PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 86, 12 April 1933, Page 3

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

WAIHJ. The sequel to a collision between motor vehicles in February was heard in the Magistrate's Court, when Conrad H. Lewis, of Jlorrinsville, carrier, pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving and failing to pull up. After hearing evidence the magistrate said defendant admitted travelling at from 20 to 25 miles an hour when, his proper speed was 15. If defendant had been travelling at a reasonable speed there would have been sufficient room for vehicles to pass. Defendant was fined £3 with costs. | TE AROxIA. The work of prospecting for gold is proceeding apace in the mountain at Waiorongoinai. and in due course when the sum of £250, received from the March art union, is allotted to prospectors, the number o£ men engaged will he increased. Messrs. H. •T. Pease and Malcolm Hardy attended Tuesday's meeting of the Piako County Council with the request that assistance should be given to open up the Waiorongomai tracks, and other road work due to i facilitate stone being brought down for J crushing purposes to a battery site. The | deputation had little difficulty in convincing the council that assistance was justified, and it was decided to expedite the work with a gang of relief workers, to bo paid out of the unemployment fund for 1 two days and a half per week, and out o£ goldfielcls' revenue for a day and a half, making a total of four days work per week. If is a well-known fact that at Mr. Hardy's claim there are some thousands of tons of ore that will soon bo ready for crushing purposes, and the action of the County Council will be appreciated in facilitating the preliminary work before crushing operations. TE KTJITI. The annual meeting of the Northern King Country sub-provincial district of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held at the Municipal Hall. Mr. V. Simms presided, and there were also present, Messrs. A. E. Robinson, provincial secretary, C. L. Browne, S. A. Cook and Lurman (Otorohanga branch), K. F. Maynard, E. O'Brien (Kawhia), Barlow (Kopaki), S. Riddle (Aria), \V. Taverner and Roberts (Te Kuiti branch). The chairman was reelected to the office of president. The following delegates were appointed to the Whangarei conference to be held on May 23 : Messrs. Cook, Roberts and Browne. Mr. Lurman was appointed a deputy-delegate. A protest was made in a remit against the export of wheSt at-parity prices. In reply to a letter asking for information as to the number of dairy cows poisoned by ragwort in the King Country, the Agricultural Department wrote stating it was not possible to get this information as farmers would not disclose it. In reply to a letter asking that the question of a central reserve bank be deferred pending a mandate from the people, the Minister of Finance wrote stating that this would, receive "due consideration." It was resolved to urge the Government to further investigate the possibilities o£ insect control of ragwort, A protest was recorded against children, attending public schools being called upon to pay for books and stationary. Much sympathy is extended to Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Evans and family in the sudden bereavement of their youngest son Leslie, aged 17, who met with an accident some months ago by striking his head on a snag when diving in the Mangaoweka River. Although lie appeared to have made a complete recovery, some complications set in on Friday- when he was hurriedly removed to the Hamilton Hospital. An operation was performed and the announcement of his sudden death w r as received in town today. The deceased was a member of the Old Boys' Cricket Club and a popular young athlete. OHINEWAI. On Saturday last the fifteenth anniversary of the establishment of the Ohinowai School was celebrated in the presence of a large gathering from all parts of the district, who were welcomed by Mr. E. Foster, chairman of the school committee. The function commenced at 1.30' p.m., and Mr. Foster spoke on behalf of those present. A pleasing feature of the occasion was the presence of Mrs. Coubrough, of Tirau, the first teacher of the Ohinewai school (then Miss A. Blackman), who was presented with a bouquet. Mrs. Goodall and Mrs. Welch, two former teachers, were also presented with bouquets. Speeches were made by Mr. F. Lye. M.P. for Waikato, Mr. A. Burns, ex-chairman of the Auckland Education Board, Mr. W. Birss, late pupil of the school and now headmaster of the Cornwall Park School, Auckland, and Mr. Geo. Smith, representing the Waikato County Council.

Application for the establishment of a school at Ohinewai was first made by Mr. William Birss in September, ISB2, there being upwards of 20 children of school age in the district without means of education. The application was referred to the controlling school committee of the district at Huntly, and on it receiving a favourable recommendation by that body the board decided to establish an "aided" school in a building offered by Mr. R. Muir. The school was accordingly opened under the teachersliip of Miss Alice Blackman at the beginning of April, ISS3, and came under the jurisdiction of the Huntly School Committee.

Nowadays, "aided"' schools are established where there is an average attendance of less than nine. At the time of tho establishment of the Oliinewai School, however, large classes were the order, it being not uncommon to have teachers in charge of classes of from 60 to 80 pupils. It will be understood, therefore, how the Ohinewai School, with only 24 pupils on tho roll, came to be established as an "aided" school. With tho school established, the residents were anxious to elect a school committee in order to further an application for a permanent school building in the district, as the private building occupied was only s makeshift, devoid of all conveniences. The board declined the request, however, owing to the small attendance and the proximinity to Huntly. By the beginning of ISS4, Mr. Muir gave notice that h° required the school building for his own use and offered to donate two acres of land if the board would erect a school building. The offer was finally accepted and a new school was erected in 1885 at a cost of £222. At the conclusion, items were .given by the school children, and afternoon tea was served by the ladies' committee. A dance was held in the evening, and was largely attended, a feature of the function being the grand march, lead by the past and present teachers, Mrs. Coubrough and Mr. W. J. Earle.