DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1917, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

OKATO. (From Our Own Correspondent). The annual school picnic was held in the Domain on Tnursday, March S, and, being favored with a fine day, it proved successful and enjoyable. Funds were donated t(xthe extent of £l-2 10s Sd, which enabled the committee to give every child a prize and, what was mere to their liking, a good spread also The thanks of the committee are due t> ali the ladies who helped at the,, tables, and also to Mr. Roebuck for tho loan of horses and an experienced driver 10 take tables, stools, provisions, etc., to the ground. During the afternoon races were run by the children, and there was also a married ladies' race and also a married men's race. The former was won by Mrs. Hunter. The married men's race (quarter mile) waHywon by J. Wooldridge. The star event of theday was a mile race for the sehoolbovs, which was won by John Ashley, with Walter Julian second, and Jimmy Gray, a little chap of about 9 summers, who stuck to it like a Briton, a. good third. Time, Omin 30see, which is a very creditable performance. I think this is the first picnic held in the Domain, and it is a pity the Board have nob funds enough to level a track for short races. The Education Board has renovated pur school, and when school commenced after the holidays it was in practically a new school, which must be appreciated both by teachers and scholars, for the old school, with its 9ft stud, was hardly fit for a cowshed, and must have been very uncomfortable and unhealthy in the hot summer weather.

The Education Board is to ho congratulated on having such an efficientstaff of workmen, for muloni.; , ;u . work they have put into.tlii* ! :; n g is second to none. Some of i ,ibor in the old school is still sum speaks volumes for'the durabilu of the timber in this district, it having been pit-sawn by the late Messrs Ben. Humphrey und Ben. Gray some 42 years ago, somewhere on the Dover Koad.

The chief topic of conversation is "Jimmy's Ballot" and the Income Tax and judging by the bills some of the farmers are asked to pay they have good cause for complaint, but most eases of hardship are caused by the filling in of returns in a verv haphazard way, but they will quite likelv be more careful next year, as there is nothing lite touching a man's pocket to make him careful.

A shower of rain is badly needed as things are getting very drv, and a number of the bush settlers who suffered by the recent fires have sown their grassseed, and the small birds arc bavin" a right royal time, the quail beim-' especially fond of clover seed. " I