DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 186, 28 July 1908, Page 4

DISTRICT NEWS.

WAREA. (From Our Own Correspondent). The dance held here on Wednesday nighC in aid of tin; liall funds, was fairly well patronised. The music was supplied by .Mrs. S. Sefton, and the extras by -Miss .M. Francis. At midnight supper was handed round and much appreciated. -Mr. T. E. Larking acted as M.0., and carried out his duties in his usual efficient manner. Daneiii"! was kept going until the early hours of Thursday morning. The sum of £1 odd was taken at the door. A meeting of the Warea branch'of the N.Z.F.I'. ivas held on Saturday. A fair number was present, .Mr. Ilnig'-.s presiding. A meeting was held in the library room on Saturday evening to consider the proposal of giving a farewell to .Messrs. X <iuy anil F. Bonnie, who are both leaving the district within a week or two. A fair number of young people was present, including nieinliers of the Warea Defence ('lull, Sports Club, and Okato Football Club. It was decided that a smoke concert be given on AugI list 4th.

The return rifle match bi!tween Kaitake and Warea was lired at the Warea range on Saturday. The weather was fairly line, but the. light wa„ very bad, and some very poor scores were the re-

suit. The Kaitake men managed to defeat Warea by 2!) points, the scores | being—Kaitake 505, Warea 470. The visitors, were entertained at lunch -m the ground, and after the shouting they were entertained at tea in the hall. Football was thought to be just about dead here, but with Okato having been awarded the protest against Opunake, they will now go in for training, being the winners of the cup for the Western Division. They will want all the pracI tice they can get before they meet the winners of the northern division.

PUXGAREIIU. A LIGHT COASTAL RAILWAY. • After the liarbo? moe'ting (reported elsewhere) on Friday evening, Mr W. 11. Keasbcrry put before the meeting a scheme for a light railway from New Plymouth to Opunake. Taking the area as 40 miles long and four miles wide, it is equal to 102,400 acres, at Is per acre. This would produce .1:51,200. To attain £51,2-00 would entail applications of 10s per acre from the owners of 102,400 acres, or instead of taking application's from land two miles only on ' each side of the. lines or main road, they could make it four miles on each side. This would give, an area of -10 miles long and eight miles wide, equal to 20-t,-800 acres, say at. 5s per acre, would produce £51.200, or £2-5 worth of shares from the. owner of 100 acres. In Mr. Keasberry's opinion, it would si ill be a good bargain. For instance, taking a 100-acre dairy farm at the present value, say £lO per acre, equal to £IOOO contributions in shares at 5s per acre, making £25. They had to estimate a probable, increase in value of the said farm by proximity to steam train or light railway. For safety, he thought lie was not overdoing it by putting the extra value at £4 per acre, which ou the 100 acres would amount to £4O", and if they wished to write off the £25 worth of shares in the scheme, as a bad debt, the owner of the farm would still have the extra value of his land, or a profit of £375, 37*/s per cent, increase on the first value of tint farm, not to mention the advantages of cheaper freights, cheaper fares, and better facilities' for travelling. tCsVturally. fiOme farmers would then be able to get ectaiji classes of produce, such as potatoes, oats, etc., to n profitable mark't, which at present was impossible on account of the excessive cost of carriage. Willi inch facilities there would naturallv be an increase in population. In fact. tie. proposed tramway or light railway would create for itself more freight and pa.-scnger trallie than that existing at present. An accident happened at Pungarelni on Tuesday night that might have proved fatal. As two young men were going home from a euchre party, galloping as hard as they could, they ran over three young ladies who were walking home. I line of the ladies escaped injury, while the other two were, knocked about conI sidorablv, necessitating medical attendance. After this the two horsemen ran into a trap (the occupants l*'ing a brother of each of the horsemen) and capsized it, smashing the splash boards off. and causing a few other light damages. It is understood that action will be taken against the parties in question.