DISTRICT PARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 201, 21 October 1909, Page 2

DISTRICT PARS.

A meeting of the Waitoino County Council is to be held at Te Kuiti on : Monday next, October 25tb. Mes>sr3 Smith and Caughey's spring show of dress goods and millinery was opened at the Town Hall Te Kuiti, yesterday. The show continues until Saturday evening. Mr McDiarmid wishes to notify the public that he will travel, the Suffolk Punch horse "Sudbourne Silver" to Otorobanga tomorrow, Friday, morning. With regard to the setting apart of a portion of the river as a bathing area at Te Kuiti it has been suggested that the stretch of deep water near Mr Standish's residence in Sheridan Street should be fenced on both sides and used by the pubic. The situation is about the best that can be obtained and the locality is already largely patronised by bathers. In fairness to the residents living close to the river the fencing of the area should be undertaken as soon as possible. Several residents have already offered to subscribe towards the fence,and if taken in hand at o ice the object should be accomplished before the heat of summer. The recent spell of fine weath?r has enabled the cricketers to proceed with the work of relaying the wickets on the Domain, and the work has been well carried out under the direction of Mr N. B. Lusk. The large new roller ordered by the Club came to hand this v/eek and is now on the ground. The thanks of the cricketers are due to Mr Lusk for his efforts in connection with the laying of the wicket. A few more enthusiasts of the same tsamp would be welcomed.

Operations at the Te Kuiti Club's bowling green are now well advanced. Favoured with fine weather the contractor, Mr Carpenter, has lost r.o time and expects to have everything completed by the end of the present month. The large water roller for use on the green arrived on Monday and the work of consolidating the ground should now be easily accomplished. Attention is drawn to the fact that a meeting of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce is to be held on Friday evening at 7.30 p.m. A considerable amount of business i» to be brought before the meeting and all members are requested to attend. Up to the present delegates to the number of five have been appointed to take part in the deputation to proceed to Wellington to place the requirements of the district with regard to roads before the Government. Messrs Koddie and Major Lusk will represent Te Kuiti; Mr Elliott, Piopio, Paemako and Mangaotaki; Mr Rose, Marokopa; and Mr King, Ratanui. The date of leaving for Wellington has not yet been decided pending a reply from Mr Jennings as to the arranging of a day for receiving the deputation. Inspector Burnside, M.A., of the Auckland Board of Education is paying his annual visit of inspection to the Tc Kuiti school. The approach of summer is already tempting bathers to indulge in the luxury of a swim in the Mangaokewa river at Te Kuiti, and as the season advances the stream is bound to be widely patronised. An effort is to be made to have a portion of the river converted into a bathing place and a dressing shed erected for the convenience of bathers. Mr A. 11. Wright, Road Inspector under the Public Works Department has been transferred from Taumarunui to Te Kuiti. He is at present away on a fortnight's leave and will take up his duties at Te Kuiti at the expiration of his holiday. Mr T. Burd who has occupied the position of District Road Engineer at Te Kuiti for the past nine years and who upon the I'eorganisation of the Department was appointed left Te Kuiti this week for the Waikato centre. Mr D. M. Ross was for many years Stock Inspector for Waikato and who some tjvo years ago was transferred to Hawkes Bay, has now been promoted to the position of Stock Inspector for the Auckland District.

A very pleasant function took place ! at the Vicarage, Te Kuiti .on Monday evening last when Mr and Mrs Morse entertained a number of the parishioners of St.Luke's Parish. The function may be regarded as celebrating the completion of the Vicarage but its real object was the instituting of a Parish day to be kept annually on St. Luke's Day. The Hon. G. Fowlds, replying to Mr Jennings' request that the Government should establish an Education Board in the King Country, said such would require legislation. Many good arguments might be urged in favour «f redistribution of the areas of the present education districts, but it was not expedient to deal with the matter by piecemeal legislation. No legislation of the kind would be introduced at present. The Hon. Geo. Fowlds, in reply to Mr Stallworthy's question why Allwood was liberated from the asylum at Avondale and what precautions will be taken to prevent tragedies like that at Dargaville recurring, said the case being subjudice, it was inexpedient to go into particulars at present. A complete answer would be given after the case had beer, dealt with by the Supreme Court. On Friday the 21st. inst., Dalgety and Company Limited, hold their usual fortnightly sale in the Cambridge yards, when they will offer 220 head of cattle, included in which are a good line of 50 two year old empty heifers suitable for dairying. Details of the sale will be found in the advertising columns of this issue. Since their last aeroplane flight at Claudelands, Messrs Barnard Bros., of Hamilton, have been working hard building another machine, which has just been completed. A tr:al was hs.;'.: on the Ohaupo road this wra: v.-l.:ci. was even more !;ucce.-v:ui held at Claudelar.ds. A horse v&s attached to the piur.t.-, a:.-: a : about ten rniks r.'/jr a.a about ."nil van:/, aiiaLliaa a;j-a:T: .*a.now of oaiaion that when a motor is installed th• re v.-ill, within reason, be no limit to the Slight. |

