OREPUKI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 31

OREPUKI.

April 30. — The beautiful weather which was experienced here during the early part of the month enabled the settlers to secure the principal portion of their grain, and m most cases the haivest has been a bountiful one. Milk suppliers this season have had a very good time of it, the dairy factories, of which we have two in the district, having been kept busy during the summer months. The Te Tua factory, which is situated at the Waiau, in a part of the district which a few years ago was a dense bush, has this season been paying £500 a month for milk, showing the rapid advance that that newly-settled district is making. The sawruilling and flax industries are constantly working; giving employment to a good many hands. Our Big Industry.— The Orepuki Shale and Oil Company are still ptishing on the buildings for their extensive plant, ond taking into consideration the very rough nature of the site on which the plant is situated, the manager, Mr Dunlop, has shown skilL and energy in getting the concern so near joznpletion in

the time he has, it being a year at-c.a t -c. since. he commenced operations. Vlien t\ > works will be ready 10 commence o.erations I cannot pretend to say; but we only trust that when finished they will be successf il, and coutinue to give employment to many o^ at the present time. The coal which the company are supplying' from their new mine is undoubtedly of a superior quality to any supplied from the mine formerly, being a useful household article, and delivered by the company on any part of their tramway between the mine and Hirstfield at 10s per ton. Ministerial Visit.— The Hon. Mr M'G-owan, Minister for Mines, accompanied by the Hon. F. Feldwick, Mr G-ilfedder, M.H.R. for the district, and others, paid xis a visit last Saturday week, staying over Sunday. The Minister was deputation ised by the Miners' Association on the Saturday evening, when several matters of importance were placed before him, and questions relating thereto satisfactorily answered. One subject was in reference to a piece of land thai the association a few months ago recommended the warden to have set aside, and cut iip into J-acre sections for the settlement of miners, in lieu of granting residence areas, and which the Waste Land Board is about to deal with. It was now pointed oui that it shpuld not" be withdrawn from the goldfields, as ihe land had since proved to be payably aurifeious, and several claims had been pegged out and were working. On Sunday, Mr Dunlop, the manager of the shale works, sent down the company's engine to .Hirstfield, and conveyed the Minister and party up to the works, showing and explaining to them the many different processes the shale has to go through before it becomes ready for the market. The party expressed themselves as highly pleased .with the information they had received, and what the/ .had sepn.

Proposed Church. — The members of the Church of England, who for ?ova.s time past have held their services in the Temperance Hall, axe bestirring themselves in the matter of erecting a church. The ladies of the congregation intend holding a bazaar at an early elate in aid of funds for the building. As similar affairs have proved successful in our midst on former occasions I have no doubt but that this one will be well patronised.