DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1916, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

Durham i?oad. (I'l'om Our Own Correspondent). The weather, which Ims been of the "all sorts" description fur the past fortnight, and included very licavv westerly winds, with rain and hail, culminated early on Friday morning in a heavy fall of snow. Such a visitation at this time of the year is rather severe on dairy stock, and the pastures whicli tlie few sunny days brought on have, in a measure received a set-back. Farmers have : been very liberal' with their stack fodder, and in consequence a shortage prevails in many instances. A leap-year dance inaugurated to swell the lied Cro-s funds, held in the Durham school on Tuesday nig'ht, was poorly attended, the threatening appearance of the weather and the unsuitable time selected no doubt being factors contributing to the small attendance. The annual examination of the Durham school will lie held on tlio 25th inst. Messrs Mci Owen Bros, express much satisfaction witli tlieir milking machine, which lias been in work for about a week now. This makes the seventh machine at work 011 this road, and I understand others arc contemplating installing thorn later on. I doubt much whether any combination of human beings could make a worse row than did the tin-can brigade which celebrated a recent wedding which took place 011 Durham road. All devices possible were brought into use, and the interested parties will .surely remember for a long time (I'm certain the neighbors will!) the evening of September 14, Our post office ("Piakau"), though a babv, is already showing steady growth that promises well for the future. The postmistress informed me tlio other day that the average for letters distributed comes near to 20 per day. Whert seltlers recognise the utility of the post office in regard to small parcels they are going to save a lot of time in many ways, and if they would gd still another peg lip and instill the telephone the advantage would be more striking. It is a ease of "so near and yet so far" that could be quickly altered if they would but pull together. What the dickens are they living for? It may interest those parties wlio are of the opinion that a warning notice calling motorists to exercise care when approaching 'Durham road corner on t'lie main road will not be erected by the county authorities, as it is held by l*w that trallic from the by-roads must give preference to that 011 the main. As the view is obstructed by two residences which cannot be shifted it will be well for side-road settlers attending Makctawa factory to 'bear in mind that the responsibility for accident rests with them. We are to-day working under laws relating to road traffic before the advent of motor-cars, and it is but just that a revision of same .should be made *n order to cope with the altered conditions brought about by recent modern inventions, and such will only be done when the people who pay take a hand in the matter in a radical way.