DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1916, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

DURHAM ROAD. (From Our Own, Correspondent.) Despite the very unpleasant weather there was a splendid attendance of residents at the school on the evening of Friday last, when n farewell social was tendered Mr. Fred Salisbury, who will shortly leave for the front. Xorfolk Road residents, who had intended holding a social in honor of Mr. P. Langley, who will leave with the same contingent, decided to make a conjoint affair. Dancing, etc., was indulged in till 12 p.m., when presentations of wristlet watches were made to each soldier, the one.to F. Salisbury being made by Mr. Joe Simpson, on behalf of Durham road residents, while Mr. Harold Trimble, on behalf of Norfolk residents, made the presentation to P. Langley. Both recipients briefly returned thanks, and were given a round of cheers and "For they are Jolly Good Fellows'* was sung. Then supper was handed and of course fully appreciated, after which dancing was resumed and kept up till close on 3 a.m. Miss Evelyn Laurence presided at the piano, and needless to say deserved the thanks of all concerned, as also do the committee appointed to manage the affair (Messrs Andrew Dodunski. F. Corney and Frank Salisbury.) Had the weather been more favorable a record crowd would have assembled.

Miss F. I. Mayer, head niHress of Durham school, has tendered her resignation to the scliool committee in order to proceed to her home in Hastings w'here her father (the ;Rev. Mr. Mayer) is in a critical state of health. Miss Mayer's place will be hard to fill, for during her charge of the school (a period of over three years,) she had proved of exceptional ability in training the young, and has also devoted much time etc., to promoting social evenings and entertainments that go a long way to break the monotony of country life. Our neighbors on the Dudley Road are showing the rest of the community what a. proper spirit of ''all together" means, and surely other roads can very well emulate the example. With'the enormous amount of very suitable and handy sized stone to be obtained from our rivers, combined with the newly acquired machinery of the Road Board, if settlers on the by-roads would birt consider the matter deeply there is no reason why the ,oads of the Moa road district should not be the. envy of the whole province. I understand the Dudley settlers are playing ''high jinks'' with, river boulders and the crusher and farmers' carts are kept' at high pressure, and I would like to hear of the person who would prefer the system of special rate as against that adopted by the settlers mentioned. At all events ''Success to Dudley Road" and may the principle extend !

At last old Egmont has condescended to clothe 'himself in the insignia of winter, and I'm thinking few will forget the occasion, for the south-easterly on Sunday night last was for a goodly period of'exceptional severity. Tlie temperature has taken a considerable rush downwards, and the heavy soaking the ground received together with dull overcast overhead does not allow any half way recognition of winter's presence. Those fanners who have fresh calved cows In just now have to be exceptionally busy in earing for the stock. ' The school inspectors' report of Durham school should be of interest to parents. It states that the regularity or attendance and punctuality had been very good. During 1!>13 14 pupils qualified for the Department's good attendance certificates. Good methods of teaching tad been employed with a very satisfactory measure of success. The order, discipline and tone were very good. The room, ont-oflices and grounds were in good order. The flower .plots around the school had been very carefully attended to. The teachers Mayer and MeCor.maek) were to be complimented on the care exercised with their pupils. With regard to the committee's work in attending to the grounds, the report shows that of the possible in marks (100) the amount awarded is 81, made up as follows: beautifying grounds (40) 34, tidiness of grounds (10) i), condition of outhouses, etc. (10) 8; fences (10) S; general appearance of rooms (10) fl; apparatus (10) 8; a special effort (10) f>. With regard to the latter, which covers a wide area, householders should beat in mind that the reduction per newstatute from seven to five members should mean extra assistance in attending to the. school grounds, and as there are many opportunities of general improvement tending towards a benefit to the children their help by the committee would be greatly appreciated.