KORU AND KIRIHAU NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, 8 September 1934, Page 2

KORU AND KIRIHAU NEWS

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING. DUST STORM II)J THE DISTRICT. Church members of the Koru-Kirihau district are completing arrangements for the holding of a sale of work in aid of church funds. The success of the recent bring-and-buy afternoon has provided a nucleus. The Koru school committee met on Monday, when there were present Messrs. P. N. Raill (chairman), J. M. Sharpe (secretary), L. G. Grey and W. W. Maskelyne. Arrangements for the purchase of various flowering shrubs for the school grounds were completed. The secretary was instructed to write to the Health Department, Wellington, requesting permission for the enrolment of the school with the New Plymouth dental clinic. It was decided to canvass the district in support of the New Zealand Educational Institute’s petition to Parliament in favour of re-admitting the five-year-olds to the primary schools. The teacher reported that the lunchhour supply of hot cocoa to the children during the winter months had proved most acceptable, and would be continued for some weeks. The school reopened for the third term on Tuesday with a roll of 25. A party of the senior pupils visited New Plymouth on Thursday to see the film “Romantic New Zealand.” A short spell of bright sunshine has worked wonders in the district, the growth of grass on pastures during the past week being most acceptable after a somewhat lean two months. The district was as usual well to the fore with early lambs, those on the property of Mr. J. Bentham, senr., being particularly healthy specimens. An unusual sight was presented recently by a 'dust storm which swept across the district in the vicinity of the Kdru hall. Viewed from a distance it had the appearance of a heavy squall of rain, but upon closer acquaintance the cloud proved to be composed of fine particles, not unlike road dust, but moving across grassy paddocks in a direction which made it impossible for any road to have been the source of supply. The disturbance lasted for some minutes. To the visitor who knew Kirihau of old its present appearance comes as something of a surprise. All but two of the mill cottages have disappeared, the company having found a ready sale for them. The old hall still stands, but is filled with sawdust and junk. Every vestige of machinery has disappeared, and all that remains to mark the mill site is a jumble of timber ends arid the sawdust heap, the latter visible from the main road.

In order that farming lands may be opened up, it is intended to extend the Kirihau Road for a distance of approximately halfe a mile, up to and across the Oakura River. Jhe work will shortly be put in hand. In the meantime county workmen have been at work upon both the Kirihau and Plymouth Roads. Mr. C. Sharpe is making good progress after his recent serious accident.