I MABEEETU. I

Northern Advocate, 11 August 1888, Page 4

MARERETU.

CF^om our oicn Corresxw.^ (JeM J Gold prospecting is the orc>r of the day in Mareretu at present. A . a ™ T _. another prospecting party is ou '\ m ™ ranges between here and Wa. P u - -^ i conviction has long existed hei c taat j valuable reefs exists in these ia^S c » ranges. On several occasions within past 10 years stone, containing a lax "S c percentaged of precious metals, has bet '" discovered in these ranges. We shal l > wait with longing expectations to hear the result of the efforts put forth by these gentlemen, and •in the meantime wish them every success in their venture. Great dissatisfaction is being expressed at the long delay in the construction of the Mareretu-WaikieMe road. Our councillor, Mr B. T. Birt, has I understand, been requested to draw "P a petition praying that thisj work may be sceedly gone on with. The necessity i-ind importance of . this road has been recognised by Government, the money has been granted and is available as soon as the survey has been completed, so that we cannot conceive any possible reason for further delay. As I have mentioned on previous occasions, the formation of this road would lead to the . opening up of a large tract of the very J best land in Mareretu now lying idle, and useless through the lack of a practicable road. We trust that our neighbours in the adjacent districts of Waikiekie and Paparoa will co-operate with us in agitating for this important work. . We ask I*o favours, but we emphatically demand what is due to us. We hail with the greatest pleasure the arrival of Miss Define from Auckland, who arrived in Mareretu last week • to take charge of the Mareretu school, which was opened in the new mission room on Monday last. Cohering the deplorable state of the rotva the attendance so far has been most satisiactory, - over twenty attended on the ifirst day. _ The want of a public school b/is been x much felt here: Now that we Dave a school established in otir midst, «] s fervently to be hoped that parents will make their children attend as regularly as possible. Great praise is due to the Mareretu school committee for the admirable manner in which they have carried out their arduous duties during their short term of office. Evidence is not lacking of steady prpgress in fanning operations in- this neighbourhood. A large area of bush is being felled thia-'year for autumn burning. Mr G f L. Thompson, one- of our homestead' settlers, is felling over one himdred acres. The homestead systsm has been a great success in Ibis and the adjacent district of Paparo.iIn Mareretu alone ovei thirty bona fido settlers have taken up land under its provision during the past five years, and are now comfortably settled on remunerative homesteads. Some weeks ago. your esteemed correspondent at Paparoa promised you m article on " Cricket Extermination." [f he knows any thing new on the subject ie would (I am sure) earn the lasting Tatitude of many a settler in the noirth >y publishing the same in the Northern Advocate