TE KOPURU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9077, 11 June 1888, Page 6

TE KOPURU.

Another of those beautiful entertainments by the Kopuru school children, which hav have now come to be looked for annuallv took place in the Kopuru Hall on theevM/ ings of May 24 and 25. The piece selected for this occasion was Miss Keating fair extravaganza, " Beauty and the Beast " Th dresses, acting, and surrounding accornnanf ments were fully up to the standard of former performances. ,„ The weather was most propitious, and a numerous audience gathered. The performance was under th* direction of Mr. Lindley who is painstaking in labour and inexhaustible in resource Hp also played the part of the malignant ma?i cian, Wisinorsonot, to the delight of thp children. Great care had evidently been taken in alloting the children parts suit able to their characters and abilities. The following are the characters :—Queen of thp Fairies, Miss Ella Herrich : Beau Desir the Prince, Miss Maggie Worth ; Ellessdee 'Mr F. Turner; Aleroquil, Master F. Mo'llovGulnare, the Gorgeous, Miss Ada LeabourneSelina, the Sordid, Miss Lena Cox ; Beauty' the Beloved, Miss Lucy Boult ; Wisinorsonot Mr. Lindley; Fairies, Misses Carlz Seymour' Winny Matthews, Maggie Watson, Nita Herrich. Miss Lena Cox was a vast im. provement on her former appearance, and acted first-rate. Miss Lucy Boult was beautiful " Beauty," and also did well Miss Maggie Worth was perfectly at home on the stage, and made a capital "Beast" The manner in which she manipulated her " tail" created roars of laughter. Master F. Turner's " La La" song convulsed the audience. The storm scene was effective The closing scene, with all the performers on the stage, illuminated by the limelight was beautiful, and was photographed by Mr' Hardy, who also provided the limelight, the thunder, and the hailstorm. The dressing and the mounting of the piece must have entailed no Blight labour, and were most tasteful. The girls, in full Eastern costume, looked exceedingly pretty, and almost made us regret the fashion of petticoats. The Rev. Father Kehoe played the accompaniments. During the intervals selections of music were given on the pianoforte by several of the pupils : Misses Eliza and Mary Jane Andrews, Lucy Boult, Carh: Seymour, Winny Matthews, and Master Percy Matthews. On Friday a pianoforte competition took place, the Rev. Father Kehoe being judge. The competitors were: Misses Eliza and Mary Jane Andrews, Lucy Boult, Alice Johnston, Carlz Seymour, Masters A. Johnston, and P. Matthews. The prizes were finally awarded to Misses Lucy Boult and Alice Johnston. Mr. Lindley, in returning thanks to the audience for their liberal patronage, mentioned how much he was indebted to the Rev. Fathei Kehoe, Mr. Hardy, and Mrs. Boult. The proceeds of the entertainment were to be devoted to (1) an evening of romps and fun for the children ; (2) in providing accessories in the school, to avoid having to " levy school fees ;" and (3) to increase the school library. The two previous entertainments were for the purpose of putting the school play. ground in order, draining, levelling, treeplanting, sowing in grass, &c. Other performances have been for the purpose of beautifying the schoolroom, buying valuable plants, &c, and getting a school library, which is now quite a respectable one. Mr. Lindley is very different from an ordinary schoolmaster. The welfare of the school and the happiness of the children are in his heart. Great excitement prevails here over the mysterious drowning of Mrs. McKenzie at Mangawhare. Nobody believes it to be an. accident, and most people seem to think it is a foul murder. If so, it is one of the most audacious m the history of the colony. A second poll of the ratepayers to determine whether there shall be a loan or not has been rendered necessary through an oversight in taking the former poll. Many who voted for the loan on the first occasion will probably vote against it now, from fear that the money (though ear-marked) will be misappro priated, the late action of the Council in voting a sum of money to help to build a bridge over a creek to a public-house having given some ground for such a suspicion. Owing to peculiar circumstances, the ratepayers have really no control over a majority of the Coun- • cil. The rolls of some of the ridings are i stuffed in a most unconscionable manner by ! opposing candidates, one pocket borough, in . which only about eighteen bona fide votes i could be recorded, having upwards of eighty i on its roll. Some legislative action should . be devised to prevent this inundation of i bogus votes.[Own Correspondent,

WHANGAREI. The Kamo mine has again started, and one can almost fancy that the railway whistle sounds more cheerfully than it has done foe months past. The weather has been rather mild here dming last month, and the grass has partly recovered from the long drought; but sunshine and showers have given place to dull leadencoloured skies and heavy rain. The roads will not, however, be so bad as they were last winter, for the simple reason that they have been a month later in breaking up. The gum trade bids fair to be as lively as usual during the winter months, and a large number of men are waiting anxiously for the opening of the Puhipuhi Forest. The late fires will have cleared off a great deal of rubbish from places hitherto almost inaccessible, and this will be a help to the much-abused gumdigger. As regards the bad times, there is no doubt we are a long way better off than Auckland, but still storekeepers have a tendency to imitate the unjust servant we read about in the Bible, viz., to take people by the throat and say, "Pay me that thou owest." Our amusements are very little affected at all events. There is a large drill-shed in the town, and during three afternoons in the week the rinkers keep up a noise in it equal to a small earthquake. A most successful children's concert was held in the Public Hall a few weeks ago, and the entertainment is to be repeated on June 21st. The children "attending the public school are being trained by Mr. Bradley to sing choruses, etc., and the result has been a complete success. The chairman of the school committee, Mr. Broadbent, has been unwearied in his efforts to promote the welfare of the scholars, and the object of the two concerts is to provide two sheds to shelter them during bad weather. Some dissatisfaction has been caused by the retrenchment policy of the Education Department. Some of the salaries amounting to only £50 per annum are being reduced, leaving the unfortunate teachers not enough to live upon. The general opinion is that a teacher with £300 could better afford to have £100 knocked off than another with £50 could afford £10.—[Own Correspondent.]