WAIORONGOMAI. [From oue own Correspondent.] Waiorongomai, Thursday.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 402, 14 September 1889, Page 2

WAIORONGOMAI. [From oue own Correspondent.] Waiorongomai, Thursday.

very boisterous weather was experienced here on Saturday last. The wind blew hard from the east, accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain. The trestle work o» the Company's water race, north, was carried away. Ihis portion of the water race lias given trouble frequently in the past, in fact, nearly every winter - a slip has occurred about the same place. The damage on this occasion, however, was repaired by Tuesday last, and the water a^ain turned on, A small slip also occurred on the tramway) but was sooii cleared away. Tlip revorberatory furnace temporarily ceased operations, on Saturday night, but started work again on Tuesday morning. Concerning the water jacket I think I may safely say that a start will be made next week, everything \ apparently being now ready, ami it only requires the order to be given to light up. An iron stand has been erected close to the furnace, for thepurpose of supporting the iron moulds, into which the molten metal will be run, and by a simple contrivance the moulds are made to revolve, so that when the metal has cooled the mould is reversed, and the ingot or pig Falls to the ground, ond the m'onld at once returns to its original position. A petition, praying that the Waiorongomai township be not included in the proposed Te Aroha Borough, has been taken round for signature during the week, and I- understand that sdieady about eighty bona-fide resident householders' signatures have been attached to the petition ; and as soon as all those have signed .who desire to .do* -so, the petition will be forwarded to Wellington for presentation in due* coarse. Mr G. J. Lawlor, of Thames, is at present on a visit here. He is travelling this time in the interests of the A;M.IP. Society ; and his suave manner and gentlemanly bearing invariably accord him a hearing, even if " the taking of a life" does not always follow. So' far, I understand, he has been fairly successful, but I hope to hear of his taking many more 'scalps' before he leaves. ! Waiorongomai School Committee : The monthly meeting of the School" Committee was held in the school room on Monday evening last. Present : Messrs Baskett (chair), Beeson and Orr. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were read and confirmed. The teacher reported that the number on the roll for the past month was 103 ; average attendance, 67. In his report he complained that some of the children were very irregular in- their attendance, and stated that he had written to their parents about the matter. The Chairman stated that the Committee had done all they could to secure bbttfr attendance. They bad reasoned with the parents time after time about the matter, with the result that for a couple of weeks the attendance would be fairly good, but after that it used to fall back again to the old style. " In his opinion enforcing the compulsory clauses of the Education Ant was not desirable, savouring too much of intimidation; if, however, the attendance was not better during the next month, something certainly wo,uld have to be done with a view of increasing it. \ >' The matter then dropped. With reference to Mr Graham's proposal, that a return be furnished of all children attending the school under five years of age, the head teacher wrote as follows : <f To the best of my knowledge .there are no children attending the school under five years, nor have there been. I have always made it a rule to send home children under age who come to school. There never has been any child under five on the roll. On rare occasions a child under age may come with an elder sister "or brother, but such cases are exceptional, and are discouraged." 1 The following accounts were passed for payment: — . Bnsham (glazing), 6s; J. 'Hawkins (trees), Ll ; W. S, Collins (goods), 5s lid ; Te Aroha S, and G. Mining Company (timber supplied), 7s 2d, This was all the business. I