DISTRICT NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 349, 29 March 1910, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS

(From Our Own Correspondents.) WAITARA ROAD. The annual school and settlers' gathering took place last Tuesday in Mr. Andrews' paddock, adjoining the school. Although a cold wind was blowing, vae ground was finely sheltered by the cur* rounding trees. The attendance was well up to the average of former years, though several families were absent, through the death of Mrs. Alf Rowe, of Waitara, whose funeral took place that afternoon. Mr. Rowe will have the sympathy of the whole distr.ct in his sad bereavement. During the afternoon the children were well catered for with races, etc., every child receiving a prize of some sort. There Tver# also several scrambles of lollies, donated by Mr. Bockbessinger. of Waitara.

At 3 o'clock the children made off to the hall, where tea wis provided for them. The adults afterwards sat down to tea.after which the sports ground vra«i a-gain made for, and the following events were got off: — Girls' Race—Oka Totara 1, Ruby Old 2, Louisa Smith 3. Yonng Women's Race —Eva \>etts 1, Ivy Giddy 2, Afic« Bennett 3. Married Women's Race—Mr*. L. Andrews 1, Mrs. Herrick 2, Mrs. Hall 3. Young Men's Race—N. Day 1, A. Rpergo 2.* L. Langman 3.

Married Women's Race (priae, n quarter of mutton, donated by Mr. P. »>. Opensihaw) —Mrs. Giddy 1. Married Men's' Race —F. Sampson 1. L. .laidrews 2, J. Patau 3. I Married Men's Race (prize, a quarter of mutton, donated by Mr. P. 0. Openshaw)—J. Patau 1. 1 Consolation Race —D. Giddy I,F. LovJ eridge 2, C. J,. Mcßeth 3. I Tug-of-War, married' v. single ladles—- ! Won by single. Tug-of-War, married v. single men— Won liy married. The day wound up with a dance in tihe hall, dancing being kept up till j

about 1.30 a.m. Mr. N. Day contributed a couple of songs, Miss Ivy Giddy presided at the piano, and Mr. S. Sarfcen acted as M.C. ; TONGAPORUTU.

I The s'.s. Pitoitoi is due here early on i Thursday morning with a cargo of telephone poles for the Okau-Rerekapa extension. A gang of men is already on i fhis route, clearing the trees, etc. Tne telephone will go the Kiwi road, but as only a mil'e or so of this road is formed, a portion of the road has to t>e cleared of trees, etc. On Easter Monday our Kotara neighbors are' having a picnic, and in the evening a social is to be held in the new addition to Sheehv Bros.' store. The oil launch Kotahi is about to i take up the running in here, and may be expected in with the first load early in April. | There seems to be some dissatisfaction ■with regard to the freight charges. I

am told that the charges from Waitara I to Awakino are £1 per ton, while from : Waitara to Tongaporutu they are 255. and that in connection with the last trip they were raided another 2s fid. I i cannot understand this differentiation, i The Pitoitoi can leave Waitara early on ' the tide, come in h<>re., discharge 15 to 20 tons of cargo, and go out again on the same tide. This cannot be done | with Awakino. as the distance will not (permit of it. If the extra charge were placed on the Awakino ran, I coould ' understand the difference. I The cricket match, Tongapomtu ». Uruti resulted in the Uruti team waning hv 15 runs. , 23/3/10. TIKORAMtI. The death' at a comparatively «wrlj age of Mrs. Alfred Ttowe, of Waitara, oame as a paitfful shock to her many . friends in this district,' where she was ' a general favorite, and .the greatest sympathy is expressed for the bereaved i husband and children, and also for her ' mother, Mrs. 'L'elfar. i Divine service was held' in St. Luke's Church on Good Friday evening, and a powerful sermon was preached by the Rev. J. B. Brockleliurst. Very deep re- : gret is manifested at the approaching ! departure of Mr. Brecklehurst for Whangarei.

| It appears from the tone of certain eorrespondenee of a local paper that the I memory of the mighty Protector, Oliver i Cromwell, yrill, after all, survive the onslaught made, which is a source of great satisfaction, for probably the most disappointing tiling that can happen to those of us who are leaving youth behind i* to find boyish ideals roughly and rudely shattered. ; S'r Robert Stout is reported to be alarmed at the drift of population to the town, and considers efforts should be made to arrest what under present conditions is a very natural movement. Considering that he is reputed to be the real author of Mr. McXab's notorious Land Bill, it would, perhaps, not be impertinent to ask if Sir Robert during h : s political career ever used 'his power* I to .further the interests of the country i *ettler or ever endeavored to make country life more attractive. Possibly Sir j Robert will now, at the eleventh hour, ' acknowledge that the alleged advantages of the leasehold system, which he used to so strongly advocate, are after all only a myth and a delusion. Tf this should be the> result of his trip to

Europe it will not have been taken in rain, although he would certainly have arrived at the same.conclusion had he taken up a bush section in the hack aountry and strictly .observed the residential clause.

In connection' 'with the, question of land settlement, the opinion of an Englishman who is now travelling through the Dominion may be worthy of puhMe'ty. He says: "From what I can >«e — and I have been practically all over the North Island—-yon have one of the finest countries on earth, .but it is most remarkable that you should be squabbling; over tenures. Why, .it would pay the country handsomely were the Government to cut up this waste land into moderate-A'ized holdings and givt them to any bona fide settlers who eould make them productive, care, of course being taken to guard against undue aggregation." The working of our military system was apparently thrown out of gear by' th<e visit of the great Field-Marshal. Friction with the civic force at Dunedin and th° contretemps at Auckland, wken certain personages were lost, did not imbue us' with any great respect or faith in our defend? department, and now it i« whispered that the real reason why the sham-fight at Johnsonville was so •uddenly eoncluded was because the department "forgot the ammunition." HisI tory seems to show that one of the | priced to be paid for a democratic form •f «of»rament is military ineptitude.