COAST NEWS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 14397, 3 January 1911, Page 7

COAST NEWS.

(From Our Own Correepnrdent.) Jan. 3.—Tho Okato annual picnic and sports, which was to have been held on Monday, and which had been looked forward to with much expectation by a large number of seekers after outdoor recreation, was, owing to tho sudden break in the weather, very matcrinllv spoiled. The programme arranged for the day was oarly found to be impossible under tho circumstances, and had to be abandoned to the disappointment of many of the residents. The arrangements were in the hands of a strong committee of ladies and friends of the Alethodist Church, who had made perfect preparations in respect to everything but weather, and just there the. whole cause of the collapse came in. The next best thing was to have the lunch under cover of the Public Hall, and afterwards, to make as much of the fine afternoon as possible by retiring to Air. Fox’s paddock, where shelter from the wind and other unpleasant conditions of weather was plentiful, and the natural surroundings especially suitable and charming. There the young folk indulged in many appropriate games, and tho older people amused the children hy such entertainment ns charms the heart of a child, tho principal part of it being tho liberal distribution of gifts and prizes. To such a degree did tins go that every child in leaving for home in tho evening seemed to he the proud possessor of a more or less interesting trophy- T' le pleasure of the afternoon’s outing was in a great measure attributable to'the energetic conduct of Alosdamos Street, Pearce, 51ess;age, Robuck, Andrews, AVdsou and Fison, with the Misses AVilson (2), and Rterry. whoso efforts were willingly supported by other lady and gentlemen friends. The financial aspect of tho event, however i was an unfortunate failure. Along some parts the Coast the very rustic and umnitigatedly stupid midnight custom of wrenching gates from their hiijges, and carrying them off some distance, there to hide them behind a gorse or other fdnee, was carried out to an extent on Saturday night that caused great trouble, annoyance, and in soino instances, vexing loss to the innocent victims. Tho mere removal of a gate may seem a trifle of no serious consequence in itself, but

in a district where so many cattle are are running, and where crops are at their most valuable and easily destroyed condition, the consequences o a demolished gate may amount to something very much more serious than the bucolic perpetrators of the miserable "joke” would ever dream of causing even to an enemy. This was the case in more than one. instance. Surely frolicsome, young fellows could find some less harmful way of working oif their surplus energies. Another mischievous habit in the evenings of holidays is the casting or empty bottle on the roadway, which, becoming broken by the fall, are very dangerous for horses’ feet.