DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 258, 22 March 1913, Page 6

DISTRICT NEWS.

(From Our Own Correspondents). WAREA. The Sunday School picnic, which was to have been held on Easter Monday, has, owing to the Okato floral fete, been postponed. The Sunday School children, besides, are nearly all down with "the me a si os.

A meeting of the Athletic Club was held on Saturday night. Mr. A. E. Magon presiding. A rough balance-sheet showed a loss of about £ll over the recent sports meeting. This was accounted - for by the wet day, whilst the prizemoney had been increased by about £ls, and the blocks, which had always been procured by the committee until this year, cost £lO 9s. As regards the protest that was entered by Magon and Julian against Hill and J. P. Bieliski j in the double-handed sawing event, the | decision has been received from the Xew Zealand Axemen's Association, and reads I as follows: —"Although not actually in { the rule book, the Association have always kept the following rule with regard to double-handed sawing: Should a competitor enter with a mate and not give his mate's performances, then the mate is taken as a maiden and handicapped accordingly; but should be not be a maiden the two must be cither re-handi-capped or start from scratch, the reason being that a man will often enter and does not know who his mate will be when lie does so, or perhaps depends upon 'picking one, up' on the grounds. Tf a competitor's mate has performances then he is bound to give them to the handicapper before lie starts. The wiv lit'i-s are no doubt subject to disqualification.—T. C. Staiiners. sec. N.Z.A.A."

The protest was discussed at length by the committee, and they finally decided to uphold the protest and pay the first prize money to Magon and Julian and the second money to T). and G. W. Kevell. Tt was decided that the fixed deposit at the bank be left in the current account. All accounts presented were passed for payment. MAKETAWA.

The prize-list of the Tariki Horticultural Society shows that a number' of Norfolk and Durham residents were successful exhibitors, and the fact that the Xorfolk scholars succeeded in obtaining prizes in the vegetable classes, together with almost "scooping the pool" in school classes, should be gratifying to their parents and a justification of the attention bestowed by the bead teacher (Mr. R. Thomas). Xorfolk School in the past has been well to the fore in gardening results, and this year's effort at the Tariki Show proves that interest is not waning,

T\"e. liiivc had a his run of drizzly arid "hard wot" weather recently, and though warm' and conducive to good grass-growing. was decidedly inconvenient for outdoor work. Notwithstanding favorable weather conditions, the milk supply is rapidly shrinking—a hit of a rise, a little of a drop and so on, with (he total showing a shrinkage. Tests at Durham show from 4.3 (average) to 4.7.

It having heen found necessary to replace the weighing machine in the skimmiHc f»lied at the Durham creamery, the directors of the Maketawa Co. have, I am informed, decided to obtain a weighing machine similar to the one at the. factory at the "taking-in" stage and transfer the one in the creamery for the skim-milk use. The alteration is urgently required.

Fanners arc much exercised as to (he spread of blackberry and ragwort, and all sorts of suggestions arc made as to what should be done with the speculative land owner in the Inglewood district who allows both kinds to go to seed and thereby perpetuate the growth. Certain it is that it is disheartening to the bonafule fanner who desires to keep his section clean to find on posts and on logs bird deposits thick with blackberry seed, and to know that they are brought from other roads. The inspection method does not meet with approval, as it is declared those gentlemen arc not allowed power enough, and, again, the fines imposed do not stimulate eradication. Reserves belonging to local bodies (particularly the Education Board! in the Moa district arc stated to be in a disgraceful state, and land owned by men

who are supposed to lie financially able to keep their land clean is in a similar condition. Men with small patches of weeds are harried on account of delay in cutting, while men owning sections that are huge breaks of blackberry are let alone, and there is little wonder at the anxiety shown as to the spread. What is one of the best dairying districts in New Zealand can be looked upon as doomed unless something radical is started, and in the opinion of some a petition to Parliament asking for confiscation of land if not thoroughly cleaned yearly is suggested. The usual apathy of the Taranaki farmers in such .matters is certain to have a baneful effect in the very near future. Many a good settler has simply been hustled out of the district on account of weeds and the half-hearted manner in .which landholders and the law tackle the matter, while the name the district is given by outsiders is a bar to progress in many ways.

The Easter period has hitherto been the time when farmers could take a "spell off" on holiday; when the girls and the lads could be spared to visit distant friends and relations; when the "guvnor" could take a run to somewhere else to have a talk of old times with the old shipmate who had found it necessary to reside in another part. Of course, the reduction of fares on the railway were a great incentive to using the Easier period, but the changeability of that period is a matter of annoyance and inconvenience. This year it being so much earlier than previously makes it doubly so. Many would-be trippers are debarred from the benefit of reduced fares on account of the above reason, and, needless to say. this district will not be alone in that respect. The Railway Department should consider the advisability of a reduced fare trip, say, in -Tune, for the benefit of the man on the land; or, perhaps, it would be better to get Easter firmly anchored to a suitable date. Chopec, changee, no good!