MILLERS FLAT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1162, 15 July 1885, Page 5

MILLERS FLAT.

(From our ovm Correspondent) A large and influential meeting was held in Mr Sellar's house on Monday night re again petitioning the Education Board to establish a school at Millers Flat, the outcome of which was that a petition was prepated and forwarded to the Education Board, signed by all the parents on the east side of the river with one exception, praying that a school be established at once. The petition shows that the settlers guarantee 57 children between the ages of 5 and 15 years. There are also 33 children under five years of age, which ought to show the Board the necessity of at once granting the request of the settlers in this district. A strong Committee was formed to further the wishes of the meeting and keep pegging away at the Board until a school is granted. The Chairman of the meeting was also instructed to apply to the Education Board to get sections 77 and 78, block in., Benger district, reserved for a school site and master's residence. The land is centrally situated, and is ten acres in extent ; and, if set apart for the purpose for which it is asked will meet the requirements of the district for years to come. Are the Lawrence people in a state of coma re railway extension, or can it be possible they are not alive to the welfare of their town and district ? For, depend upon it, we are determined to have a railway, if we move heaven and earth to get it. If no assistance is given to us by Lawrence, you will lose the goose that lays the golden egg in losing your upcountry traffic, and I think I am justified in saying you will then find things dreary in the extreme. The river is getting down to its old level, and the dredges are all mostly at work after the unprecedented floods. Kloogh and party have shifted towards Roxburgh ; they now are trying some ground opposite White's claim, where, it ia supposed, payable gold exists in the bed of the river. In the event of the ground not proving payable, they will go right up to Roxburgh. What about bunny 1 is the topic of tho day. lam happy to Bay, as far as I can see, bunny is not nearly so plentiful as last year. The summer warfare is telling on their ranks. Phosphorised grain is now doing remarkably well ; after the late frosts the rodents nibble it up eagerly. Ploughing operations are very backward this year. The farmers find that local consumption is so small and the expense of sending it by waggon to Lawrence so great, that cropping is getting out of the question. Had the farmers direct communication with the seaboard, there would be a very much larger area of land under crop ; as it is at present, they live in the hope that things will improve — worse they can't be. The winter, as far a3 it has gone, has been very favorable for stock. As we are in the last month of winter, I think I can safely say it has been one of the mo3t favorable winters for stock we have experienced for some time past.