OPUNAKE NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 94, 3 May 1900, Page 2

OPUNAKE NOTES.

(from our own correspondent.) Our long spell of fine weather has at last come to an end, and the rain-god is having an innings. Gales, accompanied by rain, are the order of the

month, and consequently the roads are in a delightful condition. Our City Fathers, however, have not been idle. The roads are to be seen to. An immense accumulation of stone from the river lies near the Waiauisi bridge; the engine in there and so is the stonecrusher, but, alas! the latter is silent lor want of swinging jaw. Curious, Mr. Editor! Irony of fate I suppose, but the only swinging jaw in the district that is likely to swing to any useful purpose is the only one that is silent! Then the bridge opposite the Post Office is being rebuilt, and the foundation laid afresh. This was a work that was badly wanted. 80 with a good road right through the town, and the other approach improved, our city will present a much improved appearance. But this is not all: we 1 are to have a new Post Office, a boon that we have long yearned for. Also some buildings have gone up in the town itself. Mr. Prennan has erected * new and commodious building in the main street, and Mr. Hills has built a bakery and oven close to the same thoroughfare. Mr. Taylor is building a new residence for himself near the town, so that altogether our little port is decidedly progressing. The footballers have commerced operations, and no doubt they will render as good an account of themselves as they did last season. Football has its uses other than the mere excitemebt of the game, tt is on our hard-fought football fields that the real h-ssons of discipline are taught: the power to endure silently, the pluck to play a loning game and not whine, to win and not blow about it. Also what we call combination, which means disolpl'me: to know how to go on your own attd yefc to pLiy ucsollishly. All these things are to be learnt at real tootball. The Duke of Wellington wisely said that Waterloo was won on I the playgrounds of iCngland, and J have no doubt that our own Contingents owe much of their success to the ljsson learnt, on our piny-grounds hero. Wherefore, 1 say, " Goiu, my lads, and 1-jai-u to play the. ;/,<,«:," bo it the game ot football or the gamo of life and death they are much alike.

J'tw moetiug to olct a Committee wa,s hold on Monday night last. Tho attondanre wus puor m°tha extreme; iu fuel, it wau with difficulty that tho requisite Ecvea wore got together, but eventually a good representative) Committee wore elected. Tue Clerk read ihe balance-sheet, and showed that the ' c tpitation was by no means Rullicimit co keep so large a school in nroner repair. The report stated that tU work for tho year had been satisfacfcoi y. Since writing the abovr, I hear that tho swinging jaw has arrived, and is viguuNHiwry chewing up some ortstty tough, sioas, '' !