ELTHAM.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 146002, 7 December 1917, Page 4

ELTHAM.

FT.OM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. p ec 5, For over a month now Eltham has been looking for rain—a most remarkable occurrence for this tunc ol the year. Pastures have dried up considerably, and the present outlook for the hay-crops is not by any means bright. The pressure in tho borough mains is very low, owing, to a large extent, to tho. heavy demands made on tho water supply by tho users of garden hoses. g I mentioned some weeks back that Mr. Waters, of the Public Works, had unearthed some ancient Maori bird spears. .A s showing the extensi've clieJitele of The Budget, it may be mentioned that the finder has an offer from a collector of Native curios in Christchurch to put a price on his find. Value is added to the bone spears by tho fact that they were curved out of human bones, winch shows that they were at least fairly ancient. Two fine young Elthamitcs are reported during tho past tew days to have paid tho supremo sacrifice at the front—Sergeant H, M. White, formerly of Mangatoki, who died in Palestine, and Lance-Corporal Harold Hino, of Wingrovo Road, who has succumbed to wounds received in France. The members of All Saints’ Church made a strong effort on Saturday last to raise money for the Church Army Fund. Despite the constant demands made on the public, the sum of £55 was raised. A sliecp-guossing competition was won by Mr. Steve Daines, who guessed 1681 b., being 1*11). under the correct weight. The animal was presented by ilfr. H. P. Best, and the proceeds from this source realised £9. If the Second Division reservists throughout the Dominion manage to pass the medical tost ns satisfactorily as El thorn's bunch, tho Defence Departmont will hrivo no difficulty in keeping its drafts Full, one half of those presenting themselves for examination being classed as fit. The decision of the Taranaki Education Board to disestablish the Eltham secondary school has caused the local school committee to ‘‘sit up,” and at Monday’s meeting of the committee it was decided to protest to the board against its decision. Tho secretary pointed out the whole cause of the-fail-ure of our secondary school when ho claimed that local scholars attended Hawera and Stratford schools, where ttnjy receive no hotter tuition than if they attended their own school. If the parents of those scholars who go out of the town for their education were only loyal to the local school tho success of'our “District High” would be assured. , Whv it is that people prefer to deal with business firms outside their own town is a conundrum. Eltham is not a dear town, and compares more than favourably with most other Taranaki towns in that respect.. One woman I heard tho other day decrying our local . tradespeople claimed that, it raid her to op to Hnwere to do her shopping, and"that she had that far made a purchase in that town for lid when the same arfielo "'ns priced in n local wm- ! flow for, Bs. Her saving would certainly 1 not pay her train fare, lot alone her loss of time.