PIO PIO.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1220, 5 June 1919, Page 5

PIO PIO.

Own Correspondent. Although the winter is on us, the district on the whole can more than compare favourably with any part of the Dominion. Farmers have in most cases made plenty of provision for the winter months, and provided we do not get too many severe frosts the outlook is very favourable. The people of the town and district are to be congratulated on their energy in a great public need, viz., the public library, which is in course of erection.

Mr Brown has about completed and shifted into his new home, a building worthy of our rising township. The employees of the factory have painted it, also the adjoining buildings, and although they don't profess to be artistic, they can hold their own with the brush. This is a decided saving to the Company, seeing that the work has been done at slack intervals.

As regards recreation for the young folks, we are advancing in leaps and bounds. Tennis, football and basketball clubs have been formed, and each are well patronised. The pity is that they should clash, Saturday afternoons being the only times available, and our grounds not permitting of all playing on the same site. It behoves the Domain Board to get a hustle on, and see that something is done towards improving the ground, which could be easily done without interfering with the lessee's interests. The veterans are the only class whose pleasure is not provided for. What price that lovely game called bowls ? Arise, old horses, you can do it. A little enthusiasm is all that is required, and now that our genial postmaster has returned from his holiday considerably improved in health, we look to him to give us a lead. A nice, steady, aristocratic game like bowls would suit a lot of us who are approaching the sere and yellow.

Football seems the predominating sport with all classes. Loth old and young. The writer counted over one hundred saddle horses, besides gigs, buggies and motorcars, at Saturday's matches.

Pio Pio juniors played Mangaotaki, resulting in a win for the former by 9 points to 3. The star attraction, Pio Pio seniors v. Hangatiki, was again an easy win for Pio Pio by 22 to nil. Mr McNae refereed the local match, and Mr Wilson, of Te Kuiti, the match of the day. While allowing the boys every latitude in our township, the practise of playing football in the street is to be deplored, as it certainly is a danger, if not to the public, to private property. All fairminded people would appreciate this being discontinued. As regards the roads, the less said about them the better. The 14-mile hill, and a stretch between that point and the 12-mile, being neither " things of beauty nor a source of joy." Those who are accountable for the upheaval deserve to have their names handed down to posterity as men whose talents have been wasted, seeing the. good work they would be capable of in blocking the progress of an advancing enemy. Owing to the state of the road, the Hangatiki footballers were hung up in our township until Saturday afternoon. Motorists prefer the journey to Te Kuiti by Mairoa, although twice the distance. In justice to the contractor, who is not to blame in the least for the present state of the road, it should be said that he is doing his level best to improve matters All old residents will be pleased to hear of two more Pio Pio boys, in the persons of Robert Hickey and Pcrcival Davis, arriving back safe and well after paying their respects to the Hun. Mr Harold Houten, another pioneer of our district, is also with us again, and although not quite his old self, is busy with his farming operations.