers is failed to a number of notices in this issue from ilic WaitomoCounty'Gouncil.

Inspector Bennett, of the Public Works Department", paid a visit to the Country this \\eck, going as far as Raurj.mu, and working buck through t'l c Y a ! : i° l !s centres on the railway] In s&eakifig of the institution of a sanitary system fox- Te Rijiti, Inspector Bennett said that the early introduction of a night soil service was important, and Dr Purdy, District Health Officer, was anxious to see the service established as soon as possible after the New Year. Dr Purdy will probably attend the next meeting of the Waitomo County Council, on Friday next, in order to urge the adoption of a scheme immeciiaiejy. Inspector Bennett is at present making anoihei inspection of theTe Kuiti township'and l , we understand, has found it necessary'to serve notices on several householders. SKIM-MILK AND DISEASE.

Much'of the disease among dairy U? lbjs . country is' spread 'through pooling ti>e s'kjnj-n'iiik at ]hcfactories. In Denmark it is 'compVl-. sory for all skim-milk to be scalded before being taken home. You can sata'gMaiff'yO!,;. ijCjfJ as well as cii.ioy untold convenience by ri<siatiii,g a " New Century " Steamer. By dropping the steam pipe into the can and turning on the steam, the milk can be

in a few minutes without any trouble, am; an}: s har.co of its spreading disease : w ; i!l be entirely lcmoved. Write for fujbpafticulars io M ricLwan &' Coy.. Ltd., Sole A gents, Fdr I-street Js uck'iaqq

The Farmers' Auctioneering Company's sale, at Te lviiiti (his week was favoured with better weather than usual, and the sale was easily a record in the point of entries, and stock quilled. Cattle to the number of head were yarded, and about if-ioo sold. When the sale yard:; were, completed, about a year ago, (he. accommodation provided was e\|)celed to be ample for all requirements for years to come, but in the light of recent developments, it will not he many seasons before additions will be required. 1 lie J1 on. (i. Fowlds, Minister lor Education, passed through the King Country en route for Wellington on Monday night last. The Minister travelled by special train and slopped over night a.t Taumanmui. On Tuesday morning a deputation of residents interviewed the Minister, and requested that a separate school for European children should be established under the Board of Education. The deputation drew attention to the fact the that a promise had been made that a separate school would be established when the European scholars outnumbered the Maoris. Mr Eowlds, in reply, stated that he remembered the promise, but understood that the agitation was more in regard to accommodation. The building had been enlarged, and he was beginning lo think the parents were satisfied. He would look into the question again and sec if anything could be done in the direction of meeting the wishes of the deputation.

Quite a budget of holiday attractions are being organised by the residents of Mairoa, Pacmnko, Aria, and adjoining centres for Christmas and New Year weeks. On .Boxing Pay the united picnic is to be held at Piopio, when a record assemblage is promised. A united social is to be held in Miroahuiao Hall on New Year's .live, and the Wairere carnival eventuates on New Year's Hay. Excellent support is being received in all cases, and holiday week of 1907-8 is bound to be remembered as the initiation of combined social gatherings in the district.

The making of canoes for the Wairere Carnival, on New Year's Day, is proceeding apace, and quite a small fleet should be ready for the aquatic events. Hie Natives arc taking a very keen interest in the Carnival, and it will not be due to lack of enthusiasm on their part if the function docs not go down as a decided success. The European Committee is also busy attending to the details, and already a sum of over £4O has been collected, while a similar amount has been promised. Jt is intended to give about £BO in prize money for the various events.

Jhe successiul tenderer for (he erection of the Taumarunui Hospital, Mr A. S. Laid, in tends making a start with the work immediately after the hoi id a vs.

The Hon W. W. McCardle, M.L.C. paid a visit fo Te Kuili at the end of last week, arriving on Friday and leaving on Monday morning by the early train, In conversation vyitl] the Ckhomci ]•; representative, Mr McCardle said the work of the past session was highly important: to the King' Country as far as land legislation \vas_ concerned. With regard to the Native Land Bill, which was more or less tentative, he thought the question of land settlement would be assisted by it to a certain extent, and any clauses found unworkable could easily be remedied. It would probably be some little time before the Bill would come into operation, as it depended to a great degree upon the report of the Native (.and Commission. Mr McCardle removed wiih his family to Wellington during' the session, and has returned to the King Country to attend to his interests, which arc very considerable.