OTIRA NOTES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18302, 9 February 1925, Page 7

OTIRA NOTES.

(FBOM OTO . OWK. CORBESPONMOTT.) OTIRA, February 7. Mr P. Bennett, of the local. Traffic Office, is spending a well-earned holiday. He is being relieved by Mr H. Cowan, of the Greymouth Traffic Department. Superintendent C. Brown . and his wife have left for a (holiday trip'to the North Island. The weather at Otira has been for the last five weeks perfect. Old residents state that they do not remember such a long spell of fine weather. All precautions have been taken against the spread of infantile pafalysis. Children ar© prohibited from attending the local pictures. The local railway staff picnic \has been poned. . The new school is nearing completion and will be ready for occupation when the schools reopen. The new Fire Brigade • Station built by the Railway Department will shortly be in use.

Messrs Gibbs, Hhipps and Morgan, who are leaving h'fere on transfer, were tendered a social evening in the Railway Hall on Friday. Each was presented'with a wallet with' contents. Mrs Langford, wife of the local stationmaster, has left for Christchurch to attend the funeral of her mother. The local hotel has lately been full q{ visitors and tourists, who speak highly of the scenery of Otira. Mrs W. Young and family have returned- from Sumner after a few weeks holiday. Mr and- Mrs A. Williams and family have also ■ returned after a pleasant time spent in New Brighton. A cricket matah. was held last week on the Otira Recreation Ground, between the three branches of the railway service, Traffic, Loco and Power Station. The first match was between Traffic and Loco and resulted in a win for Traffic by 33 runs. The winners afterwards piayed the Power Station, which resulted in a win for Traffic by seven wickets.

Another match will be played' thi3 week-end.

Already many farmers in the King Country are for the first time in their experience in that region getting in large quantities of coal for winter use before the roads get too bad (says the "Star")- Wood has always been very plentiful till recently. When it has become much scarcer. Labour has been so hard to get this season that it has been impossible to get a cord of good rata cut under 30s, then there is the cost of carting on top of that. Wood was never so expensive in the outback districts as now, and the oldtime bushman who used to be able easily to earn his £1 a dfty at firewood cutting seems to have died out, and those who have taken his place are not able to split their cord a day. Coal, when got in truck loads, can 6e got to the farm at a cheaper rate than firewood, and it just shows the trend of the times, for the old order in the country districts is giving way to different methods.