DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 138, 29 October 1912, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

(Fr) m Our Own Correspondents). MAKBTAWA. Tthe extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders-of the Maketawa Dairy Co. held on Tuesday, 22nd inst., was very sparsely attended, just 15 (of a total of 60) turning up. The object of the meeting was to confirm a resolution passed at the annual meeting altering the year term to two months earlier and also to consider the advisability of altering the present articles of association in certain respects. Re the latter part of the meeting, a committee was set up to confer with the directors re certain alterations, and I suppose something will eventuate. During the evening remarks were made as to the apathy of shareholders as to attending to what is undoubtedly their business—the most important part of their avocation—one gentleman voicing the opinion that "nothing would bring suppliers together except a bonus cheque!" Dairy farmers will have to shake themselves together and take a more lively interest in things pertaining to the industry in all its I branches. The willing horses will some day buck at the loads placed on. then! by the general public's carelessness The concert Held in the Norfolk School on Monday, 21st inst., in aid of the prizf fund nowhere reached the excellent.standard of previous affairs, and the chair man (Mr. R. Stevens), in the course of his remarks, regretted that many who had promised to assist had practically "thrown them over." The room was packed with what may be' called a record crowd, and the dance which followed the concert drew a very large attendance. lam unable to append the programme. I notice the School Committee intend to put in a movable partition instead of the present fixed one, and considering school committees have to rely on amusements to augment their funds, it is nought but right that they should have the necessary conveniences provided. At the same time, school affairs should be arranged so that more funds may be available from the Department, instead of the beggarly pittance doled out under the education law as at present; and another reform that is required is to give committees complete control of their schools as to domestic matters, with less red-tapeism. Talk about variation in weather! It's) not often one hears of sunshine and hail at once, yet on Tuesday last that was the experience of settlers on the uplands. A short while back "Mr. Linoman" credited me with chronicling wind from N.S.W., and a district correspondent drew attention to the fact. On the day mentioned above we had zephyrs and half gales from every point of the compass, all within a few hours, with hail and rain, while -but a few miles away a stiff thunderstorm was raging. Cold rain squalls from the south-west are at present being experienced, and many complain that their supply of milk is too much of the "up and down" Variety. The grass, withal, is getting away splendidly, and the same may be said of the oat paddocks already sown down. Roads, Rates and Repairs —the "three R's" of the man on the land! A solution of the roading problem is urgently needed, and judging by the report of the Moa Road Board, and certain tithits per "News," the trouble In some parts of the district appears pretty sharp. Settlers generally are. too careless. They take little or no interest in the matter of roads, except to growl and find fault and leave too much to the_ few patriots who give their time and abilities for the betterment of the district. Just to mention a couple of instances. Just opposite one. farmer's gate the road had got into a rather bad holfe, and not ten yards away was a heap of broken metal for repairs. A few minutes with a barrow would have fixed matters, but no fear of that. This is, again,; another phase of the trouble that is but » millstone to the district's advancement. What is wanted is a scheme-whereby the controlling of each road as to rbpairs is placed on the residents of that, rpad,-and .[ throw out the suggestion tjiat' one large county council as the controlling body, with road committees in eiiph road district, would about fill the bill, and it would be the only way that the, individual could be forced to help keep his road in order. In fact, the system obtaining as to education could be applied to the roading problem, i.e., the Council collect the rates and remit to road'committee what is due to each for'repairs, audit to be done by Council office, committees appointed by ratepayers to see to the expenditure of funds and the upkeep of roads. If such a principle can be carried on for education there is an equally good reason for applying it to roads. Some such scheme, I believe, will solve the difficulty, Jind if settlers then had a bad road there w6uld.be no one to blame but themselves. A road foreman is expected to keep lip a very big mileage by road repairs. A small amount, generally, is available, and but a small part of the roads get repairs. While one road is being fixed up another gets into bog-holes, and there are many who expect a foreman to have' three pairs of hands and a dozen pairs of legs so as to be everywhere ,at once! The present system is absolutely rotten, and the sooner another one is initiated the better.

The proposal outlined by Mr. A. Morton, chairman of the Inglewood Bacon Factory, whereby Is per pig should be paid by suppliers as an insurance fund, cannot surely be objected to, and is but a proper system to be adopted in co-oper-ation amongst farmers. I haven't the slightest doubt a lot of opposition will be shown when the scheme is put into operation, and if so, it will be interesting to note whence it comes. No one who believes in true co-operation will object to the charge.

WAREA,

It lias been very cold and wintry during the past few days, but Sunday was just like summer. The milk supply at the loeal factory is still on the increase, the largest supplier bringing over 30001bs daily. I understand that Mr. H. Magon, of this district, has purchased Mr. J. Halpin's farm on the Warca road. The annual social in connection with the Horticultural Society will be lield on Wednesday night. The Opunake-to-Okato and back cycle race, which takes place on Wednesday, is causing a little excitement. Several are in training for the event. The Sunday School concert, which took place last week, was fairly well attended (considering the wet night), visitors coming from Rahotu. on the south and Tataraimaka on the north. The programme went off very well. _ All those who helped to get the children ready for the concert deserve credit._ Tlie following was the programme: —Pianoforte solo, Miss K. F. Corbctt; company song, ''We come with a shout," children; recitation, Mr. Andrews; solo and chorus, "What is Heaven?" children; song, "The Bridge" (encored) Mr. Hawkins; geographical dialogue, children; pianoforte solo, "Yorkshire Bells," Gyrtle Barak; recitation, 'Driving the cows home," Ivan Parker; vocal duct, "One day nearci liome," Mrs. Parkes and Mrs. KUis: company song, 'Hail, lovelv spring." childieil; recitation, "Mv Cripple Child." Daisy Wells: fong, "A litlle child shall lend them." Tludma Clothi-n-; recitation, "The smile box," Parker; pianoforte

solo, Miss I. Wells; recitation, "The Titanic Band," Leonard Parker; song, "A Dreum of Paradise," Mrs. Parker; company song, "On one and all," children; recitation, Mrs. Knights; dialogue, "Military discipline," eight boys; trio, "The Brighter Home," Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Wells and Miss Smeaton; recitation (encored), Mr. Hawkins; company song, "Praise His Name," children. During the evening the prizes were presented.