KAPONGA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 5 March 1928, Page 10

KAPONGA.

DEFENCE RIFLE CLUB. * ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Ivaponga Defence Rifle Club was held in. the Oddfellows’ Hall, Ivaponga, on Saturday night. There were present: Messrs. L. M. Harrison, president (in the chair), J. McCarthy, A. E. Jackson, C. Harrison, G. R. Smith, G. Harrison. D. Hollard, and A. Schumacher. In presenting the annual report and balance-sheet the president said the club was in a fairly satisfactory position, there being a credit balance of £ll 7s Id. ■With prospective receipts in view, from the sale of empty shells, the club would begin the year in a sound financial positon. During the year the club engaged in some very keenly contested shoots. The club championship was won by .Mr C. Speck, with Mr G. R. Smith, one point behind, as runner-up. Both these marksmen were on the scratch mark. C.

Speck also won the Handicap Cup. During the past year, Messrs F. Vincent (Eltham) and G. R. Smith presented medals for competition. Each of these trophies were won by Master D. Hoi - lard, one of the youngest members of the club, who gave promise of developing into a really good marksman. The club made two unsuccessful attempts to lift the Taranaki Championship Shield from New Plymouth, the shooting by both teams in one of these matches being of a very high order. During the year Mr R. Willis, the club secretary, left the district, and for the remainder of the season the

duties of secretary were capably carried out by Mr J. McCarthy. The club was represented at the recent championship meeting at Trentham by Messrs G. Harrison, C. Speck and A. Schumacher. • ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers for the ensu ing year resulted as follows: Patron, Mr S. J. Hollard; president, Mr L. M. Harrison (re-elected); vice-president, Mr J. McCarthy; secretary, Mr J. McCarthy; executive, Messrs A. Schumacher, G. R Smith, G. Harrison and officers ex. officio; handicapper, Mr J. McCarthy. GENERAL. It was decided that the handicap limit remain as last year —96. Thursdays were decided upon as the club’s shooting days in preference to Saturdays, the opening day being decided upon for Thursday, March 15. It was decided that shooting for tho club’s handicap cup should be over short ranges and that -the championship should be shot Qver short and long ranges up to 900 yards. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.

Without intermisison from the middle of December the local fat stock market has been brisk, and, contrary to tho general impression that the district is devoted almost entirely to dairying, several fine lines of fat lambs have been included in the district draft. During the period mentioned one Riverlea farmer -has turned off 1250 prime lambs and several others in the same locality have sent away well conditioned picks up to 700. These drafts con stituted fully fIU per cent, of the lambs raised on each of the farms concerned, which says much for the grazing qualities of land at the foot of the mountain. -To replace the -stock -thus drawn off, several thousand head of -backcountry breeding ewes have been introduced.

An extra large yarding of store cattle, Jersey weaner heifers, ewes and lambs came forward at the Kaponga yards otf Newton King Ltd. on Friday last. There was a good attendance. Store cattle realised an advance on recent market rates, but Jersey weaner heifers were dull of sale, while good cull lambs were in brisk demand at

13/8; aged ewes sold at 10/11 to 15/8. and. a few forward lambs brought 19/-. There was a fair demand for pigs, the whole penning being quitted 'at satisfactory prices. With the exception o| Jersey weaner heifers, the whole entry changed hands under the hammer. A prominent district pig buyer pro diets a continuance of high values for bacon ers.

Travelling on the Elthara-Kaponga road one is impressed with a peculiarity observable on this route iff connection with the last snowfall on Mt. Egmont. There is a clearly defined vertical line from the summit to the moss line on the northern side of Fantham’s Peak on which scarcely a particle of snow fell during the southerly blizzard of a week ago. Beyond this clearly deaiarked line to the southward, including' Fantham’s Peak, the face of the mountain is covered by a white mantle.

In the words of a. local dairy farmer blessed with a large family of tender years, summer time has proved, in his case, “an unmixed blessing’’ with the exception that in regard to his two youngest children, aged five and sixyears, the starting time at Kaponga public school has been too early by half an hour. Had this school followed the

suit of other district schools, which open at 9.30, there would be no “fly in the ointment’’ so far as concerned himself, his wife and the children, the latter having to walk two miles to school.

Ur lb B. Jones, of the Opunake postal staff, who has- been spending portion of his annual vacation with his parents in Kaponga, returns to duty on Wednesday next.

T’he keenness displayed by members of' the local club in their fortnightly contests was exemplified by a member who resides in Hawera. On Saturday ■ast he missed the service car to Kaponga, and rather than miss his chance ii tin l club’s ten-mile race round the It own n Rond block, ho rode the intervening .18 mill's to Kaponga, arriving m time to avail himself of his handicap. In liis race ho rode into fourth position and scored points for putting op the fastest time. The large fields which continuously contest the club’s fixtures arc the natural outcome of the dogged determination of its members to give it a go,” as did the Ilawera man on Saturday.

The Eltham County Council staff is engaged in widening the tar-sealed sur-