DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1923, Page 2

DISTRICT NEWS.

PUNIHO. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The Pungarehu residents held the first of a series of euchre parties in the local hall on Wednesday, 18th Inst. There was about sixtypresent at cards, and some very enjoyable games were played. Messrs. Pennington and S. Goodin were in charge of the tables. Cards were played till 10.30, when the floor was cleared for dancing. Music was supplied by two natives, one playing an accordeon and the other a mandolin.| This was somewhat of a novelty in the dance music line, and was very taking, the Maoris keeping excellent time. Several extras on the accordeon were played by natives. The committee are to be congratulated upon tiie success of the turn-out, and they should find no trouble in raising sufficient funds for the new piano. Pungarehu is the place for entertainments. At the annual meeting of the Anglican parishioners at Pungarehu Mr. Pennington was elected churchwarden for the coming year. The Warea bowling green is now in firstclass order, and several games have already been played upon it. Provision has been made for flooding the green in the event of two much dry weather, so the local howlers should have no trouble with the green in future. I regret to record the serious illness of Mr. Revell senr., of Warea, and wish him a speed}’ recovery. On account of the aforementioned, all dances in Warea ha-ve been suspended indefinitely, as Mr. Cecil Revell is secretary to the Warea Hall Committee. We are pleased to see Mr. Joe Donald out of hospital. We hope he will keep on the road to recovery. Mr. Ward, junr., who is also In hospital, suffering from the results of a motor cycle smash, is also progressing satisfactorily. The Newall Road settlers are in a rather unfortunate position this year, as the property on which their dancing hall or barn is erected has changed hands recently. As a consequence the committee are without a dance ball. It Is hoped that some arrangement will shortly be found whereby they will be able to continue their dances uninterruptedly, as a lot of hard work was put into the hall, which was undoubtedly the best fitted out on the coast, and it was very seldom if ever that a dance was held there without there was a full attendance. Also away back under the mountain something is needed to help to liven the winter months, and keep the mind away from the four-legged animals, swamps, and old stumps. Mr. O’Callaghan, of Newall Road, has sold his property and left the district. Mr. O’Callaghan will be greatly missed in the district, as he was chairman of the social and school committees, and he also took a deep interest in anything that concerned the district. The settlers would like to take this opportunity of thanking him publicly, as lie refused a public send-off, and of wishing him the best, of success in his new home. We arc very ploaasod to see that we have at last a real live representative on the council, and also that the council have at last awakened to the fact that tiie Warea Road is badly in need of repair. We settlers have known this for years, but we were just living in hopes of getting a road some day. That some day is evidently to be very soon, judging by the remarks made at the recent council meeting. Perhaps, “your own’’ had better not say any more in case the council changes its Another very pleasing feature was the. remark made hy our local representative (Councillor Luckin) concerning the heavy loads of wood that are carried by the lorries over these roads. This has been going on for some time, and it's high time it was stopped. Why should we ratepayers pay rates to keep the roads in order when one man can come along and make tiie roads into a horrible moss? 1 believe the Puniho Road is in a very bad state through nothing else, so we hope that Cr. Luckin’s remark will have the desired effect. The Puniho Ladies' Guild have decided to hold a series of euchre parties during the winter months in order to raise the necessary funds for the upkeep of the church, the first to be held in about a week’s time. These parties have always been very popular and well attended in previous years. Let’s hope they meet with the same measure of success this year. The Brooklands Co-op. Dairy Company have decided to alter their factory this season, and make room for another vat to hold the extra milk, which, owing to vats already in being filled, had to be separated. A general meeting will be called shortly to decide whether a new factory shall be built or alterations made to tiie one already. The milk yield is rapidly declining now, and it will not bo many days before the “cocky’s” cheque-raiser will be turned out for the winter. The past season has been an exceptional season for dairy farmers, the unusual warm rains and weather in the spring giving the grass a good start, and feed as a consequence has been very plentiful until lately. Tiie cold snap experienced early in the autumn somewhat checked the growth of winter feed, and root crops are not quite up to last year. Tiie general opinion is that it will be a hard winter this year, but, as far as the coastal district is concerned, I do not think many will be troubled with shortage of feed, judging by the number and acreage of root crops around.

There has been a lot of udder trouble amongst dairy cows on the coast this season, many good cows being reduced to three teaters, and some have gone blind in all quarters. This trouble was put down to the heavy hailstorms that we had. Reports to band from the Plains state the same trouble has also been there.

Visitors to Puniho from Sydney (Australia) speak highly of the Taranaki roads, stating that such roads are never seen in Australia. HURFORD ROAD. (From our Own Correspondent.) Another working bee was held on the factory property on Wednesday, 18th, and tiie ground is now almost ready for tiie trees to go in, which- will probably be early next month, as Messrs. Duncan and Davies are anxious to get on with the work. The school was again well filled for the final social run by the present committee, despite a none too pleasant night. The prizes were won by Mrs. \V. Matthews and Master C. Stewart. The M.C. duties were in the capable hatads of Mr. C. Jury, while the music was supplied by Mrs. Uhlenberg (violin) and Miss Collier, Mr. L. Stewart, Mr. Bert Stewart, and Mr. G. Morgan had their turn at the piano. One does not hear of many anxious for a place on the school committee on Monday night. We usually have difficulty in finding five necessary to make up the committee. However, we hope there will be a good attendant • to show there is some interest taken in school affairs. The milk supply lias fallen off considerably, and tiie cream cart is running every other A party recently made a trip to Mount Egmont per Mr. Duke's lorry, and had a very pleasant day’s outing. Quite a number succeeded in reaching the summit, including several young ladies, and Master Georgie Duke, who were well rewarded for their climb, obtaining a splendid view of the surrounding country. Deep sea fishing is still in vogue, and a fairly successful catch Is reported by a couple of fishermen last Sunday. A vote of sympathy to Mr. H. Ballinger was passed nt tiie monthly meeting of directors of the Omata Dairy Company on April 20th. The annual general meeting of the Omata branch of the Farmers* Union is to be held