RANGIWAEA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 76, 28 November 1914, Page 3

RANGIWAEA.

(Our wOn Correspondent.) Mr. Smith, M.P., delivered an address at the hall on Wednesday, November IS, there being a good attendance of the settlers. Mr Speed will address the electors in the hall on Wednesday, December 3, at 7.30. On Friday. November 20, the Black and White plain and fancy dress ball was held, a good number of dancers being present. The music was played by Mrs. Arthur at the piano. The supper arrangements were in (he capable hands of Mesdamee Frew, Pedersen, and Carroll and though fancy dresses were conspicuous for the most part by their absence, all voted the dance a great success. To-night (Friday) the Hall Committe have arranged to hold a hard-up ball. This is the first dance of its kind here, and should, if only for the novelty, result in a good attendance. The committee wish it to bo understood that anyone attending in evening dress will be mulched in the sum of 2s Gd to go towards the Belgian Fund. The event of the dancing season, however, is still to come. This, the bachelors’ ball, has been arranged tor Friday, December 4. The catering will be all that can be desired, and the committee are assured that it will easily eclipse any previous event of its kind. All are invited, no charge being made for admission. A meeting called some time ago to make arrangements for the school picnic was very poorly attended, some five ladies only being present. It was decided, your scribe believes, to hold the gathering on Boxing Day, in Mr. W. Stfachan’s grounds. How many of us fail to see why the' school committee whose duty it is to arrange for such functions, should trespass on Mr. Straehans generosity to the extent of making; a public (recreation ground of his paddock. This when the committee are in possession of a practically ideal picnic ground in the centrally situated school grounds. If the picnic were held in the latter place \ny improvements made in the way of preparing the ground would be so much towards beautifying the children’s daily environment. Then again, surely a more suitable day could have been chosen. A school picnic can hardly deserve such a title if the teacher is absent. His place is with the children on their gala day. On such a day too, he can get more closely into touch with the parents of his youthful charges, and this in itself is a very necessary essential for the back-blacks pedagogue. So why Boxing Day?

The weather continues dry and the few light showers experienced fail to satisfy What is wanted badly is a <ccd soaking rainfall of a week to euible us to look forward without misgiving to the approaching summer. A very heavy earthquake, lasting about 90 seconds, was felt last Sunday at 7.46 p.m. No damage was done, though the severity of the shock caused many to seek refuge ’neath the open canopy of heaven fearing the pos. sibility of being buried beneath the walls of their homes. Shearing has commenced in earnest many of the settlers having completed. It is expected all will be finished by Christmas. It is rumoured that some opposition is contemplated towards the action of the road board in sanctioning the erection of two gates on the Waiuruhe Road. It is said that the sites of these gates are at dangerous curves on the thoroughfare and if such is the case it behoves the engineer to see that they are shifted, if already erected, to more suitable situations. However, now that this road is open right through, it i s not too much to expect that the property in question be fenced as early as possible, or at all events that the gates are not allowed to be permanent institutions.