Whatawhata News.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3752, 8 April 1908, Page 2

Whatawhata News.

The heaviest rain since the break up of the drought fell on Monday, when several inches must have fallen in a few hours. This may be the wind-up of the showery weather that has prevailed for several weeks and has certainly been of immense benefit to the district generally, practically ensuring a fair supply of winter feed. Pastures are no w beautifully green and if growth is not checked will be full of feed in a week or to. Turnips also, through patchy and thin in places, are making rapid strides, and present a very different appearance to the wretched crops of last season. Owing to improved pastures the milk supply from dairy herds is showing an increase which will result in the local creamery being kept open onger than was at one time expected. Butter fat percentages are better than usual, from 4 to 5 per cent being the average, which helps to make up for the. smaller quantity handled. The flax business of this district has received a set back through low prices and the slack demand for the raw material. A substitute for the employment of working men has turned up in the bush felling and hauling of timber from Mr Knight's bush, which has now commenced and will take a year to two to complete. Messrs Coulthard Bros, have purchased the timber; chiefly kahikatca, and the contract for cutting and delivering the logs into the Waipa river has been let to Mr Merlo, who has a gang of men -and teams of bullocks now at work.'

Our roads are now showing the effects of the soft weather and again remind us, that though excellent for summer use, they will not,unless properly metalled, stand much traffic in wet weather. For the purpose of metalling portions of the County roads that have been recently graded out of loan money, it is proposed to bring down stone from the Kaniwaniwha creek, where banks of gravel and shingle of a very hard nature are piled up in the stream. I regret to report what seems to be another and fatal case of typhoid, the victim being a native. The surrounding circumstances point to the necessity for a closer inspection of their homes and mode of living than_ now obtains.

I append a letter written by a member of the school committee to the chairman giving some details of the latest typhoid case, which voices the feelings of the parents of children attending the school. The question is a difficult one to deal with,and only the Health Officer has the authority to enforce the necessary reforms. "I am sorry to state that typhoid is still prevalent in this distirct, and has broken out amongst the Maoris. A daughter of old Catherine's died several days ago and was buried terday, and the symptoms point to typhoid. During the tangi which followed, native children attended the school during the day, after being all night amongst the natives, who were at the tangi. I think this should not be allowed and the health officer should be notified."