RATANUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2398, 15 February 1900, Page 29

RATANUI.

February 10. — The weather during the past month has been very broken, there being only a few fino days, and we aie beginning to wonder if there is going to be any summer weather at all. To-day is very squally — heavy showers of rain and hail, interspersed with bright gleams of sunshine.

Lost in the Bush.— A little girl, daughter of Mr Diack, accompanied by her aunt, went for a ramble in the bush, intending to look for birds' nests and ferns, but as they did not return at tho appointed time, their friends at once instituted a pearch, with the result that they were found a long way from home, and without any idea of where they were. Great care should be taken by strangers or children m going into the virgin bush, as it is still quite easy to get lost in the bush heie.

Health Note. — Influenza has been very prevalent in this district, and in some cases it has de^ eloped into pleurisy and inflammation of the lungs. Whooping cough, too, is going round<the district, and in consequence the school attendance has been very irregular, as it will hardly do to send children with 'whooping cough to school in wet weather, especially when they have to go through a bush tiack.

Convalescent. — Mr R. Berney's friends will be glad to know that he is now able to be out of bed, although not very strong yet.

Road Works. — The public works are all being stepped for the purpose of letting men go out to the harvest; but I think there is little necessity for doing so down here. For one thing, a large number of young men go out harvesting e^ cry season, and it is hardly reasonable to expect men who are up. in years to leave their homes and put " bluey ' on their back, and tra-vel the country looking for work. A good many tried it last year, and after travelling for a foitnight were glad to turn their face homewards, wiser but poorer men. Surely the farmers could find some other way of getting their harvest done, without having all the public works stopped. * The War. — Great interest is taken in the war news here as elsewhere, and the doings of our boys are watched with the greatest interest by old and young alike. The settlers have added their quota to the patriotic fund, and the school children have contributed their mite.

County Council and Thirds and Fourths. — I soe our member (Mr Saundcrs) has been agitating in the County Council to find out how the thirds and fourths for this district have been spent, and it is to be hoped the settlers will back him up, as there can be no doubt there has been gross mismanagement somewhere. The late member -said the money was spent in metalling, but I fail to see how that caa be, as we are now paying a special rate of id in the JB to pay the debt incurred for metalling There is some talk of petitioning the Mir-ister for Lands about this money. It is a ceitainty that the money was riaid to the county for the purpose of opening tip the side roads in the bush districts, and it is just as certain that the money has not been spent in so doing in this district. What has been done with it I shall leave to older and wiser heads to ascertain.