TANGITU

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3447, 19 November 1932, Page 3

TANGITU

(Own Correspondent.) The half-early general meeting of the Tangitu District Settlers’. Association (Incorporated) held in the Tangitu Hall on Saturday, 12th inst. was without question one of the best attended meetings held there foxsome years. There were settlers from all parts of the district present —Mapiu, Tangitu, Mokauiti, Mangateka, Kaitangaweka, and the Paraketa Valley, Waimiha. The president, Mr. C. E. Middleton, occupied the chair. The following visitors were present:—Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., Crs. J. Georgetti and J. Jensen of the Waitomo County Council, the County engineer, Mr. R. H. Browne, Mr. S. Craig, editor of the King Country Chronicle, Mr. W. S. Cato, president of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce, also Messx-s. Holah and Spai-ks, members of the Chamber; Mr. Knight, representative of the Herd Testing Association, and Mr. Wright, of the Native Lands Department. The chairman opened the meeting with giving a hearty welcome to the visitors, whom he stated the Association was . exceedingly pleased to see at their halfyearly general meeting, and the meeting gave the visitors welcome. The report he had to submit that evening would, if given in detail, keep the meeting going well into the following day. It could be claimed that the executive had a record of a very successful half-year’s work. From whichever angle the report was regarded, the result was the same. There was an increase of membership. But there was still room for improvement in both membership and payment of arrears, but generally speaking the position was very satisfactory. There were still too many settlers in the district who stood aloof from their organisation. Much correspondence had passed between the executive and the Ministers concerned, per medium of Mr. Broadfoot, M.P., relative to the following mattei-s: —Re difficulty Crown tenants find themselves in to meet their rent and interest payments; re the Minister of Lands paying a visit to the district to discuss these difficulties, etc., with the settlei-s; re Mr. R. Crawle’s case; re difficulty of district relief workers; re Mokauiti telephones; re Mokauiti North and Ramai-oa Roads; re breaking down

station on the Arapuni hydro-electric line for this district. Correspondence had passed between the executive and the Commissioner of Crown Lands on the following matters:— Re lot 14, block 11, Tangitu Survey District—Mr. W. F. Hopkins; re report of Land Board meetings being published in the King Country Chronicle; re section 29, block 1, Tangitu Survey District; re scenic reserve at Tangitu; re lost rebate— Mrs. Florence Drake. Improvements at the Waimiha railway stockyards had been applied for to the District Engineer, N.Z. Railways. Correspondence had passed between the District Engineer, P.W.D., and the executive re the establishment of an unemployed single men’s camp in the district, also re Ramaroa Road. Cr. J. Caird, Ohura County Council, and Mr. F. Langstone had been communicated with re attention needed on the Waihuka Road, Paraketa Valley; Cr. Caird also re attention needed on the Waimiha-Ongarue Road; Native Land Department re reducing area of Mr. G. Brain, at Waimiha; Cr. M. J. Dynan, Taumarunui County Council, re attention needed on the Waimiha stream road; Cr. J. Georgetti and the County engineer re many matters affecting the Tangitu Riding, Waitomo County Council. The executive had also been in touch with the Auckland Automobile Association re “Safety First” signposts being erected on certain parts of the main highway running through the district. He felt that all present would feel and say that the executive had attempted much and succeeded greatly. The chairman then called upon Mr. Broadfoot, M.P., to address the meeting. Mr. Broadfoot congratulated the Association for being such a live body. It was doing good work and he trusted it would continue to do so. He dealt effectively with the need for pushing on with land settlement, tta absorb much of our unemployed labour, etc. Cr. Georgetti followed in a very able and effective address covering the activities of the Council and the difficulties they were experiencing to get both ends to meet under the present financial difficulties. Then followed Mr. Cato, president of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce._ A very forceful address covering the identity of interests 'of town and country. Mr. Craig, of the King Country Chronicle, followed in a splendid apneal for the claim of the King Country in relation to land settlement, etc. Mr. Knight, of the Herd-testing Association, then gave a splendid address on the benefits of herd-testing, which claimed the interest of evervone present. Mr. Browne, County engineer, explained many of the difficulties that had to be met to accede to the requirements of the ratepayers, but assured all present that in the Waitomo County councillors they had a body of men that were out to do all in their power to further the interests of the ratepayers. Mr. Wright, of the Native Land Department, followed with a very interesting address on the activities of that Department and its enthusiastic Minister, who was pointing out what could be done under a co-operative scheme of land settlement. He emphasised the push of the Tangitu Settlers’ Association, and would like to see the other associations in the County as active. Cr. J. Jensen then followed with a brief but very interesting address, which to a great extent endorsed the remarks made by Mr. Knight re herd testing. Messi’s. Holah and Sparkes, of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce, also gave brief but very appropriate addresses. Mr. J. Jones, secretary of the Association, was called upon by the chairman to follow the speeches made by the visitors, and did so briefly, thanking the visitors for attending the Association meeting, and sincerely trusting that they would go away with the feeling that the Association was filling a necessary place in the life of the district. The chairman also called upon Mr. G. Patillo, past secretary of the Association, to say a few words, which he did, emphasising how the Association had grown in a very few years to represent all the interests of the district settlers. Several deputations waited upon Mr. Broadfoot in regard to various matters. It can be safely said that this meeting will mean an uplift in the vi<rht direction for the whole district, and the visitors from Te Kuiti representing various business interests will also benefit from their visit to this district on such an occasion.