During the past month there have been sold at two auctions at Stratford no fewer than twc-nty throusand chives. This is a goo-', enough indication that only a s;::r.!l percentage of r.ustock wiii be rc-r.r.i'd thi? .■»•&« •' Taranaki. As a genera; rule- :a.m-.er? keep their early calves a:.-: tr.-t later ones, which in licates ;r.-v. the number to be reared th:s season v; be exceptionally small. It is ;.rc-j;c : <r: that springers wili be a big pric.- next year. j We are informed by Henry Hughes, | Patent Agent, Auckland, that the following applications for patent! have been filed by residents in the Auckland Province: —Brady and Kennedy, Railway Carriage coupling; H. Clapham, gas production; J. Draper, ferroconcrete building; W. E. Holden, magic iantern; E. D. Holt, fencing tool; J. F. Jeune, Horse cover; V. R. Johns, Tennis racquet; F. B. McArthur, perambulator; W. O'Brien, ice cbest; C. E. Rae, camp stove. The Agricultural Department has just distributed amongst settlers in the Bay of Plenty district different varieties of seed maize which it has imported from America. Large quantities of corn are grown in the Bay of Plenty, both by Europeans and Maoris, and the agricultural Department is anxious to know whether the varieties which are njw doing so well in the United States are also suitable for the conditions prevailing in some parts of the North Island.

The Agricultural Department are at present experimenting with a new fodder plant, which it is thought should be suitable to this climate and the North of Auckland. It is called teosinte —Roana luxuriuso, resembles maize, and is reputed to have enormous foliage growing properties. It grows 12ft high, but when fully matured becomes dry and unfit for cattle. The seeds arc grown 12in apart with 2ft Gin separating the rows, and the growth is cut when 3lt to 4ft high. Amongst the New Zealand products for which there is a favourabe opening in England is flax, says Mr G. Palliser Martin, British Chamber of Commerce delegate. There was an expanding market for what they called at Home New Zealand hemp. In his own business —that of flax spinning—he used largely the soft European flax. From what be had seen of the South Island of New Zealand, he was of opinion that with its moist gullies, it was peculiarly adapted for the growing of European linseed flax plant. The common mistake was made of throwing away the stalk. The fibre represented two-thirds of the value of the plant. They had been growing it in Victoria, and he had received several samples from which he had sent back the finished products. And in Victoria the climate was not nearly so suitable for growing the plant is was the moist climate of New Zealand. The flax porduced in Victoria had been worth from £4O to £45 a ton. In his own business he used from 100 to 500 tons of good weil prepared flax per annum, and he was only one of many. Supplies were received from all parts of India, from Belgium, Austria. Holland, and very largely from Southern Russia, but they would be quite pleased to draw from other sources. A feature of the linseed flax plant was that it might be grown alternately with a cereal crop. TeKarae Block of 17,643 acres situ-

ated in Hokianga district, was offered for lease by auction on Tuesday. Sixty sections were offered, but only one section was taken up. The land is good, but the conditions of lease are unfavourable. A special plan is being adopted in the construction of the new Public Works building at Greymouth by which sound is incapable of passing from one floor to that below. This is by the use of Brunner coke breeze, which being mixed with cement forms an absolute non conductor and also makes the floor nreproof. The material is mixed and depostied c-n boards, over which wire netting of a small mesh is stretched, and the breeze concrete laid to a thickness of six inches or so. When set the boards are removed and the ceiling is finished in plaster. The material is used in the strong room floor upstairs but at a greater thickness, and renders it absolutely fireproof. It has only recent ly been adopted in new buildings, but is said to answer the purpose very well. The booking of immigrants for New Zealand under the Government's reduced rates scheme has been resumed at the High Commissioner's after an interval of a few months. The next batch of farm hands and domestic servants will leave next week by the lonic. Applications have been coming in in large numbers, and scores have had to be rejected, as only those are assisted who have had practical experience of farm work or domestic service.

