WAITAANGA AND OKAU.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13481, 22 July 1907, Page 8

WAITAANGA AND OKAU.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

There is not much news to report about here just now. King Mud holds command of the country. A lot of rain has fallen lately, but the temperature has remained quite humid and there is a certain amount of growth in the grass still. The burning question here is the want of a school. I understand a petition is to be presented to the Board asking to have one established. I have been making a few inquiries, and have gathered the following facts which can be vouched for. Within a radius of 2i miles from the present school reserve there are fourteen children of school age, 5 years and upwards, eight others under age, and a prospect of two others coming from a distance if the school is erected. Surely that number should entitle us to a school, seeing that the Board at their last meeting supported the application of a few Makahu settlers to have an aided school erected for their eight children, they being four miles from the nearest school (Huiroa), the Okau children being five to seven miles from the nearest school (Tongaporutu). The Board also endorsed the action "of the Vogeltown parents in asking for a school there, notwithstanding the possession of a good metalled road and 'bus service, one parent complaining of the cost of getting his children to school (3s per week). I presume they can travel i\i all weathers dry-shod and warm. What would he say to the cost of buying and keeping horses for the use of his children, say one horse for every two children? One family here would require three horses for scholars over wine years of age. Another aspect of the case is this. The regulations say that all children five years of age should attend school ; can one of that age be trusted on horseback for* a distance of six miles? I say no. Then at what age would a parent trust them? I say 9or 10 years. Therefore the backblock children must lose four or five years of their scliQoldays; ami when the town child, or those living near the school, of 10 years of age is 111 the third or fourth standard the backblocker is just starting to learn his alphabet. Js that likely to encourage his liking for school? I trow not. One interesting return I should like to see would be the "average attendance of all Okau pupils attending the Tongaporutu school for the past three years. I venture to predict that it would show a very poor average, even for the most diligent scholar, as- in summer the attendance must be irregular, but in winter it is utterly impossible ; and yet the horses have to be fed all the year round. So on the whole I think the Okau parents are quite justified in agitating for a school, and deserve the assißtanco oi : the Board to the fullest extent. Improvements are the order of the day out here, Mr. Forman having just erected a seven-roomed house in a commanding position on one of his sections. Substantial buildings have also been built by Messrs. Hay ward, jMcMahon, Anderson, Walshe, and Krusc, and others are in contemplation. Mr. Bower is building a neat blacksmith's shop. Mr. Christian has just brought in a small mob of store lambs for his farm at Kotare. He was fortunate in getting them through the mud without loss. Mr. Cannell also brought in •* mob. Bush-felling is now in full swing, but men are still very hard to get, even at the good prices now offering. The telephone was officially opened on Monday last by the Inspector of Telegraphs.