DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1915, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

(From Our Own Correspondenta.) MAKETAWA. The annual examination of the Durham school was held on Friday last by Inspector Ballantyne. The very hard rain experienced for a few days, and especially Thursday night, prevented Norfolk* road children from putting in an appearance, the Maketawa river being rendered unsafe for wading. Notwithstanding the extremely boisterous weather, eleven residents attended the Durham school on Thursday evening, when Mr. Sergei, Agricultural Instructor of the New Plymouth Technical College, gave an interesting address. The lecturer, who received an attentive hearing, urged his audience to do a share of experimenting, which would not only be of use to them, but would enable solid progress to be done for the future. The different classes of fertilizers and their uses were fully gone into, and the use of lime advocated. Regarding the latter commodity a great difference of opinion exists amongst Durham farmers, and further developments as suggested at. the meeting should prove of interest. A special feature that should not be lost sight of was the initiation j of a scheme for encouraging youths under eighteen to manage a small plot of swedes "on their own," and I certainly think parents would be wise in ing the adoption of the proposal. 1 There is a decided improvement in weather conditions at present ,and just about time it happened. The N.W. >ind witli drizzle and fog rendered t'lfop inside and out rather unpleasant; fulminating with very hard squalls of -.vir.d md rain on Thursday night and part of Friday. • The small bird m>:?.i7!/ , e this .rear seems worse than evd-. psddoita of oat» huving suffered mthf.ring severely, while gardens are also , fivnilarly punished. One farmer in another part of the district guarantees that a bnshel of wlieat (it must be wheat) soaked with one ounce of dissolved f.trjehinine "beats Bahaghcr" in playing havoc with the birds, but advises any cats that are considered valuable to take, a holiday. He says that birds lie thick after the use of the mixture, and that much cannot be said of the stuff supplied by the local road authority. Quail visit gardens and pluck cabbage plants worse than fowls, and one housewife is sore because her fowls have to be confined' while such birds can do equal damage; peas just breaking through are pulled out by blackbirds, while smaller seeds suffer from smaller fry—very encouraging, truly! Mr. J. A. Bridgcman has sold his farm on Durham road and a clearing sale of stock eventuates on October 7. We will miss Mr. Bridgeman, who is practically the oldest settler on the upper part of the road, Mr. Joo Corney, sen., being I understand, in tap position by a short period, and will be the only one of the original and earliest Durham road settlers remaining. Mr. Bridgeman has been connected with the Maketawa Dairy Company since its inception, and I believe was one of the originators and occupied a seat on the directorate from the start. Several times he has been elected to the Moa Road Board, and recently to the Taranaki County Council; he h*s giveni the public the benefit Of his wide tvperience in road matters, having, in the wsrly days of the district's progress, to suffer the usual hardships of the pioneer by mud roads. In school committee work Mr. Bridgeman has also been a "sticker," and I am sure the Durham folk will have a job to All his' place, as his time, etc., was also given ungrudgingly for the benefit of the district. Some years ago Mr. Bridgeman had the misfortune'to injure his leg while logging operations were in progress, and sustained the loss of the limb, which greatly handicapped him in fanning work. Mr. Bridgeman informed me that had it not been for the war call affecting his only unmarried son, whose help was invaluable, he would have kept at dairying for several years longer, so I suppose we must add another anathema to the Kaiser I

AUROA. Auroa, Sept. 21. Imagine the look of astonishment on the morning of the 20th inst. when the suppliers rolled into a local factory with outstretched hands and teaming smile expecting to got a 2%i per lb. butter-fat bonus over the whole of the season and upon opening up same to find only l%d, and this also without any explanation! He who hvughefch last laughcth best. One local resident found it very convenient to be absent from the district until the deflated bubble burst.

I am sorry to report that a serious and painful accident befel one of Mr. W. Dew's children the other evening. While playing in the back yard it fell over a piece of wood and broke its leg. The doctor was soon on the spot, and gave the little sufferer every attention. Our local contractors have now got their crushing plant in full swing, and, given fine weather, should make great • progress with the much needed completion of various roads in the district, which are in a deplorable condition. Our local taxi driver got rather a severe shock last evening. After spending a pleasant evening in the moneyorder office of a neighboring township, his motor got rather restless waiting, so stampeded a half mile along the road, where. he eventually arrested it, after spending an anxious time in exploring. The bowling green was inspected by a few of our enthusiasts the other evening, and pronounced to be in very good condition, and great praise is due to the willing committee who have spent neither time nor money in bringing it as near perfection as a new club could expect.

