OPOTIKI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5996, 4 February 1881, Page 3

OPOTIKI.

Mb. A. McDoxald, M.H.R., arrived per Staffa, and addressed a crowded meeting of the electors in the Town Hall last night.. The address was chiefly a resume of his political career and an explanation of his motives in the course he had adopted ; also a general statement of the public works and improvements he had succeeded in having effected in various parts of the electorate, : and of the efforts he was making to have an alteration in the East Coast District so as to allow of ' one member for Gisborne and Poverty Bay, and one for Tauranga, Opotiki, and the Bay of Plenty. The speech gave very general satisfaction, andwas warmly received. A number of questions were then put and answered satisfactorily, after which a cordial vote of confidence was proposed by Mr. Black, seconded by' Mr. Irwin, and passed unanimously. The meeting was remarkably good-humoured and well-behaved throughout, and has given general satisfaction. Mr. McDonald left per Staffa this morning for Tauranga. An exceedingly creditable uoucnrt and ente.-'tainmeiit combined was »iveu in the Town Hall, on the evening of the 21th, by the Opotiki Cricket Team, assisted by ,the Star Dramatic Club. The two very amusing farces of "A Congugal Lesson" and "The Area Belle" were pi .yed, and played well. The delineation of character, scenery, and dresses, was exceptionally good. The parts of Letitia in tlie first piece, and Penelope in the second, were sustained in an able and spirited manner by Miss Darby, whose retentive memory and happy realisation of the character intended to be pourtrayed elicited general admiration and applause. Great praise is also due to Mr. Powell for his clever acting and general management of the theatrical part of the performance, including also the painting of several portions of the scenery, which were fairly and effectively done, and a local song, embodying the names and performances of our crack cricket team, was exceptionally good. In fact, the whole affair was thoroughly satisfactory, and reflects great credit upon everyone concerned in it. An absurd farce was played at the schoolhouse on the afternoon of the 24th, being the occasion of the annual meeting of householders to elect a committee for the management of the Public School and to hear the annual report and balance-sheet read as per advertisement in the Weekly News and Bay of Plenty Times. Only two members of the retiring committee were present until half-an-hour after the advertised time of meeting, when one more appeared, but he mmediately went away again to look for some more, but did not return. Thus it was left for the Chairman (Mr. Litchheld) and one member out of seven of the committee to cany out the business, but, unfortunately the'householders, evidently affected by the same want of interest, did not put m an appearance either, only five attending out of 346. Mr. McLeod spoke warmly and pointedly upon the apathy aud unpardonable want of interest exhibited .by the parents in the: important question of education. J. he member of committee then'iu:a hot-tempered reply, declared that the meeting was not a public meeting, but a private committee ;

meeting. Mr. Kidd appealed to the chairman, -who stated that, in his opinion, the meeting was distinctly a public one, from the exact time as publicly advertised— namely, 3 p.m. The over-zealous committeeman still continuing to assert that it was a private committee meeting, the whole of the small representation of householders took their departure simultaneously,.leaving the chairman and his solitai-y coadjutor in possession of the field'. The result was that no committee has been formed, nor is there , the least likelihood of such the case at any future time. The only remedy, as far as I can see at.present, is for the Board of Education at Auckland to appoint two commissioners to look after school matters without the -intervention of a committee, or the interference of the householders. The annual meeting of the Opotiki Town Hall Company (Limited) was held, when the report and balance-sheet for ISSO was read and adopted. The following gentlemen were elected directors for the current year:— Messrs. R. King, 'S. Elliott, J. F. Connelly, S. Moody, and J. G. Ehnsley. No bth/sr business of any importance was transacted. A full cargo of cattle is being got together for the Auckland market, and, as soon-as the Staffa's engagements permit, she will make a trip direct to Auckland with them, the obliging owner wishing to offer every facility for the speedy transmission of all Opotiki produce to market.—[Own Coi*respondent, January 26.] .