MORRINSVILLE

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4393, 1 April 1909, Page 3

MORRINSVILLE

(Own Correspondent)

This'rapidly rising town, which is shares in the general prosperity of the couutry, has indeed made great advancement sit C 3 the Assets Board cut np the Lockerbie Estate into handy sized farms. There now being upwards < f thirty families, besides their employees, where before only half - a - dozen permanent hands and a few casuals Weie employed. The land is easily cultivated, and real good returns are obtainable with proper working. The 1 fat lambs turned off local pasture are as • good as any in the market, while a large proportion of the meat required on the Goldfields is fattened in this district and local exhibitors always manage to be well up in the list of awards at the neighbouring shows in all classes of stock. Considerable amount of development work bps be“n carried out in the district. Messrs Chapman have during the past two years made upwards of 40 miles of drains on the Motumaho Block, and their enterprise is fast being repaid as the land is already proving splendid dairying country, This tstate now has seven families residing on it and doing well, where formerly it was worked by a manager and one man with an occasional contractor. Mersrs Harbottle and Co., have also broken in a large area of what was once considered poor land, on the Hills, towards Tauwhare. 'The land grows clover readily, some fiue crops being seen there during the present season. A flaxmill was erected on the border of a flax swamp, and it is working continuously. To the smth ol Morriusville, is a large. area of Native land, on which practically no cultivation is done and is acting as a harbour for rabbits and weeds, whereas a large number of settlers could find a home on the land if it could only be dealt with in some satisfactory manner, and would greatly increase the business of the town.

What strikes a visitor, on arrival by express from Auckland or Rotorua as the case may be, is the large amount of frame, through the railway station, five trains arriving within a few minutes of each other, and the out-of-dite arrangements of dealing with the traffic, it being impossib’e to see the full length of a train, of any length, owing to the curves, and the matter of getting to and from the platform is attended with considerable risk. A strip of land on either side of the railway t > the west of the present yard, was surveyed and the owners requested to name the price required, beyond that nothing has been done although over a year has ja-sed since the landowners were approached on the matter. In view of the progress made, it was decided that the time had come f. r a body to be elected to look after the welfare of the town generally and about a year ago the Morrinsville Improvement Committee was formed and as a resuit of their labours Morrinsville was declared a Town District, and a Boa-d was duly elected and although not yet a year m power the Board has effected a vast amount of improvements. The vexed question of forming the roads was settled s itisfactorily with the Bank of New Zealand and the work put in hand at -once. We have now a number of streets formed which before only existed on paper. The telephone has Deed installed and is proving a boon to busiuess men ar,d the settlers at a distance. The peimanent levels of the streets have been taken thereby giving residents a basis to work on when building. A comprehensive scheme of drainage has been pltnned, the first section of which is ulr*-a,dy under course ot construction. A giant has been obtained from the Government for the work while the administration of the Boards affairs have been carried out with very little expense. The ratepayers are indeed f.rtunate in having a man with the Chairman’s knowledge of law. m the chair, thus saving a amount in legal expenses, which arc always heavy with newly-formed local bodies

The Town Board has also promoted a '■ pe ‘7 lon > the setfing aside of a portion of the Native lands as a recreation reserve and water supply site 1 here is a splendid water-fall on the property from which plenty of power could be derived for lighting the town, a needed btS &t present being badly _ to .' vn is singularly unfortunate in I Sr U, K . a bribing space of any kind where the children can go without, trespassing on private property. The soriff 11 - fe Weß t(>the fore with all wraid iMttotaoM. A very successful S“ Ce Clas ? haq just been com- - Bevnfc«i e t amlnati ° n P r P vin gth a t Dr, Seville s labours were thoroughly ET- • - The recently " re £ emn K hearty support and £nd th! v° fl< ? uris hing institution, and the budding m contemp'ation of erection, will fill a long felt want of providing a meeting room for Club “- berS , Th .° public are fortunate in having a well-stocked library tl? e 7o d !.? oSal for the Bmall subscrip tion of Js 6d per half year. The Library Committee, with a view to the providing of a suitable building in the future, have qeen placing a sum to the credit of the £§o S fUDd ’ Whicb is now close on

The various religious bodies are well supported, a resident minister having been appointed to take charge of the nglican Church, the ladies of which are busy woikjng for a fancy fair to be held some time in June for the purpose of providing funds to build a vicarage. The VVesleyan pody are seriously considering the advisability of enlarging their present building, with the increasing population it becomes uncomfortably crowded on specml The ladies connected with the Catholic Church are organising a social for Easter Monday, to augment Their building fund, the services being at present held in the Phoenix Hall. The Friendly Sfteiefies have also got a footing in the town. The M.U. Order of Oddfellows have opened a lodge here and are doing good wark, having a membership of upwards of forty the meetings being well attended. The Masonic brethern decided during the past year that the time had arrived for the establishment of a lodge, so with their characteristic enterprise at once set about building a hall and in due course it was completed and the lodge opened. Members of the faternitv from all parts of the attended the dedication ceremonv. The Post Office, which is in course of erection, will be an ornament to the town, as well as a great convenience, being situated in a central position. The substantial class of residences which adorn the town show that their owners have every confidence in the future of the town, and. without a doubt it is not misplaced, as with the healthy situation and the large amount of

surrounding country yet to be settled. This being the natural centre there is a prosperous future- before the town and as the local business firms can supply everything that a settler requires, there is every likelihood of Morrinsville being one of the principal distributing centres south of Auckland.