DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 10 February 1915, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

NORMANBY. (From Our Own Correspondent). The recent dry weather was telling e the milk supply all over the district but a very welcome rain lias come in time, and with the heat in the soil a good second growth can now be expected to provide plenty of winter feed in the majority of cases. The present high prices ruling for cheese are the highest on record, and the farmers, irrespective of the dry season, are reaping a very rich harvest. By the way. what are these fortunate fanners contributing to the poor and distressed funds of Belgium and Great Britain? Doubtless it is the poor people who are suffering under the inflated prices now being obtained. Have the farmers also realised the great sacrifices which our soldiers are making for them while they are happy and contented in their prosperous homes? I have not so far seen where any of their co-operative factory concerns have made any great donations of cheese or butttr to our boys at the front or their poor dependents at home, though no doubt it is owing to their loyal and gallant services that the farmers are thus enabled to get their product on the market, and thereby participate in these fancy prices. Doubtless your readers will be thinking that the Normanby Town Board is defunct, but such is not the case, for a start was made on Saturday by their employees to get the roads ready for tarviating, thus following up the good work already begun by the Hawera I County Council on the main road adjoining the Town Board boundary. By | the amount of boulder stone at the sides of the roads I expect they will be calling tenders for crushing them into decent shape, and in a very short time the most patient residents of Normanby and the travelling public will have good cause to rejoice at the progressive efforts of the members of our Town Board. i

A meeting of the British and Belgian Relief Fund was held on Saturday, 'evening, Mr. Tlios. Free presiding. The •bulanee-shcet showed that Normanby's contribution amounted to flfio (;s. It was resolved to close the present lists, and to make n fresh appeal at a later date, should further assistance be required. The chairman expressed appreciation of the splendid response made to the fund.

The executive of the Horticultural Society met on Monday evening. There were present: Mr Robert Linn (president) presiding, G. Handler, W. Pollock, T. Dee, C. Preston, 11. Johnstone, F. G. Bailies, and Rev. Butler. The show will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. March 3rd and 4th. and it is anticipated that the number of entries will be much larger than former years. The following judges were appointed:—i Pot plants, Mr ('. Davies (Hawera); cut flowers, Mr C. Ooodson (Hawera). bouquets, Mrs Foyster and Miss Meredith; farm and garden produce, Messrs Gillanders and Lambie (Hawera); potatoes, Mr Dunn (Auroa); fiuit, Mr Betts (Okaiawa); ihonev, Mr Warcup (Hawera); preserves, Mrs J. Wilson; dairy produce, Mr Andrew Lees (Okaiawa); bread, cakes, etc., Mr •T. P. Keen (Hawera); poultry, Mr. A. C. •Tohnstone (Auroa); painting, etc.. Mrs J. Winks; sewing, Mesdames J. Winks and .T. W. Butcher; home industry, Mr Harding. It was resolved to hold a f.-ncert and dance on the second evening of the show. The Normanby dairy factor;- lias been advised that the last shipment of cheese reached tlhe v-ry higOi price of 80s. Great regret was expressed when it was known here that Archdeacon Cassells had passed away at Hawera. TARTKT. It is generally admitted that we in New Zealand have much to be thankful for in so far escaping the horrors and misery 'which the war has caused in many European countries. In making this admission, however, do we fully realise it is therefore only our plain duty to do our utmost to help those who are suffering so grievously 1 Many do, and arc striving in every way to help, but there are also many who, if the question was put, What are we doing? would per force have to reply: "Nothing." The fund that should appeal to us above all is tiio lielglum Relief Fund, and Vet there must be many who have not made any contribution to it. Those who fail to realise the awful sufferings of the Belgian nation would do welf to read Mr A. Powell's "Fighting in Flanders." Mr Powell is an American who went to Belgium with an open mind, and when he left after the German occupation of Antwerp, he was as pro-Belgian as though he had been born under the Belgian flag. He says: "I had seen a country, one of the loveliest and peaceable in Europe, invaded by a ruthless and brutal soldiery; I had seen its towns and cities blackened by fire and brokenby shell; I had seen its churches and its historic monuments destroyed; I had seen its highways crowded with hunted, homeless fugitives; 7 had seen its fertile fields strewn with corpses of what had once been the manhood of the nation; I had seen its women left busbandless, and its children left fatherless; I had seen what was once a Garden of the Lord turned into a land of desolation; and I had seen its people a people whom I, like the rest of the world, had always thought as pleasureloving, inefficient, oasv-going I had seen this people, I say, aroused, resourceful. unafraid, and fighting, fighting, lighting. Do you wonder they captured my admiration? I am pro-Bel-gian; I admit it frankly. I should be ashamed to be anything else." We have not seen all this, but we know it is true, and we are pro-Belgian, and—cheese is quoted on the London market from Sss to Srts per cwt. We can raise funds to go to the races, picnics, trips to the mountain, for drinks, picture shows, theatres, motor cars, new clothes, cakes, lollies, and heaps of other ! things, anil if we try very hard we can . also find something to send to those who . are still fighting, fighting, fighting!