RATANUI,

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 30

RATANUI,

Mat 4.— Duiinx the psst few days the elements with their snow, hail, rain, and wind seem to have combined for the purpose of-making life miserable. ' The* time for dry roads has passed for a season, and a worse time than the past week could not easily be chosen for spreading road metal, but the roadmen are hard at it, and a fdw more trips with the drays will make the mud axle deep. That is the right way "not" to do it. The roadmen are not to blame, and they are good servants when they do as they are told, but there is apparently someone a bit higher up-ttie tree who is much better paid foi not doing as be is told. Weather Report -I have been favoured with the 'following report for the past month from Mr G. M. Draper :— Rain fell on 20 days ; maximum, •43iu on the 29th Temperature : Maximum, COdeg on the 9th ; minimum, 39degon the 29th ; average, 49ideg. Pievailing winds : S. W. 14 days and N.E. 13 days. Tb> above ib < compiled from ob&ervabious made at 9 30 a.m. daily. The Church — A writer in a local paper says " he has often wondered why there are no Btables connected with the Owaka Church." lam constrained to ask this question : If there is only one (tho) church at Owuka, which of the three is it ? Which one has grown'so cold that it needsa stable for its lioises?

Ku,on'« Kate.— Permission has been granted to .\l> X In, ol Hutiipapa, to erect a ga,te across a road, ..steuhibb For the purpose of keeping stray cattle from parading on it. Aro these cattle Mr Kalor's own or his neighbours ? 1 suggest that in future the county council should make inquiries before giving any person who chooses to ask permission to erect; a public nuisance across a public thoroughfare, especi >lVy in cases where such erection is apparently fnr the special benefit of the applicant only. I fail tasee why any 'man should be so privileged and benefited as lyir Kalor, aud must protest against the action of the couucil ill granting the permission named without due and full inquiries. Gates across public thoroughfai esj* as a rule, are erected with a meaa and inequitable purpose, and to say the least of th«m are, as a I rule, a public nuisance and unjust obstruction, judging from the penalties a man might incur under the Public Works Act in -the abfenco of permission.

Twa Dogs.- A few days ago two owners found th-ir dogs dead iv the vicinity of the Ratanui Schoul, evidently poisoned. This dastardly action is hard te sheet home, but it is to be hoped the mean ekunk who perpetrated the outrage only will be suspected. Neither dogs were of much value as workers, but they were old favourites with their owners, and j£lo would not -have bought one of them. If I had any well-grounded suspi' ion <s t<. the poisoner I should be pleased to give » bioad hint »k t > hi* identity and a cheap (?) ad. in this column.

Want Wakming. — The winter season has approached, and the silly season, so far as the erection of a chimney for the Ratanui new school, is past The building is nearly competed, and I shall make more remarks about it and the teacher's residence in a future note. Ths'schoal is a large one, big as a barn, and will require i. lot of warming. The firepl«cc for this warming process has an'-openinc about 4ft high by 3ft wide, and the place for the fuel is 3ft by Ift tiin. Firewood is plentiful, labour xheap, and there is a large room with some 30 or 40 children to warm on these cold, frosty mornings. Two children standing before this fireplace will deprive tbe others of waimth, and they will be like the proverbial thirteenth pig — look on tbe others at a distance. For tha information of the intelligent authoutiVs who have ruled the size of this fireplace I recommend th*t in future a much more suitable size to build in bush country would be a fireplace with an opening sft by Sft, with a space for the fuel about sft by 2ft. I commend this note to Mr Mackenzie, M.H.R, and our representative on the Education Board, and further, I express the opinion that in justice to the children the chimney even now should be pulled down and replaced by one with a fireplace about tbe size named above, otherwise thny are certainly entitled to have another fireplace, and a larger one, on the other side of the school. My notebook is full, but I have not time to write more at present. On some future occasion I promise the authorities something warmer than the school will ever be with such a ridiculously small fireplace,- and I predict that the attendance during i he winter will be considerably diminished: in consequence. Hovr much will children loam when their hands and feet are cold ?

Claxton — Iv writing my notes last week I inadvertently wrote Clarkson. Mr W. Claxton has my due acknowledgment of the error.