KATIKATI ITEMS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1791, 22 January 1885, Page 4

KATIKATI ITEMS.

[PROM OVIi OY?N CORRESPONDENT."]

A meeting of ratepayers was held in the No. 2 School, on Saturday, 10th instant, for the purpose of discussing the new mail arrangements. Amongst those present were Captain Hugh Stewart, Captain Macmillan, Captain Spargo, Messrs Gilbert, Mooney, "^HSißUUSjlieech, John Turner, John "WilsonTuTH. Gledstanes, and A. "W. ■ Fisher. Captain Hugh Stewart, Chairman of the District Road Board; was called to the chair, and in a vigorous speech protested against the disgraceful way in which we had been treated by the postal authorities, the mail contractor having at one time offered to run the coach three times a week for the came sum that he was running it twice. Our mails now went at the rate, of eight miles a day. He then invited free discussion on the subject. Captain Macmillan, in a masterly manner, exposed the many inconveniences' the new arrangement occasioned us, and after touching on the subject in all its bearings, moved that ; the Chairman telegraph to the Post-master-General, requesting him, if this s, retrograde step of allowing us but two s ; mails a week -is persisted in, to alter the day from Tuesday to Wednesday for leaving Tauranga. Hitherto it was impossible to receive answers to letters from Tauranga by return of post, as the Katikati letters only reached there at 10 p.m.', and left at 5 the next morning. Mr A. W. Fisher seconded the motion, which was carried nem. con. Harvesting has been universal during the past week, the weather being most favourable. On the whole the crops are a good average, some being especially heavy. I may particularise the oats of Mr Mervyn Stewart and Mr Taylor, but Mr Tanner, Canon Johnston, Mr Shaw and others have had very satisfactory yields. I may add that the vicinity of the Tauranga Chemical Manure Company is beginning to be felt in the sister settlement. The concert in aid of the No. 2 School site- fund was in every way a perfect success. Financially it realised ': more than its most' sanguine wellwishers anticipated. The TJretara Minstrels well sustained their reputation as a first-class troupe. C;'"l Our settlers are going in largely for Captain Macmillan, Messrs Shaw and Jonathan Tanner have just invested in new vehicles; the two

former in very neat light machines, the latter in a substantial and commodious four-wheeler.

The Church Committee held a meeting on the 10th, and the present lamentable state of affairs was discussed. It was finally resolved, on the motion of Mr Cecil Gledstanes, that the Bishop be written to, with a request to permanently appoint some clergyman to the district, and the Committee will do all in their power to raise a sufficient stipend. A clergyman of moderate views could rely on a hearty support from our settlers. The annual election of School Committees for Katikati North and South is to be held on the 26th inst. .