DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1915, Page 8

DISTRICT NEWS.

SOUTH T ARAN Aid. (From Our Own Correspondent.) It would be an education, militarily speaking, for New Plymouthites to pay a visit to Normanby and see the way this little town is working up its strength towards a "National Reservo" for keeping God's Own Country. Farmers are always having a growl, but they are justified at present as regards climatic conditions. North Taranaki has had abundant rains, but South Taranaki is faring badly. The few showers which fell on Sunday are just about dried up with the biting winds of these last few days. Grass is green but short, and water is none too plentiful on the Waimate Plains. The motor-ear raffling craze is still going strongly and since the success of the Levin Maori in the Civil Servants' car raffle at New Plymouth most of the Maoris are keen on taking tickets. It would be interesting to see chronicled who are the ones who dip their hands again and again into their pockets for the many solicitations made for charitable war purposes. I rather fancy the sporting crcwd would come out on top. Many comments are wade on the attitude of the better-off'farmer class of Taranaki who have so far given very sparingly to these funds. A man conversant with the farmer donors of Taranaki informed' me th? other day that only one farmer in Taranaki had given over £SOO. He resides in Stratford. I refer to Mr. Charles Bayly, and good luck to him. May his example be followed by many others who, by their dairy, wool and meat returns, can well afford to double the Stratford man's amount. Constant enquiries are being made if the electric trams w!ll be running by Xmas-time in New Plymouth. Many South Taranakites who go holiday-mak-ing always look forward to New Plymouth for their holiday, and a ride in the trams will be s. novelty to the young folk.

Talking 0.1 war topics with a soldier's wife the other day, she informed me that she had just posted to her husband who is at the front a Xmas cako and it cost her for postage Gs !)d. There is still something "rotten in the State of Denmark" with our defence administration.

From what one can gather one of the businesses which is getting a rub over the war is hotelkeeping. Fully ninety per cent of the young fellows who have gone away took a glass when they wanted it. Tobacconists tell the same tale, and all athletics will be the poorer in class through this dreadful war. Anything leaning towards fat cattle fetches big money in the sale yards here, but stores are easier, especially yearling to fifteen-month dairy heifers. There is an eager enquiry for shorthorn bulls, but Jerseys and other kinds are not the rage as in other years, due, no doubt, to the great demand for beef.