TANGITU

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3443, 15 March 1932, Page 7

TANGITU

(Own Correspondent.)

The weather here during the last week or two has been of a real summer character, with the exception of very boisterous weather for about two days at the beginning of the week. Everything is now calling for rain, and a good fall of same within the next few days would do a wonderful amount of good. The Public Works lorries are pushing on with the metalling of the Kokara Road, Mokauiti. There have been as many as eight lorries on the go some days, and Takiri Road has been a very busy scene daily with this traffic and the ordinary traffic of the district. It is expected that 'the metalling of this road will be completed towards the end of this month The metalling of this road will mean an inestimable benefit to the settlers concerned for the com|ing winter, these having had to put up with extremely bad conditions for transport of their cream and other produce for the last twenty years. The Mokauiti mill timber lorry has now completed cartage of the royalty metal owing on timber carted, and with the carting of this metal the activities of Wilson's mill in this district terminates. One thing must be admitted, that is, that all the, roads over which timber has been carted by this company are now in a much better state that when this company started operations in the district, owing to a very large j amount of maintenance metal having j been back-carted and distributed over the whole length. These lorries will be greatly missed by the settlers along the road, the drivers of which were at all times ready to do everything in the way of little but very valuable services to all the settlers, when asked. Many thanks are also due to the timber carting contractor and owner of the lorries—Mr. W. Hoskins, Otorohanga—for his readiness to allow these small services being done by his drivers. Mrs. W. Steele,' of Devonport, Auckland, is on a visit to her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Blundell, Tangitu. We understand that the dance, held under the auspices of the Mapiu Tennis Club, in the Tangitu Hall, at the last week-end, was a decided success from every point of view. A good crowd present, good music, splendid supper, all made the conditions ideal for an enjoyable evening. We understand that the funds will benefit by a good sum.

A dance will be held in the Tangitu Hall on Saturday, 19th inst., under the auspices of the Tangitu school committee, and in aid of the school prize and picnic fund. A meeting of the board of directors of the Tangitu Hall Co., Ltd., was held in the hall on Saturday, sth inst., at 7.30 p.m.. There were present Mr. S. J. Bartlett (chairman), Messrs. J. T. Dixon, J. Sullivan, J. Andrew*, W. P. Bleasel, and W. F. Hopkins (directors), and the secretary, Mr. J. Jones. The statement of accounts, submitted by the secretary for the year ending with the 31st of the present month, was adopted as satisfactory. The secretary was congratulated on the efficient manner in which he had attended to the interests of the Company. All retiring directors by rotation expressed the intention of offering themselves for a further period of office. Mr. R. C. Bowick, chairman of the Tangitu school committee, waited on the board with certain suggestions from his committee for improvements in and around the hall property, in the matter of tree planting, etc After a lengthy discussion it was resolved that the chairman of the board make a general inspection of the property in relation to the suggestions of the school committee and report thereon at the next meeting of the board. A meeting of the district suppliers of the New Zealand Co-op. Dairy Co., Lt., will be held in the Tangitu Hall on Tuesday, 15th inst., at 1.30 p.m., when it is expected that there will be a large attendance of suppliers. The monthly meeting of the executive of the Tangitu District Settlers' Association (Incorp.) was held in the Tangitu Hall on Monday, 7th inst., at 7.30 p.m. There were present: —Mr. C. E. Middleton (chairman), Messrs R. C. Bowick, J. T. Dixon, L. Parkes, J. A. Taylor (committeemen) and the vice-president of the Association, Mr. G. V. Elliston, also the secretary, Mr. J. Jones. A mass of correspondence was submitted by the secretary for consideration, amongst which was correspondence which had passed between the Association and Councillor J. Caird, Ohura County Council, Mr. F. Langstone, M.P., and the District Engineer, Public .Works Department, Taumarunui, in connection with the urgent need for attention being given to the Waihuku Road, Paraketa Valley, before the coming winter. All these gentlemen promised to do all in their power to have something done to better the conditions appertaining on this road. During the discussion on this correspondence, the secretary and Committeeman Parkes gave a report of the meeting held on Friday, sth ultimo, at the Paraketa Valley Junction, between the settlers of this valley and Cr. J. Caird, the Ohura County engineer, and the county clerk relative to the matter on the above road, when the position had been discussed from every point of view. This report was adopted, and the secretary instructed to deal with any further correspondence on the lines indicated by the feeling of the meeting. Further correspondence, was received from the Commisioner of Crown Lands, in reply to the Association's request that urgent attention should be given to the ragwort menace on the vacant sections 15-16, Mapara Survey District. The reply was far from being satisfactory, and the secretary was instructed to write further re this matter. A reply was received from the Inspector of St6ck and Noxious Weeds that he was attending to the matter of the growth and spread of this menace throughout this district. Replies were received from the Minister concerned, per Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P.,- to the Association's. request that the Government look into the matter of the price of fertilisers, in view of the serious financial position of those requiring same, thus unable to purchase their requirements. The Minister replied that close watch was being kept on the

position, and assuring the Association that immediately such a course of action'was justified the whole question would be gone into with the manufacturers. Re price of sodium chloratpj the Minister emphasised that the Government was satisfied that this material was being sold at a price which could not be considered other than fair, that is from a trading point of view. After some discussion the secretary was instructed to write further, emphasising the Association's viewpoint that something should be done to assist those who were unable to buy the most necessary weed eradicator, also the vital necessity for the purchase of fertilisers. After a lengthy discussion on the matter of rent payments, the secretary was instructed to write Mr. Broadfoot, M.P., relative to the urgent need for substantial relief being granted settlers in the matter of rent, by way of remission or refund of said rent, where the settler finds it impossible to meet his obligations. The secretary was instructed to write to the County engineer appealing that something be done in the way of improvements on the Ramaroa Road, respectfully suggesting that a gang of relief workers be engaged for this work, the Association recognising the difficult financial position the Council finds itself in. It was urged that this road be attended to immediately. Many other matters of importance in the district's general interests were discussed and the secretary instructed to attend to same. One matter that brought about a very keen and interesting discussion was the feeling expressed by the chairman that it would be of great benefit to the district and surrounding settlers' associations to meet to discuss the problems facing them at present. He felt that a great amount of good must result from such a meeting, and the settlers would be moving forward as one body for relief. It was decided that this matter should be looked into for further information relative to other associations' opinions. The secretary gave a statement of receipts and expenditure for the past year, and members expressed their satisfaction with the position.