THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, 10 February 1919, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is not unlikely that Lieut. Clutha Mackenzie, the blind son of the High Commissioner, will stand for an clec- | torate on this coast at next general election. —‘ ‘Feeding Star. ’ ’ The Levin Methodist Sunday ,Seliool anniversary services were held yesterday, and were most successful.'-*The singing, "under the baton of Mr H. Walker, was a special feature of tho services. Another bright entertainment was hold at the Otaki seaside resort on Friday, when local‘talent .was well to the fore. Visitors also greatly contributed to the harmony of the evening. The next reunion is being eagerly looked forward to. Many people who patronise the Otaki beach will be pleased lo know that tho beach end. of Tasman road is to be fur? i liter improved, a.nd the drifting sand j attended to. Such attention is neees- ! sary, and it is hoped no time will be ! lost in the matter.

j The value of land in this district is j shown by the fact that the Hdrowhcnua County Council has agreed to purchase ! i ••• o acres near Otaki from Mr Hcma to J An for a gravel reserve at £.IOO per I acre. The Council was offered live i acres at £B.O per acre,‘but it was agreed this area was not required. A cheque for £lO was passed at | Saturday’s meeting of the Horowbenua County Council, the amount being due to Otaki boys for the collection of birds’ eggs for the season. The amount trill lie supplemented at the next meeting when an account for fur- ■ (her eggs will be considered. Tobraleo—beautiful serviceable to* tralco- —is what Stiles and Matheson arc offering to-day at their sale at about - half the usual price generally paid for this splendid cotton material. This is only one of the special sale oilers. Read their advertisement in this paper. It was stated by the chairman stt the Horowhenua Council meeting on Saturday that: during the last tl’ree years there had been a decline in the dog tax collection, chief among the reasons

I)i ing that men were on active service, and that the price of dug-food was too high to permit of some canines being Kept. According to Or Droa-lbelt there is a by’road in his riding (Wirokino) which will take some heating. He considers it: the worst piece of thoroughfare in the Dominion, which is saying a lot. He also emphasises the point that it was impossible to take it wdman over it wile.-m alio was securely packed. The engineer pointed out that lack of labour was the cause of the trouble. Mr Tailored Cooper, organiser for the Manauatu sub-provincial scheme of the Farmers’ l.'nion. advertises a further

series of meetings to tie held during this montls. Ou Saturday next, nt !.">»• p.m., Mr W. .T. Poison will deliver nn address on the political position in Queensland, and farmers arc specially invited to attend this meeting at Palmerston Monk. The work of asphalting the Otaki traffic bridge will be put in hand almost immediately. The delay has been

caused by the holding up of shipping at Australian ports, where a million and a-Quarter feet of timber tor New Zealand had been hung up tor some time. Pending the arrival of necessary timber the crossing span will not be constructed for the time being. About 3df'f! rains were offered at the Foilding fair, but buyers did not ap,pear vorv eager, and the bidding dragged at times. The highest price of the <loy was 03 guineas lor a stud Rom* uey, which was sold on behalf of Mr sv] Gibson, Iviwitea. The next best was 51 guineas for a stud Romney vended bv Mr P. Mungavin, of Porirua. The best price for floc-k Romneys was 21 guineas, sold on behalf of Mr R. Tanner (Longburn). Blackball miners at Friday night’s meeting decided to resume work and refer the matters in dispute- to the local j disputes’ tribunal. Accordingly the I “go slow” tactics were conspicuous bv their absence, and she output of c-oai was up to normal. The disputes' tribunal representing -the management and miners meets probably on Tuesday to adjudicate on the miners’ “fourteen points.” whereon the grievances arc based. It is now hoped that the dispute will bo amicably settled. Speaking at the Farmers’ Futon meeting at Otaki on Friday night. Mr Tanered Cooper Torganiserjusaid he had been asked why he had secured Air Field’s services, Mr Field (member for the district) having attended several of the initial meetings. Mr Cooper said" he had not requested Mr Field to

attend. That gentleman, as member for a farming community, naturally took a keen interest in the Farmers’ Union movement, and the speaker thought he had only done his duty by attending the meetings, and making himself acquainted with what was being done. Mr Cooper said he thought it unfair for people to say that Mr Field had only taken part in the movement in order to further his political interests.