DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 241, 17 February 1911, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

(From Our Own Correspondents.) MAKETAW'A. The most extraordinary spell of S. to S.E. weather that we have, experienced during the past week has caused (ires to spread over a large amount of country, and though, perhaps a fair amount of temporary damage may be done or loss caused through grass being destroyed, the permanent good in wiping out rough places and clearing logs will result in a great saving of labor and capital. 1 have not heard, so far, of any damage being done to buildings, though several have had narrow escapes. The combined Norfolk and Durham schools held their annual seaside picnic on Friday last, and the youngsters (and oldsters, too) seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Several parties of the adults paid a visit to the petroleum works and expressed themselves as surprised and pleased at what they saw. The papers, of course, keep one fairly well informed on oil matters, but there's "nowt like seeing for tha' sell" At the meeting of the Durham School Committee held last week, a motion was unanimously agreed to in favor of the proposal to hold an amalgamated school excursion for the schools of the Inglewood district next year. This was the outcome of a request, per delegates to the School Committees' Association, to take the feeling of the individual members of each committee, and, given.proper management, there seems to be no reason why lnglewood should not have its seaside day in a manner; that should prove interesting to young and old. As j it is a new departure to what obtains at] present, it is to be hoped the matter will not be allowed to drop. The continued dry weather and cutting winds are playing ''old Harry" all round. What with the heat and ashes, smoke and dust affecting the grass, the cow declines to work, and consequently the supply of milk is going down with a run. Roads are eutting badly, creeks have dried up completely, and the rivers are the lowest they have been for years. Other years at this time very heavy dews were of great benefit tp the grass, but this season even that little seems to be denied us. Truly, the lot of the man on the land is anything but rosy at times. There is one thing that is being made more apparent every year, and that js the planting of breakwinds. Those sections exposed to the wind showits cutting power in a very marked mnn- ' ner. ■ '

WAREA. The Horticultural Society's show is now getting very close at hand. It is expected that there will be a verv largo entry this year if the weather.will only keep good. The show, though earlier than last year, still seems to be too late in the year. « Owing to the dryness of the grass, the milk supply at the local factory is decreasing very fast. One vat has been dispensed'with already, and unless we get some' rain soon there will hi no grass about, what with bush fires hi the backblocks and the hot and dry weather in the open country. The creeks' : are all drying up, and the rivers are lower than they have been for a number of years.

• The local school picnic was held on Wednesday of last week, there being a fairly large attendance of children and parents, but nobody from the top end of the Warea and Newell roads was down owing to the bush fires that were raging over the. whole country. Lunch was laid in the hall and heartily ed joyed. After lunch the chairman of the School Committee (Mr. M. D. Rogers) made a presentation of n book to each scholar, after which an adjournment was made to Mr. E. Aylward's paddock, where races and games were indulged in for the remainder of the afternoon. In the evening a social was held in the hall, and was largely attended. Mr. Knowles supplied the music. An extraordinary general meeting of suppliers of the Warea Dairy Factory Co. is called for Thursday to consider matters in connection with the dismissal of the Newall road creamery manager. A fairly warm meeting is expected.

KOIJ'L*. A bad accident happened at Mr. Simon's mill at the top of the Plymouth road on Saturday last. It appears the belt jumped the guard, and an employee named Carmichael attempted to put the belt back with his hand, which got caught between the belt and the pulh}y. Only for the prompt action of Mr. Viekers in putting a piece of wood between the belt and the pulley, Carmichael would have lost his hand/ He was taken to the hospital. Mr. Vickers received a nasty cut on the eye from the piece of wood Hying off the" pulley. ' Mr. R. A.'Wood, one of our best and most respected settlers, having sold his farms on the Plymouth and Hurford roads, was farewelled on Friday night. A number of Koru friends jouri'ievecF to Hurford road'to sav good'-bve to Mr. Wood. • '