LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 331, 25 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Native Land Court sits at Te Kuiti on Wednesday, Ist February. We have to acknowledge a donation of 10= from "TP," for the Oparure School boy's accident. The Pic Pio stock sale will be held ; on February 13th, 23rd as originally intended. Mr J. R. Graham's usual fruit and sundries sale takes place as usual on Saturday afternoon next. Miss Pine's new quarter for music, painting, drawing and infant school commences on Monday, 30th January." 1 The Premier leaves for Auckland tomorrow and addresses a meeting at Devonport on Saturday night.--Asso-i ciation. Pheasants are reported to be very plentiful in the Mangaotaki Valley. This should be a popular resort for sportsmen when the season comes round. Recently a game of bowls was played in. Waitara under the electric light. The trial, which was made when the natural light had gone, was ' a complete success. The Rev. 11. O. Hanky pays his usual quarterly visit to Anglicans in the Ohura on Sunday, and services will be held at Mangaroa, Maliere and Nihi Niho as shown in our Church services list. The inclement weather on the hills in North Canterbury towards the end of last week, was responsible for the death of a considerable number of , recently-shorn sheep. One owner was reported to have lost fully -500,

In view of the coming competitions to be held at Hokitika in March the members of the local Fire Briagdc are urgently requested to attend practise to night. It is understood that a team will be sent from To Kuiti to compete in two or three of the event;).

Building is very biisk throughout the Ohuia district and many farmers in the Mangaroa and Matiero districts are having nice hi.uses built. The sawmill at Mangaroa is busily engaged in supplying local orders and the mill at Mahiraku is also running at full speed. The Boat Office at Bio Bio, which has been located in Messrs Green and Colebrook's store for some time, is about to be removed to a new building erected by that lirm at the side of their store. This convenience will undoubtedly be appreciated by the public. The first monthly mo-ting for It'll, of Te Kuiti and District No-License League will be held in the Congregational Schoolroom this (Wednesday) evening, to transact important _ business. A very large membership has been enrolled, and all members are urged to attend. ; Ic is somewhat, uimsual to experience frost in Canterbury in the middle of January, but last week, after some sweltering heat days, snow fell heavily on the hills in the vicinity of Ashburton, well down to the base, no less than seven degrees of frost being registered. A new industry is likely to develop in connection with the freezing industry, namely, eel-freezing. The eels, which hitherto have not been turned to account as an asset, are to be sent Home put up in such a way that it is believed will prove remunerative to the consignors. Many of the northern tributaries teem with eels, which many persons esteem a rare delicacy. St. Luke's Sunday School picnic will be held at the Gorge on Saturday, 28th January. The children will assemble at the Church at 1.30 p.m. Parents and friends are cordially invited to attend, but are asked to tiring provisions for themselves and children not attending the Sunday School. Tea will be provided free of charge. It ia understood that an early start will be made with the putting through of the Waitangata road, just beyond Niho Nino, to the Otanui road, giving access to Taumarunui from the Ohura main road a distance of not more than twelve miles. It is a good road in general, and only a few further miles are required forming through bush.

Contributions to the various t.:\ 11 e at the Garden Party O.'hh'li is being c-penal by his Worship the Mayor this afternoon), continue to pour in, and the variety of goods to he offered i.s really surprising. As an instance of this it may be mentioned that two Silver Wyandotte fowls from the prize-winning strain at the Lincoln College Egg-laying Competition, wiil be ofl'erecl at the produce .--tall. There should be a large audience at the open-air concert to-night.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of tho Druids' Lodge was held last evening. Bro. McMeekao, A.D., presiding. There was a fair attendance of members, and routine business was transacted. It was reported that liro. Welch, who met with an accident on the 15th inst., and was conveyed to the Hamilton Hospital, had regained consciousness, six days after the accident, and that it would be probably Bix weeks before he left the hospital. At the opening ceremony of the Mokau bridge yesterday afternoon, Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P., in referring to the disgraceful manner in which settlers were being treated in not being allowed to travel by goals train. stated a very painful case which had been brought under bis notice that happened at Ongarue. A woman there, he had been told, was sufl'ering from blood-poisoning, and had been refused permission to travel by tho good? train, with the result that she died two days later. '"I think," concluded Mr Jennings, "that employment for that guard should be found in some other place." On Friday night a meeting of the settlers in the Mapiu part of the Tangitu block was held in Waimiha to discuss school matters Mr W. Coombridge waa in the chair and ho ex plained that he.had been in communication with the Hoard concerning a school. A reply with the necessary forms for application had been sent him. He asked that they be tilled in as soon as possible in order that no deluy might occur in having thv matter attended to. The meeting appointed Mr Coombridge to carry out the matter and to conduct all correspondence with the Hoard. An e3tL mate of the number of children which would attend this school was put down at about forty for a start.