OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1922, Page 5

OPUNAKE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The Ihaia loan proposal of £5OOO to tar-seal the road was carried at the poll taken on Wednesday. The voting was: For, 28 votes; against, 17; informal, 1. The council will practically be forced to go in for tar-sealing. The plant to tar-seal the Ihaia Road will have to be purchased out of general revenue. Loan money cannot be used for purchasing plant. Probably by the time the Ihaia Road work is completed, other by-roads will need the use of the plant. A school sports’ association, comprising representatives from school committees in the Egmont County, has been formed, with headquarters at Opunake. The first championship meeting will be held in February. The boys’ scouts and girl guides are making preparations for holding functions in aid of a uniform fund.

I At a meeting of the power board it ; was decided to purchase a pole crane ’ from Te Awamutu, at a cost of £l5O. 1 A duplicate turbine had also been pur- | chased at a price of £llBO. The reguj lation wire (No. 12) now required will , mean an increased cost of £9OO. The ; lowest tender for copper wire and cables j required (about 225 miles) was £5OOO, delivered at Opunake. The prices for poles (9 to 11% inches in diameter, 35 feet, in length) was £4.300. At Pihama on Wednesday, the Opunake bowlers were defeated by the local men by a sinall margin of 8 points in a four-rink game. The large concrete building that is in course of construction (opposite the post office.) is being erected by a native. The whole of the construction work is being done by Maoris. Mr. Goodey, foreman of the Opua riding (county council) has had to relinquish duty for a few weeks, owing to a poisoned hand. The appointment of a medical adviser to the Opunake hospital is creating a fair amount of discussion at the hospital board and in local circles. Perhaps a little tact on the side of both parties would easily overcome the trouble. The constant whipping winds experienced here during this month is unusual weather, and unpleasant for man and beast. An unusually large number of pupils were examined by the school inspectors during the week for proficiency test. The Convent school had ten candidates. Now that Ihaia is going in for five miles of tar-sealed road, is it not time the Opunake main road was completed? Some 12 years ago a fair sized strip was put down as an experiment. The Town Board contributed £25 towards the cost, At that time it was believed by doing a. little each year (if the experiment proved successful), the mile length would bg done out. of riding revenue. I wonder when the council will come to the conclusion that the experiment has proved successful?