OTAKEHO.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 2501, 10 August 1893, Page 2

OTAKEHO.

fFEOM ODE OWN CORBKSPOHDSXT.) Wa bad a decided cbaogo Jo tb« wefttbtr' out this way about eigbt days ago. U^t. to that time the normal stats was about W ontt fine day in every four, bat rinee that time the clerk has altered it to one in eigbt. It is scarcely necessary to say tbat the i roads are in a frightful state. Impofaibl* to take a cart along most of them, and it is not very safe oo horseback in several places, Mud boats are getting to be ail the " go ;" I notice that permission to nee such has been given bj one local body ; but if we keep on progressing as things generally promise at present, the time is cot far distant wben faaodj little steam tugs and rafts will be in universal request on tbe buah roads. Expense next to nil— plenty of timber, cheap fuel. Cattle and aheep tbat hare to depend on grass alone for their feed art not look* ing very well. In spite of tbe fact that there is little laokot feed, most growing cattle present a pinched and wieby ap» pearaoce, and no wonder, on account of ( tbe watery" etnff they consume and the want of a ray of sunshine to dry lbew coats. Strange to say, notwitbstandiof - tbe amount of rain we have bad, the temperature is high, more like spring than winter, and aa a ooneeqaenee tbe grass bas been making a jecided mart duung tbe past fortnight, and an early spring ie predicted by maay. Tbe New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company and Mr J. C. George't firm would appear to have been playing a came of « Hide and Seek « with* tbe deifying men of tbe Ratanui district. First one firm and then the other promised to erect \ a faotorv, until tbe settlers were a good deal divided in their decision at to wbieh offer Bbould be aeoepted ; but Mr Georn it seems— who by (be way bad the imide running from tbe start— ia tbe winning man, and tbe building of a cheese factory ■ is to be begun immediately. It ia doubtful whether tbe supply will be as large to the cheese factory as if a butter factory bad been put op. Calves won't do oo whey alone, and the bush settler, unlike bis neighbour in the open, is not yet in a position to go in for tbe plough or the reaping machine. Mr George had a meeting with bis Otakeho suppliers about a week ago r» price of milk for coming season, 3d per gallon was fixed on. Tb» same figure is to be paid at bmh factory Tbe rapid growth of the dairying industry bas a marked effect pn the valtei of all classes of dairy stock. Anything hke oboice animals bring fancy figures. Tbe Mutual Improvement Society's meetings still continue to bs a great Buccess ; debates and socials on alternate nights. The debate on single v. indirect taxation a fortnight ago was listened to by about sixty people, including a •prinkling of the fair sex, ? Besides the set debates impromptu speaking has also been instituted. No one knows bis subject j until he gets on bis feet and draws it lottery fashion. He then reads it out and flounders along as best he can. Wben it is not instructive it is amusing— sometimes both. About tbe most successful speaker in this line is a young lady who gave the society a taste of what may be expected from the newly enfranchised. She drew a peculiarly puzzling subject, looked at it and said, " I do not understand the subject and therefore oannot speak on it.** The president complimented her on hat brief and pithy speech. The outcome of v these debates will be that a terrible lot ol " spouting " men will be produced in ear midst, and I expect our member, wben he next comes this way, will have a warm half hour of is at question time. Ltjfed, he is sure to be asked to solve still afore puszling problems than tbe harbor one. I hear tbat the question of salejacde Ibr this place is onoe more revived, and tbat a firm of auctioneers has offered to put up.' yards if tbe people of Otakebo find tbe site. This difficulty Bbould easily be got over— only a matter of £20 I should think. Wake up you people about tbe township, saleyards is just tbe thing— plenty of people about, plenty of trade— farmers will fiod . the cattle, you do jour part and lookup this section for tbe auctioneer. A draughts tournament between Otakeho and MaDaia, nine men aride, comes off tbis week at Manaia. Mr Bleir , captains the local players. - : '