DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1921, Page 2

DISTRICT NEWS.

URENUI AND WAI-TOI-TOI. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Mr. Gibbons, visiting inspector of the Taranaki Education Board, was present at the Mimi school during the week. On Friday evening last week there was held in the Okoke schoolroom a very pleasant little darfee, a number of visitors being present from Urenui, Wai-toi-toi, and Pukearuhe. Mr. Eric Ekdahl successfully carried out the duties of M.C., and the music was contributed by a number of those present. During the evening supper was handed round, provided by the ladies of the district. In spite of the postponement from Thursday to Friday, the Uruti beach races, held on the Wai-toi-toi beach, were in every way most successful, there being some good racing, witnessed, whilst the attendance was satisfactory. New Plymouth was well represented, while Waitara and the other outlying districts sent a good quota of visitors. There ■were over fifty motor cars besides other vehicles, and the sight viewed from the main road as the cars with their lights on came up through Mr. Zimmerman’s paddock was very pretty. The collection at the gate proved a good idea, everyone contributing willingly, and the club will benefit to the extent of some £25 by this means. The officials worked well, and they are to be congratulated on the success which attended their efforts. As the racing has been fully reported in your sporting columns, no comment is necessary, though it might be mentioned that the class of horses running is improving every year, and shows the popularity of the meeting. Active preparations are being made by the Urenui Sports Club for the big Axeman’s Carnival, to be held on April 19, when the £lOO challenge chop, 15in. block, between Shewry and Green, will take place. Great interest is being centred in this event, and heavy wagering on the result is being made. The club is giving very liberal prize money in the other events, which include chopping, sawing, and a tug-of-war. A dance will also be held in the Urenui Hall in the evening, and both that and the sports are sure to be well attended.

The annual meeting of householders to elect a committee for the ensuing twelve months to carry on the business of the school will take place in the school-room on the 25th inst.

The members of the Ate-Awa troop of Frontiersmen speak in high terms of the manner in which they were entertained at the annual dinner of the North Taranaki troop last week. Many dairy farmers have different opinions as to the better methods of providing for their cows, but all are gradually coming to the conclusion that it is absolutely bad policy to maintain inferior animals, and it has been suggested that the formation of a herd-testing association such as is in vogue in other portions of Taranaki would be one means of sorting out the ones that are not paying for the food they consume. The individual cost to each supplier to a number of factories would be more than repaid by the information they could acquire as to the butter-fat producing quality of the individual cows of tlieiiherds.

That laughter, like the measles, is decidedly infectious, was proved at a concert held not so very long ago in an upcountry township. The performers consisted of some rather talented Maoris, and, naturally, the audience held a large number of the same nationality. The different items were well received, and one singer was accorded an enthusiastic encore. After an amount of whistling and cat-calls, etc., the favored one again came upon the stage, and, bowing, said something in the Maori language, which evidently created a fair amount of amusement amongst his fellow-country-men. A pakeha, not wishing to miss the joke, enquired of a Native, who was convulsed with laughter, what it was that had been said, and received the reply, “ if I know; I didn’t hear it!”