WAIAU PA.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 213, 29 September 1916, Page 1

WAIAU PA.

There is an old and trite saying : "Happy is the country that has no histoiy." If that is so, Waiau Pa should be a happy place to reside ih, as Waiau Pa has not had much of its history chronicled in the "Times' 1 of late. Ami yet it is tnakiug history every duy—a hntory of progress and development which compares more than favourably with any other surrounding district. Land that was despised and considered worthless some ten years ago is now selling tor £2O an acre and for practically speaking all purposes such as potato growing, dairying, etc., is equal in every respect to the best of Pukekohe. ifuiue time back Mr Paoey, the Managing Director of the Dairy Association, visited this district and had a very satisfactory meeting of suppliers. The result of the meeting was that the whole district has now settled down to home separation, the cream being carted out to Pukekoho and the creamery closed for good. The season promises to be an excellent one, and it is to bo hoped that a portion of the monoy received for butterfat will go back into the land in the shape of phosphates, irrespective of price. Despite the fact that every single man in this district, worth considering in that respect, is now at the front lighting to defend the Eiupiro and his own mother and sisters from Hun frighti'ulness, wo still manage to scrape up a social or dance at our Public Hall, the younger lads, who are not of age for service yet, taking the place of their brothers manfully in this respect. "Mr J. W. McLoriu, sour., of Kainui Estate, has staitoi ploughing some vory rough gorse couutry with a 20-b h.p. International tractor. The tractor is working a three-furrow Massey-Harris disc plough, and is doing vory good work, far ahead of horses for this class of work. Mr McLarin supplies the information that in reasonably level country ho is quite conlident the tractor will haul fivo furrows in ordinary fern country; but it requires 6ix horses to haul two furrows in this gorse country, and then it is distressing work for them on account of the roots.

Mr Jos. Clark will have two milking machines running on Lis farm this season, and in fact is running them now. Milking machines, and their natural compliment, motor cars, are very evident now in this dis'rict —not bad for the despised Waiau Pa. It is hard to understand why some of the far-seeing Pukekohe merchant '' Princes "did not purchase some of the beach sections offered for sale some time back, by Mr I. Clark. With the crowding out on the Auckland harbour—" the beautiful W*temata," as every patriotic Aucklander names it—the Manukau harbour beaches will be in demand. When the Waikato river is turned into the Manukau harbour and electric launches are running on it at all times, the retired merchants of Auckland will be hunting out the health-giving beauty spots on the Manukau, and then Pukekohe and Waiuku will not have a look in.

Settlers here are hoping that the railway will soon be completed to Patuaialioo so tliey cau give that long-sighted lira, the Northern Steam Ship Co., a spoil. Roturn fares by their boat to Onehunga six yoars ago were Us from Wuiau Pa ; they are now 10s. The less passenger traJiic the higher the fares go. Doubtless that is sound business, and when the railway is comploted and there is no traiiic by the boats, it is to bo assumed as a logical conclusion that tho fares will be up to, say, a '"liver."