King Country Chronicle Wednesday, March 18th, 1914 KING COUNTRY PROGRESS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 652, 18 March 1914, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, March 18th, 1914 KING COUNTRY PROGRESS.

The action of the WaiKato farmers in inaugurating a scheme for the establishing of a freezing works in the district is of special interest to this district inasmuch as the support of the King Country settlers is vitally necessary to the success of the project. That the establishing of an up to date freezing works in the Waikato is urgently necessary in the interests of the progress has been demonstrated repeatedly, and the co-operation of the King Country can be relied upon. The expansion of the districts mentioned during the past five years has been extraordinary, and the progress shown by the King Country during the period referred to is a striking indication of the advancement which may be expected to take place within the next decade. The balk of settlement in the district has but begun Few of the holdings now in occupation have been improved more than fifity per cent, of their capacity, while the percentage of idle land still to be brought under cultivation is very large. The manner in which the carrying capacity and production of the district is being extended is indicated by the statistics furnished by the Government Year Book. In 1912 the sheep in Waitomo County numbered 73,943 showing an increase during five years of 46,203, cattle had increased from 15,906 to abont 20,000, while the increase of dairy cattle was equally striking.. The figures for Kawhia in 1907 were 10,579, while in 1902 the number was 40,748, an increase of over 30,000. Awakino County shows a corresponding expansion the increase during the period mentioned being 32,099. In Ohura and West Taupo Counties, which are combined in the returns, the same record is maintained, the sheep increase being 44,060. The cattle returns for the Counties mentioned also show a substantial increase, though the most striking advance is in relation to dairy stock. The enormous strides made in the dairying industry in the district under serious disabilities are current history, and it requires little imagination to forecast a great future for this branch of farming. The returns referred to constitute a strong argument in favour of a freezing works for Waikato and the King County, and should inspire the promoters and the settlers generally with every confidence in supporting the movement. The further knowledge that the progress of the last few years in this district will, under favourable conditions, be entirely eclipsed by the advancement made during the next few years shojld inspire the settlers to united and vigorous effort in the procuring of the necessary conditions. The most important factor in the progress of any rural district is good , ropds, and with every additional facility towards successful farming in other respects the necessity for the ' best possible means of access to and from markets becomeß all the more urgent. !

Violent gales are raging in the West and South of England. A hundred houses have been unroofed at Queenstown, Ireland. It is officially announced that by Marconi's wireiess telephone two ships, 45 miles apart, held twelve hours, and un ; nterrupted communication.

Mr W. B. St. Ustis flatly contradicts the statement cabled from Auckland to Sydnsy that the Chicago Meat Company is extending its "operations to Australia. He denied any connection with the company.

At a court ball at Brussels last week a lady wore a very decollette gown. The King whispered to a marshal, who conducted her to a carriage, saying: "The King noticed that you have torn your dress. Return home and have the damage repaired."

Instructions have been issued by the Chief Surveyor to prepare a new scheme for the subdivision of the Crown lands on the right bank of the Wanganui river, near Taumaruuni. Wherever possible small areas suitable for workers'dwellings are to be laid off.

Sporting Life, discussing the practice at Putney, says: "Compared with the Oxonian's ponderous, jerky and irregular movements, the Cantabs were the very essence of neatness and grace." The Sportsman declares that Cambridge has a very big crew, and isat present faster than Oxford. The present season has shown great activity in tourist traffic to the Waitomo Caves and the accommodation house has been taxed tn its utmost. On Sunday last there were eighty six persons at dinner, and of this rumber seventy-six stayed at the botel on Saturday night. Mr W. G. Abbott, late of the Commercial Hotel, Te Awamutu, has now taken over the Ohaupo Hotel, and notifies the public by advertisement that the botel is being renovated throughout, and that the best brands of liquor are stocked and the best of accommodation is obtainable. Tha Victorian Minister for Education knocked down a wasp's nest the other day by making a Parliamentary statement to the effect that out of every 400 teachers who retired annually 300 were women, who left the service to be married. Whereupon the Victorian Lady Tesehers' Association vigorously and indignantly repudiated the charge on the grounds that uncontradicted, it would brand the department practically as a matrimonial agency Not content wth the usual feminine argument, they quoted statistics to further confound the Minister. They stated that of 271 teachers whG retired last year 95 Were men and 176 women; 20 of these were teachers of over 30 years' service, and inferentially beyond matrimony, while 60 were "junior" teachers, and while probably excellently quailfied for matrimony, were not qualified teachers. And so they held that on the facts it was evident that the majority of qualified women teachers had not left the service to be married.

Further information regarding the fatal accident at the Taranaki Horticultural Show ib supplied by telegram from New Plymouth. Alongside the Public Hall, where the show was taking place, was the shooting gallery conducted by the show authorities. An ordinary .303 Lee-Enfield service rifle, with Morris tubes attachment fixed, was used, and as a safeguard for the bullets a large bos filled with earth was arranged behind the target. It appears that young Jamas was skylarking with other lads in the hall, and that he ran out by the back entrance. No one noticed-any thing irregular, and the shooting continued until James was seen to stumble among the crowd of spectators and fall unconscious to the ground, \n examination of the range revealed the fact that where the box of earth, namely, in the immediate vicinity of the bullseye, dirt hole had been bored. Large numbers of the bullets had gone right through the box and through the two boards, which were also fixed in position. Bullet boles were to be seen in all directions along the back fence.