RIVERLEA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 6 August 1926, Page 6

RIVERLEA.

(From Our Own Correspondent)

METEOROLOGICAL

July this year has been an exceptionally mild month, with little high; wind, and-—unusual for July—ony one frost, a fariy sharp one, on the 4th. 'The rainfall for the month until the 24th was much be'ow the average, but then exceptionally heavy rain fell for three days to a total of 4.69 inches, being made up of 1.12 inches on the 24th, 2.01 on the 25th, and 1.56 inches on the 26th. For the rest of the month just two inches fell." In spite of this there were no long spells of fine weather, never, in fact, more than two days at a time. Only one gale was recorded, on the 25th, and that was accompanied by very heavy rain, and was very warm also, the thermometer that day reading- the> highest for the month. Southerly and westerly winds prevailed, blowing from the .south-east on twelve days; from the west on eleven days; south-west on three days; north-west on two days, and from south, northeast and east on c day each. There were no calm days recorded. In all there were six fine days, one of which, the 20th, was cloudless. Nine days wore fair, six fair to cloudy, six cloudy to overcast and four completely overcast. Tile thermometer was never exceptionally low, though it was only 42° Fall, on the 4th, when the only frost of the month was recorded. The highest temperature, 57deg. Fall., was recorded on the 25th, despite the heavy nor-west gale blowing and heavy rain. The mean reading for the month was 49.5 deg. Fall. The barometer throughout remained fairly high, and never, even during the heavy rain at the beginniiicr of the last week of the; month, dropped below 29.00. as it usually does here when there is bad weather about. The lowest barometrical reading was 29.10 on the 16tli and 24th, and the highest 29.75 on. , the 2nd: and 31st, the mean lor the mouth being 29.425, which is fairly high. Rain fell on 19 days, to a total of 6.69 inches, which is just about exactly the average for the month, that being 6.6925 inches. The maximum orecipitation was 2.01 inches on the 25th, and the minimum a. trace merely on the 29th. It is a- somewhat peculiar coincidence that during the last three months ,n trace of rain has been recorded on the 29th of the month and traces are rather rare. This year more rain fell in July than, last year, when only 4.21 inches fell on seventeen days, which was also the driest July in my records. The wettest was that of 1915, when 10.93 inches fell on only twelve days, but which included ft downpour of 4.80 inches on the 21st of the month, some eleven, points more than fell in the three days of heavy rain this year.

So far this year 40.42 inches of rain have fallen on 111 days, against only 32.21 inches on 109 days.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting of thq Riverlea school committee was held oh Tuesday evening, there being present: Messrs B. L. Y/ebbv (chairman), IC. liothe, R, Hook, J. Stables, and M. F. Vouliaire (secretary). Business was mostly of a routine nature, but included a report from Mr. Syme, agricultural instructor, advising further improvements by laying down of lawns, etc. -Miss Morecraft, in her monthly report, stated that the roll number was now 76, hut, owing to the epidemic of influenza, the average attendance had been down to 56 for the month. She desired point out also that whereas many little ones were kept home on wet- mornings, there were many times when the weather cleared up a, little later, and it would be much better to send them then, even if they were- a little late, than to keep them home. If the average attendance, which for months past had been about 68 or 69, were to reach 70 the school would be entitled to a probationer, and this would mean great benefit, particularly to the little ones, whose frequent absences were the only reason why the average- had not reached this figure long ago. Members of the committee hope that parents will take the- hint and send their youngsters to school, even if sometimes they are a. little late because of the morning being wet. Even a lialf-day counts.

It was decided to hold a working bee on Thursday' to fetch the- shingle required for the new outhouses which are shortly’ to he erected. GENERAL.

The dairy factory, 'which has been closed for a. while, resumed work on July 26, with about a dozen suppliers. Cows, however, are rapidly coming in, and practically all the suppliers are now running. Separating is at present being done, though probably cheese will not be long delayed. At present the staff consists of only Mr. McLeod, manager, and Mr, Eden, first assistant-.

Influenza has been pretty rife here, and practically every household has been affected more or less. It seems to have been rather more violent than usual, but I am glad to say that 'no one here has succumbed to the malady.

PERSONAL

Mr. E. Wills, late manager of the local factory, lias been appointed manager of the Douglas factory, and left here with his family for his new home on Tuesday last. There have been a number of changes here this year, though- not so very many. Mr. Josephson has taken over the farm recently held by Messrs Gibson Bros., and Mr. J. Kenyon that of Mr. Lonsdale, while I understand that Mr. Mark, of Stratford, has disposed of his interest in his farm on the Mangawher-o Load, though I have not heard who the purchaser is. Mr. H. Wills has gone- to Kaupokohui, and I understand Mr. Fitzgerald i-s running sheep on that farm. Down towards the Sheet Road, Mr. Chapman has come in from the Glenn Road, whilst on the Upper Mangawhero Road Mr. Mathews has departed, though again I do not know who goes in there. On Mr. G. Gibson’s farm, where Mr. -Murray was milking last year, Mr. Kirk, is now in possession.