Fourteen thousand acres will ba open for selection on Monday next, all of it being described as improved farm land. There are fifty-two sections of from 70 acres to 200 acres in Rangitoto No. 1 Settlement, 18 sections of from 130 to 200 acres in No. 2 Settlement, and 16 sectinos of from 140 acres to 200 acres in Korakonui settlement. Rangitoto No. 1 is situated about three miles from railway station, and about four miles from Otorohanga station at the north-west end of the block, and at the south end about six miles from Te Kuiti. No. 2is in the West Taupo County, distant about nine miles from Otorohanga railway station, to the nearcts point. Korakonui settlement is about seven miles from Kihikihi and about six mi!'.? from Kawa railway station, by a forr.c-/ road at the nearest e- , d t The capital valu>- of xrt yc-ci Rangitoto No. 1 langt. :rc n, -V'3" tv £'lso; in No. 2, from .o and in Korakonui ---- •. Application.; are iw ;• - .rem married men. Lui td.e Lam; Ueara mm prnver lo ! mf-erer. jc to amvmaih.m: rm;m m from retrenches 1 _ Sc r•"a- am: worker.- who have 1.-.e:". 2j :. swedem i"c■ i. and Ldear. i-;u,;t:h. i: beauty wot: ha a..are Wht-n colds have made her plain, Woods' I'epp'.-nr.ir.t Cure will soon secure Her speaking eyes again.

A couple of Licensing Act Amendment Biiis have beers circulated in the name of the member ftr Lvtielton. Mr The Comrr.is-ton informal y appointed to inspect the she jp runs Canterbury is nor.* engaged in preparing its report which rr.us" bs presented by October 20. A statutory Co :n miss ion, of which the C t'ntmissicn-tr of Crown Lands, the Chief Survr-yc-r and Mr J. "Stevenson will be the- rsembers, will begin an official insytotmn of the runs in the middle of Ntvemder. atd wiii report to the Land Bo&rj upon the completion of the irsuomltnt. Runs offered for sale must no advertised not later than January, the sale taking place not later than February 25. 2&H'. It is stated that a v:P known Thames Valley farmer has invented a contrivance for renaerir.g snips safe from attacks by airships, and is in treaty with the British Admiralty concerting it. The device consists of a revolving apparatus, which, it is claimed by the inventor, wiii knock any object off that fa!is upon it from above. Tests of the invention nave been carried out with dynamite and heavyweights, and in no case, it is said, has the contrivance failed to act effectively. Captain Allsop, master of the steamer Rippie, which returned to Lyttlteon from Chatham Islands last wee .states that there were no signs of the messing tug Duco at the islands, hut ithtr. a hundred miles of the islands on the way down the steamer passed a man's cap floating in the water. The t had a badge, and was evident!, an trimon's cap. Islanders reported to hint that on September 8, 9, and I i heavy southerly.gales were experienced, and he considered there was very little hope of any news of the Duco being received. At the conclusion of its sess'ons at Ngaruawabia where the ownership of the Moerangi block has bten Investigated, the Native Land Court adjourned for one week to allow Jutige MaeCormick to visit Wellington on departmental business. It is suggested that the Moerangi block, comprising 45,000 acres, should be purchased by the Government for closer settlement ' purposes. The inquiry into ownership has not yet been completed, and it is understood that it will take some three weeks yet. Seven tribes have put in ; claims, two only of which have so far been settled.

It is questionable whether the Farmers' TJTnon will not lo?e more than it will gain if it adopts the proposals of the executive for the assumption by it of a frankly political character. It is not to be anticipated that there would be the same unanimity among farmers concerning the several articles of the general platform of a potlitical organisation for their class as there is at the present time on the part of tne members of the Union as to the desirability of the adoption of the freed:id tenure as opposed to the ]<•;..-• n . i system. The attempt, therefore. ;o dind the farmers of any district together it a common political organisation cuid we fear be productive of n: is understanding, of strife and of dissension. — "Otago Daily Time-?." Demonstrators at Lieee. 3e'.?iu —, broke the windows of the ,:.-ttry. convent and church, and n':;: fered the vestry.