What might have proved an exceedingly serious accident a lew days ago was that of a local resident putting a noted thoroughbred bctwen the shafts of a borrowed gig. All went well until the horse attempted to shake hands with the driver, who hurriedly made his exit over the back of the conveyance, and upon reaching mother earth got a sudden atop and was conveyed home in the Joll Company's eream ambulance. Upon inquiries being made evidently the severest sufferer was the owner, of the gig. On Sunday last one of the local factory whey pumps refused duty, and on inspection it was found that the whey was of too heavy a quality. The farmers, thinking of their stock at home, waded in with buckets and dipped the glorious fluid into their cans.

KAPONGA. The ladies' Wounded Soldiers' Guild held a soldiers' Christmas gift afternoon on Thursday last, and it, was largely attended, two big hampers being filled with gifts, consisting of cakes, cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, pipes, note-books, writing materials, etc. The goods should certainly gladden the hearts of our lads. Afternoon tea was dispensed and ma* appreciated by. all The Guild

still meet every week awl have also forwarded a large case of goods to Wellington fc-r the hospitals. The quarterly meeting of the Loyal Kaponga Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., was held on Monday, N.G. Bro. Bertie presiding over a large attendance. One new member was proposed and one initiated. The Lodge lias added a good number of members recently and is in a very flourishing condition. So far, two of its members have fallen at the Dardanelles, namely, Bros. Blackstock and Howie, and Bros. Corporal Moller and Troopel Gardiner have been wounded. We are experiencing a very mild spring, which has had a beneficial effect on all pastures. The farmers are certainly having a good time, and expect to have another very successful season. The executive of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund are running an art union, and have purchased a lt)15 model Studebaker motor-ear, and tickets arc going off in great style. The committee have already raised over £4OO, but will not be satisfied until it has reached £IOOO. NORMANBY. Nbrmanby, Yesterday. . It is evident that the Health Department is not aware of the seriousness of a possible outbreak of typhoid in the township, for I am informed that Inspector Gray, District Health Officer, has advised the Normanby Dairy Factory that no harm can come by allowing Maori suppliers from the pa where the fever has broken out from supplying the factory with milk. The directors and manager of the factory do not agree with this opinion, and are declining to accept supplies from the Maoris. The Inspector is also of the opinion that no harm can come by allowing relatives of Maoris suffering from typhoid to use the school conveniences. The School Committee, however, are of a different opinion, and the headmaster's action in debarring children from the Katermarae Pa from attending the school is approved.. It is evident that a good deal of reticence is being observed over the nature of the outbreak by those responsible for stamping the disease out, and, while the people of Normanby do not desire to create any unnecessary alarm, the position is serious enough to warrant every precaution being taken to prevent the epidemic from spreading, A little common sense and ordinary precautions will prevent a further outbreak.

At a meeting of the Normanby Town Board, held last evening, some strong comments were made by members at the attitude of the Wanganui Education Board, and the School Committee with reference to the cess-pit at the school. At the Town Board meeting held on Aogust 17 the Sanitary Inspector drew the attention of the Board to the existence of the pit at the school, and pointed out that it had been in uso by the children for over thirty years, and was a serious menace to the health of the community. The Board resolved to have the pit filled in within seven days. * The Committee, however, referred the matter to the Education Board, and at last night's meeting the Town Clerk read a letter from the Board in which it was stated that the Board's foreman would be in the district towards the end of the year, and he would then look into the matter. This letter drew forth some scathing remarks from the chairman and members of the Town Board. The chairman, Commissioner Fell, said the matter was serious, and the Board should not dilly dally any longer. The closets at the school should be destroyed and the, pit filled in, and a proper system of sanitary conveniences installed. Other commissioners considered a match should be put to the whole structure and thus prevent an outbreak of typhoid in the school. After some further discussion, the members resolved to inspect the premises, and ask the chairman of the School Committee to be present. Upon resuming, the chairman said that he had no idea that things were so bad. The whole thing was loathsome, filthy, and disgusting, and no words could express the awful conditions. The chairman of the school said that the committee had no funds, and had referred, the matter to the Education Board.

it 7.-S3 resolved to telephone to the Hawera representative on the Education Boa'ftl, and, if nothing was done In the awttef, that the Town Board would instruct its foreman to hum the building, and erect a more sanitary convenience, making the cost of same a charge upon the Board. Latex. As a result of the communication with the Education Board's representative the school was closed until Wednesday next, September 29th.