TE KAPUA NOTES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 201, 3 May 1915, Page 4

TE KAPUA NOTES

(Own Correspondent). i Heavy rain s have come at last and the creeks after a long nine months, are rushing down in full roar, and the country has a new appearance. All the sunny slopes had become 1 so dry and baked that the grass has in some cases been killed out and nothing but eart|h remains, and only in the shady gullies did grass survive to any appreciable extent; in fact, everywhere the ground seemed terribly parched and cracked underfoot. Most of our leading sages had decreed tlhat the heavvy firing of guns on the other side of the globe has been directly responsible for the 1 , scarcity, of. rain, but the problem now for them to solve i s why, after the most terrible bombardment by guns s-uctu as have never been heard world before, and quite recently—why this did not foster drought Conditions to an even more marked degre ! e, instead of the country now being deluged witjh welcome rains? A flood seems possible now, but there is no doubt a vast quantity of rain will be necessary to thoroughly soak the parched lands, and it goes withoht saying that immense benefit will ensue.

Stock generally are lopkjing Swell, ,-moreso the grown sheep and cattle, but as rains have been so long in coming and the 1 winter near at hand,grass will not recover as jit would a month or so back! Fronts have! been continual lately and settlers mad; begun to feel-anxious. , : . ' L. %»•»$«.

"'"Several settlers this season are reaping the benefits of rape and turnips with varying, success; and no doubt as time goes on a. considerable amount of fattening of stock will be done in Te Kapua.

'pile vicar reported mat us had appointed Mr C. Dymock as his warden. The balance shee and reports were adopted, as road, and several speakers spoke eulogislieally of the way t,he |books, etc., have been kept, ami other ' improvements made. ; Mr G. E. Little was nominated People's "aWrden, ana other candidates I withdrawing in his favour, he was declared elected. The following gentlemen, after # ballet,, were elected to the Vestry: Me'ssrs Jobliu, Mercer, Aldridge, Bashford, Loader, Carpenter, Piddick, S. Timbs. Currie and Fleet. Mr H. D. Bennett was re-elected auditor. Mr Mercer spoke appreciating!}' of the Sunday School report, and work generally, and moved a hearty vote of thanks to the vicar, superintendent and teachers for their self-sacrificing-work in the Sunday School. A special committee was set up, called the Social Committee, to arrange for winter social gatherings, and consists of Me'sdam'es Boydi, Basin, Little, Loughnan, and Messrs Jobiin. Parker .HenriChs, Sherwin and Loader. Th e singing of tjhe National Anthem and the closing Benediction brought a most successful meeting to a close. VICAR'S ANNUAL REPORT. April, 1915. My Dear Friends, —After some seven months' work in this parish I feel I can enter the new year .with every hope of being som euse to you. Though there is naturally very much to be desired in Church organisation and spirituality, the present signs go to show that these necessary improvements will shortly be accomplished. The chief work before me in the wintr will .be the prop-r preparation of candidates fo r Confirmation, wjhich will I begun shortly.

The perplexing problem of how to get about this parish satisfactorily is soon to be partly solved by the horse given by a friend from Mataroa. This Parish is large, and the town is growing so fast that it is quite impossible for one man to systematically visit everybody in addition to other • routine and spiritual work involved at f,he cjentre. Any shortcomings t/hat ypu may realise in this respect you will please 1 be good enough in the right category. The chief cause for comfort in my outlook in parochial affairs is the small but sincere band of men and women, who in some degree have realised that membership in Christ means sacrifice —Sacrifice that we feel, and that costs something; and the War, which looms so largely and so constantly before our minds will, sad though it may be, still further pres s home to us that sacrifice is only real when truly felt and gladly given.-

, Instead of spending so much time and energy in pointing the defects in persons and their work we must all try to fill up those gaps and provide what is wanting. No man is perfect, even are clergymen profivieht One is a good preacher, another, a good visitor, another a good scholar'and so forth while many of us ar e mediocre only. Will you therefore help with your labour/ sacrifice and prayer la mediocre clergyman, who is conscious of his infirmities and limita-. tion s !but who, at leost, desires to do good 'arid to be 1 good. I tljaak you one and all for all your kindrfes'ses to my wife my family, and mysejf. T praise you in God's name for. what lyqu have done that is good,,'aH.d I you, in Christ's name to do your sincere friend -and Vicar; ... I W. F. STENT.' '

remember anything said about Mr Wilkinson standing- down. Cress-examined by Mr Findlay, he said Rsed remarked that it would be worth ever so much to him if Wilkinson stood down. In an interview with Samuel s ho (witness) informed the hitter that if Wilkinson stood down his election expenses would be understood by the committee . JBP ;T: " to be formed of Reed's he might have said something' like it would be worth a great deal to Reed in conversation with Mr Endean. He (witness) might have said Reed was to pay. LIEUT.'-COLONEL McCLYMONT. CHARGED WITH THEFT. ■DUNEDIN, This Day. About two months ago Lieut-Colonel McClymont returned from Egypt in consequence of alleged irregularity in connection with Government funds.and of those of the 14th South Otago Regiment at Milton. As a result of investigations six informations for alleged theft of about £2OO have been laid against him, the charges will be beard before Mr Bartholomew, S.M., at Mil--ton on Thursday next. RAILWAY ACCIDENT. A SHUNTER KILLED. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Fred Saul, 27, married, was killed at Bealey Flat through being pinned "between railway trucks while shunting. THE WHEAT CROP. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. WELLINGTON, Thi s Day. The Hon. Mr Masscj? stated that the New Zealand wheat crop was likley to b e short this season. Southland had a - good crop, in Canterbury and Otago they had just about enough for their own requirements, but in tjhe North Island there was a serious shortage. He' had been asked to remove the duty on import s to De made from the United States and Chili, but he did not thinta it either necessary or <les|irable tocomply with that request. DIED AT SEA. DUNEDINN, This Day. A wireless message received says that Private Dan Bardsley, of the seeond reinforcements, who had been invalided home, died at sea on April 29.