DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1920, Page 2

DISTRICT NEWS.

PUNGAHEHU. (From Our Own Correspondent.) A social and dance was held by the Ladies' Improvement Committee in the local hall on Tuesday night last, and was only fairly well attended. Music was provided by Mr. Parker, tho duties of M.C. being carried out by Mr. J. Orbell. A good supper was served. The dance, which was the fifth of tho series, was in aia of the funds for tho Improvements to the hall, which has got to a necessary stage. The committee have now In hand for improvements over £l4, but at least 800 is required for all necessary work. Donations from, well-wishers tvlll lie welcomed. Applications by local, discharged soldiers are now being forwarded to the Commissioner for Crown Jjands for certain sections available for soldier settlement, situated near the Parihaka Native settlement and Pungarehu, The Taranaki Land Board will personally, interrogate the applicants on Wednesday, August 25th, and the ballots will probably be held the same day.. The areas range from 33 acres to 200 acres. It Is very cheering to learn from Mr. Massey, the Premier, that niore timber is being cut In New Zealand to-day than ever before, and that before long the housing shortage will come to an end. Judging by the difficulty of getting enough timber for other works on hand, one would hardly think the sawmills were putting up a record In output. Competition was keen at the stock sales last Friday, 30lh July, at Rahotu, and prices showed a slight, Increase on recent ratep. Land speculation is the most profitable business of this country, and the Wnikato is reckoned to be the. happy hunting .ground of the speculator, but the Walkato dairy farm values have shown general increases in values unrecorded in this country. Dried milk has been responsible for some of the phenomenal increases in value of iheso farm lands, 'and the fortunes which have come to the lticky farmer-speculators, but the climate is a great factor in the relatively high values, even if the top-dressing cost Is greater than more southerly farmers have to reckon with. Sound land values are the bulwark of any. district or country. I am not going to say that they do not obtain in Taranaki province, for much of the land here is worth the price it, is selling for and what is being asked, but, on the otljer hand, there is, speaking generally, a strong tendency towards an inflation of prices that can only result inlmically to the Interests of those purchasing and of the province generally. Whilst it is easy enough to point out these things, it is admittedly quite another matter to prescribe a cure. Once you interfere with the law of supply and demand, and the right to sell land or anything else, you are Immediately in deep and troubled waters, hut the consequence of tho present tendency may become so serious a menace to the well-being and stability of the country as to justify legislative action in the direction of suppressing speculation, also to restrict the amount of land an individual may hold, and to bring Government valuations nearer Die selling prices. A football match between the boys of the Warea and Oka to schools was played on Friday afternoon, 30tJi July, at Warea, and resuited in a win for the Warea, boys, they securing 24 points to their opponents' nil. Master Edwin Rogers captained the winners. The Rahotu and Okato third junior football teams met nt Rahotu Domain on Saturday, 31st July, in the Rugby competition. The game was keenly contested, and resulted In a' win for Okato by 6 points to nil. Final preparations have been completed for the bachelors' social and dance on Wednesday, August llth. Given a fine evening, this year's function should be a great success. WAREA, (From Our Own Correspondent.) On Monday night, 2nd August, a very jolly lime was spent in Warea, when a surprise party, consisting of a numher of their Warea friends, visited the home of Mrs. Larking, and motored the occupants to the hall, where the remainder of the evening was.'most heartily enjoyed. The night was stormy, but inside everything was so cosy and bright that outside discomforts were soon forgotten. The hours slipped merrily by while songs and ,games, interspersed with, dancing, were eagerly indulged in. A dainty Supper was par:aken of, whlc(i brought a very nletsani erenine to a cJw