OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1920, Page 6

OPUNAKE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Social functions as a preliminary to the Church o£ England Bazaar, have been held during the week. Mrs. King, senr., promoted a euchre par 1 ; - and dance in aid of the cause, and the function proved enjoyable. The Opunake Brass Band is holding a social and picture show for the purpose of increasing the iinance3 of the band. It is up to the general public to assist, for the members of the band, in addition to giving their time, also assist in paying the incidental expenses of providing the music instruments etc., used by the band. One of the eyesores to a visitor to Opunake is the number of vacant sections in the heart of the. town, some having a few posts and loose wires. A block of sections fronting the main street and Uayard Street deserve to have unimproved taxation applied to them. The dairy companies in this district have had a very successful season, constituting practically a record, despite the increased cost of manufacture. The Oaonui Dairy Company's pay-out will be 2s; Is 9d has been paid, and the payment of another .'id is anticipated. One can easily imagine great possibilities before producers in the Egmont County when more intense cultivation is gone in for and scientific methods are applied to agriculture. Under present conditions one cheese factory alone will for the reason pay out to suppliers and working staff the big sum of £44,050.

The shortage of houses was shown the other day when it was made known that the minister of the Presbyterian Church was leaving Opunake, half-a-dozen house hunters inquiring for the first refusal to rent the manse. During the week two new firms commenced business in Opunake, one a saddler and harness-maker, the other opening tea rooms. Our only tailor- has publicly announced that he is leaving the district. There is a good opening for a working tailor here.

The Opunake Dairy Company has received an offer equal to 2s 7d for their output of butter. Large families will have to leave butter off the bill-of-fare, and go back to "dip in the pan!" • During the war the patriotic cry was, if a man did not care to fight for his country lie should go and live in some other country. Is it not applicable to producers? If you are not prepared to produce for your country, why not leave it? Profiteering is condemned by everyone, but is practised by all. In attending a clearing sale the other day I saw a bag of potatoes from a shop put up for auction, and the price obtained was ISs. "How many will you take?" said the auctioneer. "The lot," replied the bidder. A few minutes later the buyer sold them at an increase of 2s per bag without handling Jhern. The next buyer w&uld probably retail them at a further increase. The poor man has no chance of buying half-ton or one-ton lots, and so his living is increased by capital without taking any risk. Of course- this is not classed as "profiteering." It 13 called "shrewdness." Nevertheless -the under dog has to bear the pressure. The Egmont .County Council will in a few days come to a decision regarding the £BOOO loan for tar-sealing the main road. It has been fully discussed by j councillors, but the opposition or adverse criticism has been very weak, indeed rather parochial. I desire to offer a little criticism. First of all the promoters deserve the, thanks of ratepayers for tackling the problem in a business-like manner. It is admitted that tar-sealed roads are the best for the travelling public. Under present conditions tar-sealing is not going to be the cheapest or best. Unless the Council is prepared'to go the "whole hog" and erect a gas plant, own a coal mine, etc., it going to be more expensive, with poorer results than the macadam road. It will coEt anything up to £25,000 to provide plant for tar-sealing. After this is provided the greater difficulty arises—the procuring of the material. With the decreased output of coal and the lessened output of tar, the raw material will become dearer, and the output from the gas companies is a decreasing quantity, and is likely to be more so with the introduction' of hydro-electricity. At present the tendency is to control all output and increase the price of the article. Then we have lu\d' the warning from the Prime Minister to local bodies to "go slow" with their financial proposals. In addition to the scarcity of the manufactured article the rate of interest is an increasing one. The Waimate and Eltham Councils commenced their works under very favorable conditions, but they did not reduce rates. Taking into consideration the valuations, the ratepayers in those districts are paying higher rates than those in Egmont. Better roads are given, not to the general settler but to the well-to-do farmer with the motor car. (Nearly every settler on the Plains has t a motor car.—Ed.)

The Egmont Council cannot keep up the roads out of rate money available, iyit it would be a better return to the ratepayers instead of going in for a loan for tar-sealing when so much money is required for plant, with the doubtful outlook in regard to supplies of tar, to go in for a loan to provide for the building of a railway to a bountful supply of beach metal, a cquple of motor waggons, and a more up-to-date method for tlie supply of water for road-making, and we would then know that we were sure of supplies, we would have longer lengths of good roads, cheaper than tar-sealed roads. My view is that we should drop the doubtful, with all its probjems. and pick up the practical—a sure supply of stone material and water, and improve the present j)lant; one we are sure of, as we .know the difficulties can be overcome. The other does not rest with us, but i 3 controlled by outside circumstances.

The Opunake Horticultural Society hold a spring show in September. The weather conditions of late have not besn favorable to horticulturists. The annual elections for town boards are drawing nigh. No Interest so far is evinced in local affairs.