PIO PIO.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 218, 20 December 1909, Page 5

PIO PIO.

Own Correspondent. I am pleased to report that the reads are good for carting and that the settlers are taking advantage of this. Shearing is very nearly completed now and 1 hear there are some gcod clips. Our township is on the mowe. Mr H. McKay is having a hatrdres»ing and billiard saloon erected, and by reports circulated Mr V. S. Hattaway is putting up his new boardicg boose it is summer.

The blight is playing batoe with the potatoes and up to the present a very large area has been affected. Thusrday last was a red tetter day for Pinpio, when our School Commissioner and school master could be seen as busy as bees. The event was the g :hool picric and right well was the affair carried out. The picnic was h 'ld in the grounds kindly lent by Mr V. S. Hattaway. and a better picnic ground it would be hard to Bnd in the district. An invitation was sent to the Paemako school and the children mostly all rolled up. Mesdames Bevegp, Rawstron and Neilson had charge of the refreshments and were assisted by the Misses Churcher of Paemako who rendered valuable assistance. Mr Benton and Mr Bevege, school Commissioner, were assisted by Messrs Pettigrew, 'Andrews, and the school master from Paemako. The order of the day was luncheon, after which followed foot races, and some very good finishes were witnessed. The three legged race and the wheel barrow race caused a lot of amusement, and it was noticeable that the ladies enjoyed the scrambles as well as the little ones. The first prise, a framed certificate, for attendance and general progress was won by Tommy Nui. This little boy is abe«t 3 fp«t high and never dmissed a day; nor was he »- - ver late, ancT he deserved thn applause he got. In the Standard work Norman Rawstron received first prize, and Garnet Bevege second; Te Puea received the prize for perseverance; Mata Kaika the prizsr for writing; and F. Savilt the first for primer Work. There were a lot of pirns given for various things, and then followed the opening of the toy box and it was a sight to see the expressions on some of the children's faces as they watched the tid being taken eff. They wetf? not long in letting the world know what was inside and a German hand was in full swing in vtry short time. The children had their photorgaph taken after which the Nativis got to* and called upon Mr Tawhaki to speak to the white people. He said 'he Natives were very pleased at the way the picric was conducted and they w«re pleased to see the Native and Europeans all playing together and enjoying themselves as one family. Th»* Maoris also wished to thank the schoolmaster for the great pains lie had taken with the children, and the work he had done could talk better than the speaker could explain. Mr Tawhaki also thanked Mr Bevege, the school rangitrra, for the good day they had enjoyed and the interest taken by him in all things connected with the school. The speaker said the Natives had placed the halt at his disposal free of charge for the school concert, and wished everyone the compliments of the season. Messrs Benton and Bevege replied and both were cheered. Then came supper and shortly afterwards the people began to leave fcr home after a good day's fun. The picnic was admitted to be the best that has be«m held in the distirct ar.d great credit is due to Mr Bevege and to all who did so much to make the function such a success.

In the evening the cbitdren had a social in the ball and a very enjoyable evening was spent. Recitations were given by Masters Rawstron and Bevege and by three Native children; a aailor'd hornpipte by Mr Bevege; a aong by Mr Anthony; Mr McKay gave an exhibition at juggling and surprised the people with his clever performance. [n the middle of the social the Commissioner called for the school children to take the floor and formed them into a circle. Then he called Mr Benton into the centre and thanked him on behalf of the parents for the great pains he had taken with the children, and the way that he had brought them along considering that a year ago some of them could not speak one word, of English. He wished to thank him for the great assistance he bad rendered to him as Commissioner, and had found much pleasure in the work. Masters G. Bevege and L. Andrews then presented Mr Benton with an inscribed case of dressing brushes as a mark of esteem. The master was tak«n by aurprlae but thanked the children heartily for the gift- Cheers were heartily given for the master, pancing wad kept up by the adults till the small hours and everybody went home quite pleased with the day t hear that the hall baa been secured for another year for school purpose# thi» IViiiorM :i:akinic no charge fur the aamo. Th:/. jp.viks w»ll for the public J rv, r ! t N :» t "''M .