ELTHAM.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 May 1919, Page 3

ELTHAM.

(From Our Own Correspondent) Eltham, 28th May. Tho sub-committee appointed in connection with hydro-electric matters at Elthaan will probably be called together at an early date. It is understood that several memberß of the committee strongly favor linking up with New Plymouth. Some of the sporting people of Eltham held a meeting on Monday night to discuss the formation of a Racing Club. The difficulties that had to be faced seemed to disappear before the enthusiasm of the 80 people present, and after full discussion it was decided that a club be formed, and that the necessary steps be taken to give effect to the resolution. Of those present 52 expressed their willingness to become members.

A meeting of the Eltham Patriotic Committee was held on Tuesday night, Mr T. B. Crump presiding. Several applications for assistance were received and were favorably considered. The members of the Mangatoki Club journeyed to Eltham on Monday night and an enjoyable evening was spent at cards and other amusements in the C.E.M.S. rooms, The C.E.M.S. is sending an invitation to the Egmont Club, Stratford, to visit Eltham and try conclusions with the local club at srjooker and cards.

The Eltham Box Company is, as usual at this time of the year, having a slack time as far as box-malting is concerned, but in dealing with orders for building timber the staff is kept very busy. A heavy demand for building timber set in about December. At that time stocks right, through New Zealand were low, and the company, in common with others in the same line, have had great difficulty in meeting the demand. The demand for building timber is fairly general and requirements for the country districts are particularly heavy. In the towns, too, everything points to renewed activity in the building trade, and one builder alone has placed ail order for material for Ave houses in a certain Taranaki town. Tt will be some time before the supply catches up with the demand. One bad result of the present shortage of timber is that it is almost impossible to procure seasoned timber, even in small quantities. At the Eltham Bacon Factory very few pigs are now slaughtered. Pigs are still purchased in any number, but with the few coming to band it has been found that it pays better to send them to the main works in Wellington, than to have them dealt with at the local works. The manager stated on Wednesday that the number of pigs produced in Taranaki is not a third of what it was two years ago, and he saw no prospect of an improvement in the pigraising industry. It is not, he said, that pigs do not pay, but that farmers consider they can do better \vith their byproducts from the dairy in other directions. The extraction for commercial purposes of practically every particle of food substance from the milk has made pig-raising impossible under the. old system, and farmers don't seem disposed to crrow cereals or other crops suitable for pig food. The factory is now almost wholly uacd for slaushtering cows and other stock suitable for the canned meat trade. At present about 200 head are dealt witli weekly, but the capacity is about nO per day. The works, though small, are serving a very useful purpose and are of great service to farmers.