OTAKEKO.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 24 April 1913, Page 5

OTAKEKO.

iJPROM OCB OWV COB.RWtONVZm.I In the good time coming when the local hail is lighted with electric light generated by the harnessing of the suirs rays, and when the iron has been remove.l from the proximity of the road left by a recent fire, when the people have received the autographs of all the -autocrats and democrats of note in this Dominion, they will doubtless remember the place iii which they live and bestir themselves a little for the- betterment of poor civilisation, which in the commercial age of hustle and self is either forgotten or ignored; not only to the detriment of self but of others who, whilst desirous of progress, feel the weight and responsibility of the undertaking too great. The annual meeting of householders for tbe- election of a School Committee is to be held on Monday evening next and I wosder how many of those people who always plead and pray for education and more education and higner educational facilities for the children of the back-blocks, will be present to approve or. disapprove of the committee's activities during the past twelve months. The committee, as at present constituted, have proved not only Liberals in their endeavors to satisfy the demands made upon their limited exchequer, but are also Reformers in their desire to get out of the beaten track and do something practicable for the local school and scholars, and who only need the vote of continued confidence- to carry out the good work started; but past experience leads me to think that the committee only will be sufficiently interested to attend, and will shake hands with themselves for the good efforts made and will perforce consent to re-election or leave the school without a committee. It has been suggested that a Beach Improvement Society be formed here for the purpose of erecting stfieds for those people who find pleasure in a "dip in ike briny," that they may kave a place ia which to change,, and which shall fee removed far. frOm tke maddiag crowd who in. the summer mouths patronise the local beach. This is a step in the right direction, one of practical progree*, and when the meeting is called I hope tkat something.-tangible will ev«lve for Hfce benefit of all who find pleasure in a day's outing on the beach. , Winter is fast approaching and with its usual clearing sales and exodus of farmers, who under the temptation of high prices offering for farm lands, .will be selling and leaving for fresh fields and pastures new, and who will be taking Kipling's words to heart and become citizens of "those far flung fields of Empire." The dairying season is now drawing to a close, and the farmers will have a few months to go over the season's working and compare it with previous years, and those who say it has not been of the best, or even up to expectations warranted by the returns in the spring, will^oubtless find that the fault has notjj||^n altogether due to the climatic "|i^ttditions, but rather to themselves, vKjib have keptcows which should have been culled and which were late calvers. Farmers generally, speak of a fairly good season and speak hopefully of next season being better because they will have done this and that, and will not have so and so to contend with, thus gaining the experience which is yearly turning dairying into science- and hastening the day when Taranaki will have trebled the number of scientists now engaged" in the science of dairying. Mr F. Burgess, of the local store, will be leaving, I hear, in a feis davs."Fneddv" will be much missed in and aronnd Otakpho. where lie has won the esteem of all with whom he has pome in contact by his kind and obliging disposition, and also by his esrtremely p-enial nature.. He will also be missed from the mnk? of tbe Woimate seniors, for w^om he nlavpd last rear and who nlayed^ prominently and consistent!v thrmnrTinnt the season. His regret at lfiavi" nr vnll f o a certain extent be remnved in tbp knowledge that bp ct*"' 0*! with him not only the regrets of- the people but also their best wishes for his advancement and prosperity.