DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1916, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

Durham road. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The weather for the past month has been exceptionally bad and little or 110 work could be attended to outside. Kain, wind, hail, with a very low temperature, day after day, had a bad elloct upon fresh calved cows. Hie past two or three days haw been of an ideal order for grass growth, and the paddocks (notwithstanding the ill-treat-ment previously) are responding quickly to the warm drizzly ruins. Cows are coming to profit this vein in driblets, and the milk supply at the creamerv is slowly on the rise. Nearly all the .uppliers have put in an appearance and it has been found necessary to run the machinery every day. The constant and, at times, heavy rain experienced during August found out tbe soft places in tbe road and a great deal of patching hag had to be done, the road now being not pleasant to travel over. A very successful euchre party and dance was held in the Durham school oi' Friday last. The function was held to provide, funds to obtain necessary requisites for the carrying on of social affairs.

Durham residents supplying the creamery can now enjoy the benefits of a country post office in consequence of the opening of a branch office at the creamery. On. September 1 the office was opened for posting and delivery of letters, the creamery manager (Mr 11. Johnston) acting as postmaster. There will be a daily delivery of postal matter between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.: mail closes daily at 5.30 a.m. and the name of tjie branch is "Piakau." In order to enable the mail matter to get cjuick despatch it is necessary that the mail hag should go by the 0.40 train and to do this suppliers must bear in mind that the time for receiving milk has been altered from !) a.m. to 8.30. Surely the convenience as to postal facilities is well worth an extra spurt on the part of laggard suppliers? 111 connection with postal matters it may not be out of place here to call attention to readers who may have correspondence with settlers in the Maketawa factory district, that, as a postal address, "Maketawa" ceases to exist, and that settlers 011 the main road adjacent to the factory, and those settlers on the bottom of Durham road west, as well as those on Durham road cast, can receive benefit through the branch inaugurated at the factory, which is designated "To- Tawaj" the creamery branch as previously stated is named "Piakau" and it would be of extreme benefit to all concerned if they notified correspondents of the change in address, as by so doing it will facilitate handling at tile Inglewood office and conduce to a reliable delivery of letters, etc. People should bear in mind that a little help is required from their side, and it is no use asking for facilities if they will not make full use of them. Rumor liath it that a tin can brigade is being formed in anticipation of a comvert to old Benedict's minks. Judging by the preparations being made the brigade will muster in full strength. * Many settlers are getting to work with the plough, tliougl I'm informed the ground is not in good trim for "stir up" operations. Settlers running a few sheep report lambing as being in progress, and that stock are in splendid fettle. Dairy cattle /lave not taken the bad weather any too well notwithstanding the liberal use of stack fodder. Miss K. F. Smith, late teacher at Kent road school, has been appointed to the control of Durham school and took up her position from the Ist iiist. Miss Smith was the first teacher (appointed temporarily) to the Durham school when inaugurated over 10 years ago.

PUKENGAHU. (From Our Own Correspondent). I am pleased to be able to report that Pukengahu has at last got within the pale of civilisation. The Daily News agent has visited our valley and made arrangements whereby we can secure a copy of that most up-to-date journal daily. Though only a few miles from Stratford, by a good road, for a long time we have been unable to get our mail or a daily paper nearer than Stratford. We have been vainly endeavoring to arouse some interest over the state of the Pukengahu school among those in authority to remedy the present disgraceful state of all'airs. As things now stand, the school is a, disgrace to the district, and the Taranaki Education Board in particular, as well as a menace to the health of every child attending it. The school has been opened for a considerable time and conducted in a tin shanty, which in days gone by has either been a fairly decent pig-stye or a. very bad wool shed. It lias seating accommodation for twenty-live children by crowding all the desks together. Although it lacks any semblance towards decent ventilation, considerably over the number for which seating accommodation has been provided are daily jambed into it. In the district within about two miles of the school there are nearly a dozen children from five to twelve years of age at present receiving 110 education, as the parents will not risk their children's health under such insanitary conditions. Unless something is done, before the sunnnei is over we >ull have an epidemic of scarlet fever, typhoid or infantile paralysis. A school committee meeting was supposed to be held a fortnight ago; two members turned up, but neither the chairman nor the secretary put in an appearance, consequently 110 meeting was held, but .probably they will take some- interest in the matter of a new school if disease breaks out and we lose a few of our children. Mr. and Mrs. Blaekstock now -have their son home 011 his linal leave before embarking to do his bit in freedom's cause. One son lias already made the supreme sacrifice at Gallipoli. We sincerely trust that the lad who is now leaving, after loing his part, may be spared to safely return. There are many who could take a lesson from our greatly respected residents wlio from loyal heart 3 aTe ungrudgingly giving their second son to take up arms in their country's cause, although in the working of the farm the labor is great and the laborers few, but theirs is the spirit that wine the fight and gains the homage of all true subjects under the British Hag.