PIAKO.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1195, 24 February 1880, Page 2

PIAKO.

ANNUAL RACES. A meeting of the committee formed for the purpose of carrying out the annual race meeting was held at the Nottingham Castle Hotel on Saturday afternoon. Present : Messrs S. Ticklepenny, J. Turnhull, T. Rowe, J. Wood, H. Biirbridge, C. Collins, Alexander Bremner, and Sandes (chairman). Mr Bremner's name having been added to the committee, that gentleman kindly consented to act as Treasurer. It was resolved to open an account at the Bank of New Zealand, Hamilton, and all arrangements were made for getting the course fixed for the day of the meeting. A letter was written to Inspector Thomson, A.C., requesting him to send some members of the police force to Morrinsville on the 17th of March. The subscription list was produced, and the amount already promised was satisfactory, and as it will be considerably augmented before the date, the members present were quite happy on that score. The total amount of prizes to be given is £100, besides sweeps. A proposal was made that a Club be formed in the district, so as to make the institution a more perma* nent one ; but after considerable discussion it was resolved, on the advice of the Chairman, to take no action in the matter until after the races, when a meeting of the public of the district could be held, and the point decided at a general meetmeeting. The course is in very good order, though hard ; but Jupiter Pluvius will surely be generous enough to send a supply of moistening salve before the 17th, and that would make it all that can be desired.

SCHOOL f'OMMJTTEK. A full meeting of the District School Committee was held on Saturday afternoon at the schoolroom, Morrinsville, for the purpose of voting for three members for the Board of Education out of the four candidates. This having been done, the committee proceeded to ordinarybusiness. The action of the Board of Education in attempting to have two half-time schools— one at Morrinsville, and one at Waihou — was veiy strongly condemned, as there are now 18 children on the roll at Morrinsville, and as some more juveniles are coming to the neighborhood they expect to have 25 in a very short time. The committee thought that a half-time school would not be attended nearly as regularly as a full-time one. A new teacher (Mr Warren) has been sent up by the Board, and, although he arrived unexpectedly — no intimation of his appointment having reached either the committee or the general public, the average attendance last week was 10, and thia week will be up to 15. The report which appeared in a late issue regarding a trip through to Taui;anga made by Inspector Emerson, was a little out in some matters. For instance, it made out that there was no J.P. within 40 miles of Waihou. This is hardly the case, as Mr W. P. Chepmell resides in the Piako district, and is at all times available. A meeting was to be held on Saturday evening at Waihou, it the extension of the railway to Om.ihu at once, the particulars of which will no doubt be forwarded to you. The settlers cannot understand the principle which has actuated that noble body the P.W. staff to call for tenders for a section of the line ending in the centre of a large flat— a few miles short of where a station is to be put up,— and then not even completing the survey of the remaining portion, for which tenders cannot now possibly be called by the 3 1st March. The site of the station at Waihou has been fixed just down behind Messrs Campbells township, and the Government are about to lay out a township round the station, so that this part of the world ought to be well sup« plied with building sites for some time to come. I heai- that Campbell Bros, arc cutting up the whole of their property mto sections., and propose selling them at an early date. This will give an opportunity to those so wishing it of acquiring good holdings, a good deal of the soil being of superior quality.—[Correspondent.]