LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 334, 4 February 1911, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A social in aid of the Pio Pio manse fund will be held on Thursday next. Dr Zobel begs to notify the public that he does not atttnd at Mr Lissaman's pharmacy any longer.* The Chamber of Commerce meeting, to have been held last evening. lapsed for want of a quorum. The Commissioner and Messrs Rattenbury and Kennedy, members oi the Taranaki Land Board, returned to New Plymouth by the express this morning, and Mr Heslop proceeded to Auckland.

The bargain sale craze has at last reached Te Kuiti, judging by the number of ladies seen shopping during the last few days at Rosenberg's, where a summer sale was commenced on Wednesday last.*

Land agents report a number of sales during the past few weeks. A good few country properties are changing hands. The movement on foot for the forming of an agricultural and pastoral association for Te Kuiti and the lower King Country generally is being enthusiastically taken up by farmers and others interested. A meeting to conisder the formation of such an association is to be held in Hattaway's rooms on Wednesday, February 16th at 7.30 p.m.

The prospects of dairying becoming an established fact in Te Kuiti next season are particularly bright. Farmers consider that the time is ripe to make a start as the number of cows—about 600—will be available. This will mean that the factory will be a payable concern from the beginning. Home separation will be the principlal scheme of working and will enable farmers at a considerable distance to take advantage of the local industry.

We are indebted to Mr T. E. Foy for the following statistics of the rainfall at Te Kuiti for January:— ;;rd, .U5 inches; 4th, .02 inches; 7th, .(Hi; 10th, 4.3; 14th, .04; 21st, .08; total .98 on six days. The Government have made a start with the formation of the new Ahuroa road, which runs from the Borough boundary to the Rangitoto block. This road will give access to a big area of country extending beyond the Waipa river and is destined in the future to be a main arterial road running into Te Kuiti. Mr Kennedy, a member of the Taranaki Land Board, and also member of the Taranaki Education Board, in conversation with a "Chronicle" representative last evening, expressed the opinion that something should be (lone in the altering of education boundaries. The rapid rate at which settlement was taking place in the King Country was making it impossible for the Auckland Education Board to deal properly with outlying districts. Mr Simpson, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Taranaki, in conversation with a "Chronicle" representative last evening, said that he coniiidcred that Te Kuiti was going ahead at a marvellous rate. He was agreeably surprised at the rapid strides being made. "To my mind," he concluded, "the progress made during the past two years had been most pronounced." The following teams of bowlers have been selected to play against Te Awamutu at Te Kuiti on Wednesday next, the players being requested to practice as much as possible before that day:—Hardy, Edgar, Sharpies, Cochrane; Holland, AlbrecVitsen, Spencer, Dransfield; Darrow, Julian, Finlay, Jones; Stevens, Rouse, Petherick'. Lissaman; Chiclott. King, Matthew, Power. We publish to-day an advertisement by the Taranaki Board of School ComA, n>i«:woners of the leasing of a number of Education reserves. The lease issued by this board has the reputation of being one of the most liberal extant, and the low upset rents which have been fixed should ensure attention by settlers on the look-out for bush sections. Residence is not compulsory, and the covenant as to improvements is remarkably easy. The board's secretary, Mr F- P. Corkill, requests us to mention that he will be pleased to arrange with reliable agents to represent at the auction any bidders who may find it,inconvenient to go to New L'lymouth. The Awakino clog trials take place on April 10th and 11th, and the programme, which ia a very attractive one, will appear in our columns at a later date. There are likely to be a number of visitors from Te Kuiti.