DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 270, 24 April 1915, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

TATARAIMAKA (From our Own Correspondent.) Our annual school picnic passed off very successfully. The weather, though at times threatening, held up wonderfully, and luncheon and tea were partaken of comfortably under the friendly J shelter of the pines and a large tarpau-'fl lin, kindly lent and fixed up by Mr Moore. A goodly number of grown-ups attended, helping, by their presence and the, interest shown in the progress if the children's sports and games, to make the affair a success. The married ladies' race, which proved the most mirth-pro-voking item of the day, was very keenly contested. All the youngsters were made happy by winning something, and their -happiness was reflected in the faces of their parents. The social whioh had been contemplated for the evening was abandoned owing to Okato "holding a function partly in aid of the Belgian fund.

Our neighbours on the Pitone Road also held their school picnic, being fa- j voured with glorions weather, when a 1 roodly sum was netted for the" World's Ward's." Writing of schools bring:- to -iir.il that the Pitone Road people were left to their own devices to obtain education for their children. For them no palatial building rears its proud head ; for them no gymnasiums lure their youngsters from the work-a-day world; for them no marvels of science claim their devotion ; and for them no share in the thousands so casually scattered over the Dominion. If I mistake r,ot, it devolved on three settlers of the bulldog breed to erect a school in the bush, which the Education Board supplied with a teacher and the absolutely necessary furniture and appliances. Sickness has been very prevalent lately. We 'are all" very sorry to hear of the death of our neighbor Mr. Moore, who had to be taken to the hospital suffering from pleuro-pneii-monia, with other complications. Everyone's sympathy is with his widow and family. We feel grieved to know that Mr W.H. Hawkins' eldest son, who was first of our Taranaki boys to volunteer for the front, has been suffering • seriously with pneumonia, but we hope to hear of bis recovery shortly, Boeing he has youth and a good constitution .m his side.

T heard rather a good joke the other day. One said: "What are the wild I waves saying ?" The other answered : ( " Ask the railway survey party. They'd I be sure to find out while trying to run: the railway line on the beach."

We have decided to hold a gift auction social in the school on Friday, April 30. The entire proceeds will go the Belgian Fund, seeing the British announce they have sufficient in their own

fund in hand. 'We are sadly handicap- j ped for want of room, as we have noth-1 ing in the shape of a hall, and our local | school is so "cribbed, cabined and eon-J lined." But the good tidings have at last reached us that the Board's overseer and his men are due here in a few weeks so we must just, possess our souls in patience till our overcrowding sorrows are \ healed.. We hope for a fine night and a generous response to our new Belgian eii'ort. If women only pause to think for a moment of awful and hideous life which their sisters in Belgium are enduring at present they could and would And ways and means of showing their genuine and practical sympathy.