Honikiwi.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 308, 2 November 1910, Page 3

Honikiwi.

Mr Allan Bell gave an address in the schoolroom on Saturday, 26th Octo ber, on home separation and co-opera-tion. There was only a small but fully representative, gathering of the settlers. Mr Findlay McLean, chairman of the local branch of the Farmers' Union, presided and introduced the speaker. Mr Bell spoke for an hour and a-half, during which time he had a most attentive hearing. Having given permission at the request of one of those present, to allow questions to be asked during the course of his address as well as at its clo=e, there were a good many interruptions, though all in fitting order. Mr Bell evidently carried the audience with him as he developed point after point of the scheme which he came forward to champion; so much so that at the close of the somewhat severe questioning to which he was subjected Mr Hargreaves said they must admit that Mr Bell's position was impregnable. The chief features of the address were an advocacy of the policy of home separation as against creameries on the four-fold ground, that the returns of those factories, using home separated cream showed that the butter produced was equal in value to creamery butter; that the calves reared on the warm fed separated milk were superior in quality and value; that the experience of Taranaki proved that the roads of the King Country could not stand the strains of traffic which must come in the immediate future with the enormous increase which Col. Bell predicts for dairying unless the policy of carting the milk twice daily to creameries be abandoned; and that the creameries help to spread disease among the different herds by mixing contaminated milk with uncontaminated. In his advocacy of the policy of co-opera-tion among the settlers it was made clear that the scheme was one which he himself had originated, that Mr Goodfellow had had nothing to do with the matter, and had only agreed to throw in his lot with the undertaking after much solicitation on Col. Bell's part. If the company were established they purposed engaging in the manufacture of butter; the curing of bacon and the manufacture of ice. The returns from the sale of ice alone, for which there was a large demand, it was expected would pay all the expenses of the concern. It was also proposed to go in for getting goods in London at bedrock prices, to be sent out instead of cash in payment for the butter and bacon manufactured. A hearty vote of thanks to Col. Bell brought the address to a elope. Mr B. Budden stated that all present agreed that Messrs Goodfellow, Ltd., deserved the best thanks of the whole community for the splendid service they had rendered to many in the back blocks by accepting home separated cream.

At the close of the above address the Farmers' Union held a brief meeting. The chairman stated that Mr Cato had agreed to act as hon. sec, in place of Mr 0. Dassler, who found he could not always be in attendance. There was some trouble with the members getting their transfers from the Otorohanga branch. Col. Bell promised to use his good offices in setting the matter amicably. On Tuesday, 25th October, the school inspector paid his annual visit and expressed his pleasure at seeing several acres of the school grounds fenced and in grass, with a small piece fenced round with netting for a school garden. He considered the scholars had one of the largest and best playgrounds in his district. He was not so well pleased with the mental progress the scholars had made, but when he was shown the deplorable attendance which for several causes had marked the year, he could only express the hope that the Sixth Standard would do better when they assembled at Otorohanga in December for their proficiency certificates. An amusing incident occurred on the day following the examination. One of the Maori boys whom the inspector thought was placed too high by being put in Standard 11., saw some of the latter's writing in one of the teacher's books and boldly and confidently expressed the opinion that he could write better than that. The lad was, of course, judging writing by Vere Forster's style.