97 YEARS OLD TO-DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1934, Page 8

97 YEARS OLD TO-DAY

MR. H. BETTS OF OKAIAWA. REUNION OF FAMILY ARRANGED. Mr. H. Betts, “Hollybank,” Okaiawa, will be 97 to-day. He is probably the oldest European inhabitant of South Taranaki and has spent over half a century on his farm at Okaiawa. Seen yesterday by a Daily News reporter Mr. Betts was in the best of health and looking forward to a happy family reunion at his home to-day. A large birthday cake has been made for the occasion and this has been decorated with 97 small Union Jacks. All members of the family and their children will gather at the picturesque homestead. Mr. Betts came from Kent and settled in Canterbury, but after some years there he and his family came to Taranaki. Mr. Betts made his first acquaintance with the district via Duthie Road, the place then being a mass of heavy bush and vastly different from' anything he had ever seen.

The Maoris were very much against the white man’s coming to take away their lands, and to a young Englishman life presented many difficulties and dangers. Mr. Betts tok a small, cottage in Okaiawa township, but the roof leaked to such an extent that a tent had to be placed inside to keep out the rain. The hoys slept on beds made of fern but they thought it was delightful after a hard day’s work. The conditions of life were very different from those in the gardens of Kent, or even tire plains of Canterbury, but the Betts family soon adapted themselves to bush pioneering. Money was not very plentiful in those days, but Mr. Betts possessed wonderful energy and worked hard at all manner of jobs. There was not much to be made off the farm at that stage and he started cutting eight miles of gorse fences for Mr. Livingston. Mr. Betts took a Maori lease of land owned by Solomon, one of Titokowaru’s stalwarts. He proceeded to erect ditch and bank

fences around his section, which was covered with tall fern and flax. Every little while a group of Maoris would come along with some tale.. They would lay claim to the land and pull up survey pegs and throw them away in an endeavour to frighten off the white settlers.

Mr. Betts was one of the first suppliers to the Waiokura factory when it was run by the Crown Dairy Company. Three pence a gallon was promised for milk, but the proprietors declared they could not make it pay at 3d so they reduced it to 21d and later to 2d, and for the last two months of the season there was nothing. A keen horticulturist, Mr. Betts specialised in nursery work, and did much towards supplying the growing demand for trees and hedge plants, particularly boxthorn. In one year he sold 140,000 such plants. Mr. Betts had grown boxthorn in the South Island and he was largely instrumental in extending its use in South Taranaki, where the plant makes an ideal hedge. He was responsible for most of the fruit trees as well as the shelter and hedge plants in the early days of the district. Mr. Betts, however, gave up nursery work on the outbreak of the war.

In horticultural show work Mr. Betts has a great record, having taken prizes all over the .country. He was an exhibitor at the first Normanby show 51 years ago and has frequently acted as a judge at many district shows. It is a long way to be able to look back over nearly a century of progress. Mr. Betts has seen more changes than falls to the lot of most men to witness. He still takes a keen interest in the affairs of the world but is never happier: than when in his beautiful garden. Not long ago he won the Sutton Cup for mangolds, and until recently all the work was performed by himself. Latterly he has been taking* a little more leisure. GENERAL ITEMS. Rickety Table and the Mayor. “This table reminds me of the present financial system; it’s shaky,” said Mr. C. Barclay Smith, speaking on Douglas social credit at Hawera on Tuesday, as he rocked the table, and with a glance l at the Mayor, Mr. J. E. Campbell, he aded, “It has state behind it.” PERSONAL ITEMS. I The Royal Humane Society’s certificate awarded to Mr. A. E. Tarrant, Hawera, for his rescue of Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Hannify, Hawera, at Ohawe beach .on February 24 last is to be publicly presented to Mr. Tarrant at the Hawera Swimming Club’s next carnival.

HAWERA METHODIST CHURCH. YEAR’S OFFICERS ELECTED. The following officers for the Hawera Methodist Church were elected at a meeting on Tuesday night: Society stewards, Messrs. D. Wills, E. Yearbury, G. Tozer, J. Bennett (secretary), M. Joll, J. Hey, T. Johnson; minister’s stewards, Messrs. L. S. Barraclough and E. Dixon. On the motion of Mr. E. Yearbury it was decided to send Messrs. Dixon and Barraclough a letter of appreciation for their long period of sterling service as minister’s stewards. Mr. Metson on behalf of the congregation also paid tribute to the life-long service rendered to the church by Mrs. L. J. Williams as steward. On the motion of Mrs. T. Hurrell, Mrs. Williams-was elected an associate steward for life. • ■. The following ladies were appointed as congregational representatives to the quarterly meeting: Miss P. Bates, Mesdames C. Rowe, Squire, T. Saunders and L. J. Williams. The election for benevolent stewards resulted as follows: Mrs. C. A. Bates, Mrs. T. Hurrell, Miss M. HilL