DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1922, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

PUNGAREHU. (From Our Own Correspondent.) New Year’s Day broke bright and warm, summery, but not too much so, and those on pleasure bent had no cause to complain as far as the weather was concerned. Those local sports with time and money to spare early wended their way to Stratford and the raeCs, while others spent the day on the- beach in true picnic fashion, and many happy youngsters enjoyed a paddle or dip in the briny. Quite a number of Punga-rehu-ites visited Rahotu, where a picnic was helu.

The followers of Ratana who, dwell in and around Pungarehu and Parihaka held a religious meeting on the Pungarehu Road, at the home of one of the natives, when some local orators of the followers of Tohu were present to address the gathering. Year by year sees the Maoris becoming more Europeanised, and no doubt the teachings of Ratana and his great work of healing through divine agency is bearing fruit among them, and tends towards the social and moral uplifting of the race. Divine services have been held in the local Methodist Church for some months past, a. native “missioner” resident at Rahotu presiding, and these services are fairly well, attended by the natives. The non-delivery of telegrams in coun? try districts is often a cause of inconvenience and annoyance to settler-!. In most of the villages there is no delivery of either letters or telegrams, the settlers calling for mails between 9 a.m. and noon, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., when the office closes. Should a telegram arrive after a settler has called for his mail, it not infrequently happens that no effort is made to send a message or the telegram along to the person, and no matter how close to the office one lives, there it lies until the following day, when letters are called for. In a village not more than a hundred miles from New Plymouth I saw a telegram which arrived at a country office at five minutes to three o’clock on Firday, which actually reached the person to whom it was addreissed at noon on Saturday. and it had only about a quarter of a’ mile to go from office to its destination. I ventured to suggest a remonstrance, but, there! the telegram had not been made “urgent.”; Hay-making has commenced, and unusually heavy crops are reported. Favored with fine weather for the next few weeks, many farmers will .be the proud possessors of a fine big stack of hay. The recent rains have given the swedes a good start, and freshened up turnip and carrot crops. Many Maoris are the lucky possessors of splendid fields of potatoes and kumara patches, which give promise of good yields; indeed, crops of all kinds are looking remarkably well, oats especially so. On account of the serious illness of her mother. Miss Dorothy Grenfell has returned from Auckland. WAI-TOI-TOI—URENUI. (From Our Own Correspondent.) During the holidays there has been a larger number of visitors to Urenui than usual, both the hotel and boardinghouse reporting brisk business, and it has been a somewhat difficult matter to find shelter for the various motorcars. The continued wet weather made Mt. Messenger very difficult to negotiate. and many who were desirous of making the trip to Mokau and elsewhere were somewhat disappointed. The dance which is usually held on New Year’s Eve took place on Friday evening, and, despite the unfavorable weather conditions, was well attended, the surplus takings being devoted to the hall funds. The time-honored custom of ringing the church bell to usher the coming of the New Year was observed at 12 o’clock on Saturday evening, there being a good number of residents from the surrounding districts present in the township. On Monday the Stratford races proved the attraction for the. sporting community, whilst others journeyed to New Plymouth to enjoy the seaside picnics. The Wai-toi-toi beach was also well patronised, though the tropical shower during the afternoon caused many to beat a hasty retreat homewards. Taken altogether, though there has been a most unusual amount of wet weather for this season of the year, the various attractions have proved most successful, and whilst matters from a financial point of view might be more satisfactory. most people seemed to have enjoyed themselves, and have entered upon 1922 full of hope that conditions will gradually come back to their normal state.

Very general sympathy is being felt for the settlers of Uruti in the loss they have sustained through their dairy factory being destroyed by fire, this being more unfortunate through occurring in the middle of the season. The cream supply is being dealt with by the North Taranaki factory, being conveyed daily by Mt. J. Fitzgerald's motor lorry from Uruti. It is stated that the company were (as is now the case with many other factories who have a dual plant.) about to turn their attention to cheese making, but, of course, the loss of their building and plant will necessitate a continuance of butter manufacture.

Although it was announced some little time ago that we were to lose the services of Mr. C. Johnson in connection with our daily mail service, it is pleasing to note that this genial ’bus proprietor will still retain the contract. The news that the service will be reduced to a tri-weekly delivery from May to November is not so acceptable, and there is sure to be a strong protest from the public at this retrograde step, many arguing that anything that tends to inefficiency can .hardly be termed economy. It has been suggested that the assistance of the New Plymouth and Waitara Chambers of Commerce should be called into requisition, as well as other public bodies in the district to devise some means whereby the curtailment may be obviated. Though there are yet a few months before the changewill take place, there will be nothing lost bv getting in early, more especially as the wheels of the departmental machinery always seem to turn very slowly when requests of this nature are under consideration. Haymaking operations are practically at a standstill, as those who have hay out cannot do anything whilst the present weather conditions prevail, and those who have crops to cut are waiting for a spell of dry weather before doing so. Though there is an abnormal growth of grass for this period of the year, the milk supply is diminishing somewhat, though the tests are gradually getting higher. The state of the butter market at Home is causing considerable concern amongst those inter-

ested, and again there are others who would like some definite information as to what the shipments of pheese are likely to realise. Those who have turned their attention from sheep-farming to dairying are jn the awkward position of probably having to face a double slump, and having paid high prices for their dairy stock have very little hope of securing much return this season. A large quantity of swedes has been sown during the past week or so, and the weather is all in favor of good strikes. Those early crops of soft turnips which escaped the attention of the fly, etc., are now well forward, and some splendid crops are to be seen in different parts of the district, and present indications point to many of them being ready for use before they are really required, as there is such an abundance of grass. Those who have mangold and carrot crops are experiencing some difficulty in regard to keeping them free from weeds, the continued moisture being conducive to a strong growth, and the absence of dry weather for horse-hoeing is making itself felt.

URUTI. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The last of the season’s dances was held here on Wednesday night, the 21st, under the auspices of the Uruti dancing class, in aid of the hall funds, and was a great success. The music from its inception has been contributed gratis by the Misses Nelly and Kit Murray and others. It has proved a great help to the young ones, quite a number of dancers being added to the assemblies here. Mr. Ernest Jones acted as M.C. in his usual capable manner. Mr. Rowe is in charge of the post office here in the absence of Miss Dempster, who was taken to the hospital with diphtheria. She is now convalescent This is the second case this spring. Mr. Addenbrook has installed an up-to-date milking plant. Christmas Day was all that could be desired for weather, but since then it has been more or less rainy every day. The weather does not suit hay-making. Those who have their swedes sown should get a good take. That the farmer’s lot is not a happy one is exemplified in Uruti at the present time. Last year* we lost threepence a pound on our butter-fat by not taking Nathan and Co.’s offer, but consigning ourselves. Now it will cost us a month’s cheque this season to refund the loss on that consigned. And now our up-to-date butter and cheese factory is burned to the ground and the cream has to be taken by lorry to the North Taranaki factory. We had only cleared this factory of debt last season. We are pleased to see Mr. Charles Barnett has so far recovered from his accident, and is able to get about his farm again.