BROAD BAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2058, 3 August 1893, Page 23

BROAD BAY.

August I.— The vexed question of the Bible in schools— not that it has ever been prominent here— seems now to be settled satisfactorily for us, by the teacher volunteering, or agreeing, to give Bible lessons for a quarter or an hour every morning. The pupils are all children of Protestant parents, and the latter, if not anxious for the innovation, are not against it. Another proposed innovation for us is to teach sewing in the school. Thecommitteo at their last meeting decided to call for applications for the position of sewing mistress at £12 per annum. The school not being in a position to get the Education Board grant for this, the committee hope to meet the liability with the proceeds of concerts. B.B.M.I.S.— The fortnightly meetings of this society continue attractive, and every meeting sees additions to its members. At one of the last meetings the Shop Assistants Bill and the compulsory Saturday naif -holiday came under review, the .voting being in favour of the movement. Will the shop assistants, &c, reciprocate by doing without milk on those particular afternoons ? Farm boys and girls doubtless wish the cows could be induced to attend to their own wants on those evenings, so as to give the milkers equal facilities with the " counter jumpers" and "ink slingers." Creaaieries. —From a meeting of shareholders of the New Zealand Dairy Farmers' Co-operative Company at Portobello a few days ago it is evident that a creamery will be established there shortly. One is already in course of erection at Sandymount, for that and the Highcliff districts. The s.s. Orislow, at present carrying the milk to Dunedin, will shortly be laid up to receive her new engines and boiler. The hull at the same time will be thoroughly renovated and sheathed with copper below the.water line. When finished her enterprising owner, Mr D. Seaton, is confident of making the run from Portobello to Dunedin in an hour including stoppages. Noxious Weeds Bill.— At the meeting of the Portobello Road Board on Saturday a copy of this to them obnoxious bill came under notice, and a strongly-worded resolution condemning it as mischievous and unnecessary was passed unanimously. At the same meeting the Chairman drew attention to the fact that on several occasions recently no tenders had been received for works "notified, and at that meeting for two contracts only one tender for each was received. In each instance the work was breaking or quarrying and breaking road metal. Season.— Previous to the heavy rams on Sunday last we had several weeks of good weather, and a good deal of work has been done in potato planting. The earlier growers have them already through the ground. Some peas, too, are very forward. Spring flowers — snowdrops, daffodils primroses, cfianthus, andflowering currant— are in full bloom. We have big turnips, too, down this way as well as in Central Otago, and by that same token deserve a railway. Mr Cox, Papanui Inlet, was exhibiting one monster milk • producer weighing over 2Slb, and said he had drayloads of them weighing 241b and 251b.