TARIKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1922, Page 7

TARIKI.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The weather just now, coming as it does after the prolonged cold, frosty, but at the same time delightful days, weeks and months of winter time, is just the kind the farmers ordered, and every morning one might hear some of them congratulating one another on their own keen judgment and foresight exercised earlier in the year when placing their orders with the chief clerks of the weather. The cows are coming to profit in much bet-

ter condition than has been the case for many a long year, and so .far everything on the farms, as well as in the gardens, looks lovely. The only cloud visible in the firmament is the high priced land, though this, of course, does not apply to all.

Another very enjoyable dance—or, perhaps, it deserves the more dignified title of a ball—was held in the Tariki hall on Tuesday night, August 8, under the auspices of the Tariki football club. There were quite a number of new, stylish and pretty dresses noticeable among the gay throng, but in this case I think it wiser not to go into detail. The floor was good, and the supper excellent. The music was again supplied by Messrs. Rogers and Spurdie’s orchestra, giving entire satisfaction. Mr. Syd. Laurence made a very efficient M.C. It is rumored that there is a movement on foot to dispose of the present hall piano, it being considered that the instrument is far too good for the job; in other words, it means that a good piano requires and is worth some occasional attention in order to get the best out of it, whereas with a poor one there is no best in it, and needs no attention.

Cribbage parties are dying a very slow and lingering sort of death in Tariki. Everyone is seemingly loth to cry enough. This is perhaps particularly applicable to the ladies, many of whom are really keen and expert players.

A jolly little party of lovers of the game assembled at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens on Thursday night, when the ladies undertook to show the gents how to play and win. The gentlemen, thinking they had previously gone quite far enough with their acts of chivalry, accepted the challenge, and won with a margin of fourteen games, and now it is being said that they were not at all gallant with their opponents. On Friday night. August 11, an attempt was made to revive interest in the old and almost defunct Tariki Tennis Club, or to form an entirely new one, the chief or primary object being to lay - down one or more new courts on a different Site. It should be mentioned that Tariki was never intended to develop into a flourishing township by the wise men of old, to whom was entrusted the task of selecting the various township sites along the old mountain road, and which was mostly done in the dense virgin forest that existed in those days. They seemed to have got badly out of step, bushed, or something, as they apparently walked right past or over Tariki without recognising Its future possibilities, and set out their township two or three miles farther south, just where nobody wanted it. But Tariki could not be repressed, and, like Topsy, it just growed. I am not quite sure as to what particular fertilizer was used to force this gjowth, but think it was probably sawdust, and will try to find out later from some of the ancients. However, it grew, but unfortunately, while growing, the fact that a day would come when something in the shape of a public domain or sports ground would be required in which the overworked people might have an opportunity of recreating their vital energies, was badly overlooked, and this oversight has been a cause of constant worry and annoyance to all manner of sports committees in the district for many years.

Hitherto tennis has been played on an asphalt court, put down some years ago in the school grounds, and from the start it was considered by many to be a mistake, as it interfered with the children's playground, which was already too small, besides distracting their attention from lessons if played during school hours. As a result of the recent meeting, negotiations are being entered into for the lease of a piece of land belonging to the railway department. The football club have had the use of a paddock kindly put nt their disposal by Mr. E. Trasse. The only drawback to this is that It is rather far away from the township, but this difficulty is likely to be surmounted by the offer of Mr. J. Butler, who is offering the club the use of his paddock under very favorable conditions, so at present it appears pro- ■ babla that the desires of both tennis and football enthusiasts will be fairly well catered for in this respect.

There is also quite a number of would-be bowlers who are on the look-out for something permanent in the way of territory whereon to pitch their camp, and a meeting will probably be held in the near future to consider what can be done, and how many are likely to join up.