DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 79, 20 August 1912, Page 6

DISTRICT NEWS.

LOWER MANGOREI. • (From our ow« correspondent.) There lias been little of special public uterest amongst us of late to detach or listurb the neighborhood's daily routine

from pursuing the even tenor of its ways. All have been, with good reason, joyous over the past few days of sunniness. Rubbish fires have been sending up into | the clear air many beacon signs that' must be gratifying to the vigilant eye of the district noxious weeds inspector, whose authoritative "persuading" powers act so stimulatingly in getting done much clearing-up work in the paddocks. During these few days of brightness Taranaki's monarch of Egmont hal been ' showing his regal form posed in full j majestic splendor and isolated grandeur; I his spotless mantle of sheening crystalline beauty, softly marked and figured by shaded depressions into folds of falling drapery—a robe unique and inimitable. Occasional aspects of Mount Eg- j mont are simply sublime. Responding as its appearance does to every changing atmospheric conditions, it offers to the interested observer a series of charming scenes and studies. What could be more absorbing than to watch the great masses of cloud-shadow flung across the mountain's lower slopes and foot, travelling with the passing clouds like vast mobile living things, as they steal over ( ridges'and undulations with insinuating] movement, disclosing here and there between cloud-mists and cloud shadows, sunny vistas of standing bush, or clearings and suggestions of away-back homesteads? Now a?d again, too, a seg- ■ ment 6f a rainbow's arc will impart, its, scale of luminous color to tlie scene, as if gracious signs were being given in S approval of and encouragement to man's courageous work done in the ba«kblocks; consolingly reminding the strenuous toilers that, though removed from' centres of man's creations, they are still in close touch with the centre of Nature's creation, which radiates upon town and country alike. Go ahead, brave settler and pioneer! We haven't had enough of your sort yet Get out of the town, you young and healthy fellows, whilst youth and health ar« yours, and receive the blessings of fresh air and sunshine upon, your activities! Take up axe, firebrand and seedsower, and your grateful harvest will come to you in due time, even though it be, perchance, deferred. . Of late, each successive month has brought change to the Lower Mangorei school's teaching personnel. Within the three months immediately past Miss Mead has departed, Mr. Cyril Arthur has been temporarily appointed, and now we have Miss Hamcrton installed, and in whom it is hoped we have to welcome a settled, contented and permanent teacher. Tlhese frequent changes in teacher-; ! ship are disconcerting-Httke"" *t<s teaoher and scholar. Occasionaly this state of things would seem to be unavoidable, with the Education Board's almost' chronic dilemma, owing to dearth of teachers, and especially those competent and fully qualified. - Possibly early steps will be taken to amend this educational disadvantage, now that suggestions and recommendations are the outcome of the recently - appointed Education Commission. Assuming tfrat a teacher be sincere, zealous and devoted to his or her important calling, there is considei'able drain upon vitality entailed in controlling a pommunity of children; and imparting' knowledge with zeal means, to some: extent, parting with a -measure of one's energy, and giving off some character force, the latter being very essential for scholars to acquire over and' above mere cramming of "subjects" of the syllabus. To obtain improvement in numbers and qualifications of teachers, better inducements must be offered by the Education Department. By the way, a casualty occurred lately near the school premises. One of the boy scholars, residing with and under 1 the care of a farmer in the vicinty, had been again and again cautioned about rash riding in mad career, up hill and down dale, along the public road on his way to and from school. Fellow-schol-ars had been often scattered with a sense 1 of danger and dread as this young tearahead had urged his galloping mount to still greater speed amidst them. (it may easily have been over them). The warnings to the wilful youth were, however, disregarded too long. A broken-kneed horse and a broken-armed boy in hospital is the consequence. This experience may, in its unhappiness, at least have the effect of bfing an object lesson to the sufferer and others that will be heeded in the future, where mere verbal admonishment hitherto has altogether' failed.

Yet one more mishap that befel two' local residents last Saturday week, near the four-mile peg oti the Junction road, which might have involved more hospital treatment. Your "own correspondent" inspected the spot on the morning fol-

lowing the mishap, and noticed on the town side wheel-mark evidence of over-; night erratic driving. A trap was on the edge of the road, with-fragments of a broken trace hanging forlpinly. to the swingle-tree, and portions of the, harness piled upon baggage aboard. The road surface was ''knocked about" and a mangled packet of cigarettes lay strewn around telling of tragic possibilities. It sems that a neighboring resident who had been fully occupied during the daylight hours, was journeying to town in the evening for the purpose of the usual Saturday night marketing., Drizzling rain and darkness prevailed around. Suddenly there came looming forward into the radius of the trap lights a countrybound horse and cart. All spasmodic effort to evade the charging turn-out was successful, excepting an all-important wheel of the vehicle. The two respective off-wheels locked in rigid and fervid embrace. The drivers made an abrupt l change of location, and become intimately and caressingly acquainted with the muddy, cold and repressive road, whilst either horse in vigorous protest at all this demonstration, tore itself indignantly out of harness; one "Bolting out and away into the country, the other, of more moderate temperament, holding up only a few paces awav facing New Plymouth. The cart from town, having been loaded heavily hindwards, tipped back upon its tail; the other trap resting more reasonably upon its shafts. The drivers fortunately were little more than damaged and distressed in mind and temper. Each helped the other, ami the traps were esconeed upon the roadside. Our town-bound resident cleared his horse of wrecked trappings, and rode his sensible, sedate steed bare-back on to town. Almost immediately after he left, a cyclist had a spill over fragments of harness, and on looking round about discovered an innocently unconscious Maori posed somnolently, and breathing stentorously, and evidently having a really good time. Upon the return of the bare-baek rider the same happy state of complacency prevailed; and every seduetivo argument offered to the awakened s;;:'>il>crcr to effect a homeward departure. v. -is of 110 avail. The aroused one was obdurate, and adhered to Ilia resolve to sloe]) it out for the night so as to "wateli over" his goods and chattels.

There has been talk recently of s<miething being done in the way of providing for evening amusement of our young men (not losing sight of those amidst us both fair and young). A hull seems t-o be needed. A few youthful friends have obtained Mr. White's sanction to use a room in his house for practising athletics. This may he the beginning of

what may develop into the formation of a young men's club. For a good while these has been on show in .the window of Mr. Rowe, seedsI man, New Plymouth, of as healthy and . sound a collection of mangolds and roots ■ as might be met with anywhere in a day's journey. Grown in the open field of Mr. G. H. Herbert, of Mangorei road, this solid feed produce is a praiseworthy sample of competent cultivation, successfully undertaken, aided by the artificial manures. A petition is in circulation amongst I county ratepayers, being influentially signed, imploring the county councillors to cope with the egregiously neglected portion of the Mangorei road (Old Hospital road), which has never, yet been formed and metalled. . Being a road leading from the apex of the mountain through valuable country direct to New Plymouth, this break in its continuity, sc near the borough, is a source of wonder to all. Whatever may have been the cause of past neglect, the fact ii before us that all other roads up to now having had local rates spent upon them, leaven this particular portion (as it were through sheer effluxion of time), its open and fully entitled turn to be dealt with now. It is hardly conceivable that tha councillors would fail to see and recognise its claims as one of the first rightly made upon finance. With two excellent routes surveyed and laid off from the mountain, tapping and serving closely settled and productive country, that only one (the Junction road) should give vent to New Plymouth because of an immediate break of half a miles or less in the other, stands as a scandal upon local road management. '