AN OCCASIONAL LETTER.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 67, 31 January 1918, Page 2

AN OCCASIONAL LETTER.

Never before has the business portion of the Matamata township presented such an animated appearance as since a few days after the New Year. At the latter time everything seemed as dull as ditch-water and then, within a few days, lo and behold what promises to be the best block of shops in Matamata was commenced. A few minutes before commencing .this letter Matamata's optimist strolled into the office with many statements as to future palatial —no, not palatial —stately buildings to be commenced shortly. All this demonstrates the fact that the residents and settlers are now fully aware of the possibilities of the town and district which is good for all. If what the informant says (given in confidence) is correct, then a lighting scheme will be an absolute nec?ssity in the very near future. Writing of a lighting scheme brings to mind a conversation of a few days ago when we • were congratulated on having advocated a water scheme. The other party said it was a " very fair " leader (never more than fair) but " didn't we think it was a bit premature." His argument was that the first thing Matamata wanted was a municipal brewery. Perhaps Mr F. Nathan had this in mind when he stated some time ago that he was asking the New Zealand Dairy Association suppliers to convey their milk to a " Glaxo" factory, not a brewery. Ah old fellow walked into the " Record" office the other day, " just for a chat," he said. He was a bit of a crank for figures and asked the scribe whether a farmer would be better off by paying straight out for a set of shoes or arranging to pay a farthing for the first shoe of thirty-two, and doubling up each time. The scribe thought right as to which would be the cheapest, but his guess that the farmer would save a few hundred by paying straight out proved very wide of the mark. One {Sunday I worked it out and found that by the doubling process it would just cost £4,465,738 18s for one set of shoes. Which reminds me of a statement made that if a punter invested £5 on a £5 dividend horse at a race meeting and put all on each time on five winners, paying the same amount of dividend (£5) he would be able to sit on the stand and know that he had the rest of the punters practically broke. His winnings, so it is said, would be £78,120. Anniversary Day, 1918, has passed and by most of us in this district will not be remembered. Except that the shops were closed it was like any other "old week-day," with the same people and the same conversation. Certainly thore was a small private picnic to the springs and a few of the more energetic struggled down to the tennis courts. It seems strange that some sttempt at the organisation of the people for recreation purposes is not made in the township. All work and no play is not good for man, or woman, because it tends to make them too much self-centred. On the other hand, those who seek excitement are tempted to goilelsewhere to places that are not desirable. A sports gathering, or monster picnic, would be the very thing in Matamata for a day such as that just passed. "TREBLA"