DISTRICT NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 313, 12 February 1910, Page 2

DISTRICT NEWS

(From Our Own Correspondents.)

TONGAPORUTU.

The s.s. Pitoitoi put in an appearance oft' the bar here on Wednesday evening Jast, tf»o late to get in on the tide. Our pilot had all lights ready for the morning tide, but, a thick fog coming on, the steamer could not be picked up. The tides during the past week have been very low—so low, in fact, that when the steamer did get in she stuck in the river just round the first, bend.

The downpour of rain that T thought would scour out the obstruction at tlie entrance of the river only increased the difficulties, and the entrance is at the present time completely blocked. One of our settlers (Mr. Chapman) has met with a heavy loss. Tt appears that he purchased a quantity of noxious weed destroyer, endeavoring to get rid of pennyroyal. He used the stuff and the weed died, but his herd of cows took a particular liking for it, and evidently must have eaten some, as five are dead and four or five more are suffering from the effects of the poison. People who use weed exterminators should take warning and when they use such stuff they should be careful that no stock are allowed in the same paddock for at least a weekafter it is used.

There was' a large number of settlers at the meeting held -here on Sunday afternoon re the wharf and shed. The decision arrived at was that the chairman should write to the Minister of Marine and put the whole matter before him, asking that the license granted to Mr. Rattenbury he at once cancelled.

After the meeting the chairman had a long talk with Mr. Rattenbury. and I believe Mr. Rattenbury has decided to erect a shed, but the charges will run into 3s 3d per ton. It was clearly understood at the beginning that if Mr. Rattenbury secured the support of the settlers here the charges were not to exceed those charged at Mokau and Waitara, but Mr. Rattenbury says' he submitted these dues to the Marine department, and they would not accept' them, and added sixpence to the dues payable on goods landed at these ports. When the settlers supported Mr. Rattenbury by petition they fully expected that their goods would be taken delivery of on arrival and stored the same as at other ports. If the Roads Department allows Mr. Rattenbury to erect sheds on their land, it is" held here that others should be able to do the same.

Our cricketers visited Uruti on Saturday, and met with defeat by about 20 runs.

The Rev. Moses Ayerton, Methodist missioner, met with a painful accident on Saturday last. The rev. gentleman was' en route to Pukearuhc. whore he was to hold a service on the Sundav. The track (I was going to say road) between here and the tunnel is very bad, and the centre of the track is nothing but a watertable, in some places being two to three feet deep. The horse was walking along one of these dips, when it suddenly jumped up on to the level. The rev. crontlpman ■was thrown; one of his feet caught in the stirrup, and the horse, becoming, restive, broke away and made for Tongaporutu. Mr. Ayerton found, when he tried to get up, that he was injured and could not move. The horse was: seen by one of the men on Mr. Gibbs' station returning riderless; it was caught, and the man went back with the horse until he found Mr. Ayerton, in great pain. Mr. Ayerton ■is suffering from a severe strain in the groin, and it. will be some time before he will be able to get about again without crutches.

A cricket social and dance is to be i»e!cl in tiie Hall on I 1 rmay evenmg next, 18th just.

TIIO Rev. Father MaeManus will wfe"hrate Mass in the Hall here on Sunday, 20th, at 11 a.m. OTJJTL Mr. Loris Hunter, who lias s'old out his interest in Ins farm here to Mr. S. Mc(iiiiness ) was farewelled at a smoke concert by the settlers the other night. Mr. Hunter was presented with a very handsome travellmg-bag. In thanking his friends he humorously declared that hi whatever. peril he might be in his travels, and' shipwrecks' seemed fashionable nowadays, he would always hang on to the bag, which, he declared, henceforth would be one of his most valued possessions. Mr. Hunter, who had been here for some years and was our very hard-working county councillor, will be very keenly missed in many directions.

Mr. K. McGuinness had a verv nasty ppill last Sunday, we hoar. lie was riding a young horse, when at a turn of the road a motor-car cJUne whizzing along. The horse in its fright started to climb a bank, and Mr. McCiuiness was unseated.

The settlers here do not look upon motor-cars very favorably. The roads flre so narrow, and have so many twists and turn,.' in them tlmt accidents when motor-cars are met arc the rule and not the exception. The motorists in many oases are not as considerate as they ought to Ih\ For instance, just this week, on a narrow by-road, two gigs occupied by ladies ain't children were being driven one behind the other. ithout warning a motor-car came hehind them and tried to pass in between the gigs'. The horse in the gig nearest the motor beaamc iri man affable. and the lady driver culled out to the motorist to stop. But he calmly proceeded, and he and his companion seemed to find the predicament of the ladies a subject of mirth, for their laughter was long and loud. I wonder if many of your readers have driven along the oonoh rosd from the brick-kiln at Urenui to Mount "\[rsse:ir;er. This road has along its course some h;ts of f'.xijnisite soencrv, and i very now and again the s'ea' comes into view, dmrmingly framed i.n a setting of bush-clad lulls. I have travelled a good bit in New Zealand, but have never had the pleasure of seeing anything to equal this piece of scenery.