OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1922, Page 6

OPUNAKE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) At the last meeting of the Town Board the special order authorising the raising of a loan of £lOOO for the erection of workers’ dwellings was confirmed. The rate to guarantee the loan is l-7d in the £. The tender of Mr. E. J. Wallis for the supply of collars for registered stock (2s 9d) was accepted. Mr. W. J. S. Dudley notified the board, claiming £lOO for permanent disablement of a hand injured when in the employ of the Town Board. It was referred to a special committee to report. The Town Board passed a resolution requiring owners of stock applying for registration to give a written guarantee that they would provide feed in the winter for their stock. The localty-owned stock that are permitted, on the authority of the board, to full rights and privileges to wander on the township are a nuisance in many respects. They become experts in getting into gardens, and devour choice shrubs, but the resolution of the board does not absolve any party from liability under the common law. It is well known that the board has only the right to authorise the ranger not to impound registered stock. A local ratepayer can still impound or claim damages if damages are incurred, despite the board’s transient authority. The masquerade ball promoted in aid of the Federal Band’s funds was well attended. The music was provided by Messrs. P. Parker (piano), W. McNeill (violin), J. Humphries (cornet), S. Robinson (side drum). The waltzing competition for the best couple was won by Mr. P. Holmes and Miss L. Vincent. There were not many in character dress. The “Bing Boys” (Messrs. Edmonds) created a good deal of amusement, and were awarded the comic prize; Miss Gladys Hammond (Jazz Pierrette) the ladies’ prize; and an Eltham visitor as “A Bloke from Another Sphere” the most original character prize. A serious accident happened to Tom Duffy, one of the players in the Opunake “A” football team, when returning to Opunake in Mr. Whittem’s car. A mile or so on this side of the Oeo Hotel the car met a vehicle on the road. The vehicles were travelling in opposite directions. The driver of the car was close on to the vehicle —a trap or cart, driven by a Maori —before noticing it. The driver of the car swerved sharply to avert a direct collision, but the swerve was not sufficient to clear the rear of the car from the shafts of the vehicle. Duffy was sitting in the rear outside seat of the car, and received the full impact of the shaft of the vehicle in the lower ribs, and he was rendered insensible. A Manaia doctor was quickly on the scene, and found the injuries to Duffy were serious. After attending to the injuries the doctor had Duffy removed to the Manaia hospital. The young fellow is of vigorous constitution, and it is the earnest hope of all that he will make a quick recovery. Mr. Duffy has been very unfortunate. Last year he broke his -m when playing football. Opunake was exceptionally well represented at the Manaia Hibernian Sports. The seven-a-side football tournament was won by Opunake, and the Highland fling and reel first prizes came to Opunake. A very well-known settler, Mr. Croftskey, died at Pihama on Saturday night. At a meeting of the School Committee on Tuesday night the headmaster (Mr. Cron) reported that the average attendance for the quarter ending March 31 was 124.8. It is expected that work in connection with the hydro-electric scheme will be pushed on more energetically during the winter, as an instalment of £20,000 of the £70,000 loan has been assured. It is reported that the Oaonui Dairy Company have sold their make of butter for the late period of the season at Is 2d. The price is a frequent topic of conversation at the skimmed-milk tank. Opunake Dairy Company has refused Is 4d.