PROVINCIAL NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4311, 21 March 1901, Page 7

PROVINCIAL NEWS

WAIRARAPA. There are 301 children on the roll of the Carterton School. Through the efforts of philanthropic residents, the Gunderson family (.-offerers in a late tire) benefited to the amount of over £SO. The local Council has confirmed the adoption of the Local Bodies’ Loans A£a. The site of the Parkvale Dairy Fac. tory is saia by experts to be the best adapted of any in the Island. Through being built <m a hill it will cost nothing to run the whey to the tanks at the base. This is a great consideration, as earfi of the local factories pays fully £25 a year to nuurp the whey to the tanks, . vhiaii necessarily have to be at an altitude of about twelve feet for the convenience of farmers. Up to tho time of writing rain has fallen on seven consecutive days; there have been only five fine days in the month. The somnolence of Road Board mem. hers does much to handicap the settler. Recently the Taratahi-Carterton Road Board refused to award the tenders for •a road —which has been required for fully fifteen years, and is an absolute necessity to dairy farmers—because one of its members was not in attendance. The Hon T. Duncan was quite right wnen he spoke of the dilapidated thoroughfares of Wairarapa South. PATEA. A distinctly forward move has. been made of recent years in tho brickmaking industry at Patea, there being two brick yards. About August of last year, what is known as The Green Island Brick Works was purchased by Mr W. J. Matthews, formerly of Inglewood," a. business man, and popular throughout the Taranaki provincial district as lieutenant of the Mounted Volunteers. The former proprietor had done well, being a practical man, but was disinclined to make such extensions in the way of modern kilns and machinery as the increasing demand for Patea-made bricks warranted. Mr Matthews, scion being satisfied with the prospects, enlarged in various ways, and on Thursday last an up-to-date Hoffman rotation brick kiln was inspected l»y visitors, business and public men and frleads from all parts of the coast. A luncheon was provided. The working capacity of the kiln is from thirty-live to forty-five thousand bricks per week, having twelve chambers, each holding about eight thousand bricks, the operations being continuous. Sheds for drying after the bricks come from tho moulding machinery have been erected to suit the working capacity of tho kiln, and work continues in wet or dry weather. Wellington bricklayers' built the kiln. At the luncheon Mr Matthews was warmly congratulated on,his enterprise, and confidence was expressed by many of tho visitors that a sound investment of capital had been made, not only on account of the high quality of tho product, but from the excellent location of the works for distribution by road and rail either north or south, being close to the railway station, and also by coastal steamer through the port of Patea, should outside demand arise. “Oh, yes ; it will pay to handle bricks as freight per steamer,” was the ■•ply given to that query.' During the three hours of inspection, luncheon and speechifying, useful information was given and gleaned. The press was well represented. To conclude the proceedings a solid gold brick ■watch pendant was presented to Mr Matthews to commemorate the occasion. NOKMANBY. At a meeting of settlers bore it was proposed by Mr Ingster, seconded 'by Mr Brenner, that in consequence of the excessive- valuation imposed by the Government valuer in this district, that this branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union protest, and ask oil other districts affected to join in an endeavour to upset the valuations where excessive.