EKETAHUNA NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6225, 1 May 1899, Page 2

EKETAHUNA NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent). Monday. TheEketahuna Public Library has a subscribers' list of eighty-live, which speaks well for the literary tastes of our small communityy Xwo hundred volumes have been added to tho Library, and the shelves now display the works of favourite authors. Mr F. C. Turnor recently offered £5 towards the funds conditionally on the public subscribing ten, and the appeal resulted in the respectable sum of £l6 6s being collected. The substantial balance of £ls os 10d is in hand to commence tbe ensuing yeiyv and the following committee M doubtless add to the tbe institution: President, Mr \V. B. Matheson; secretary, Mr T. Scott-Smith; committee, Mesdames Jones, McDermid,Dr. Murray-Ayns-ley, Messrs W. Bayliss and W. Beale; Mrs Joffries is the capable librarian. A very pleasanfcreunion of settlers of Rongomai was held in the schoolhouse on Friday ereuing last. The attendance totalled about fifty, and the evening was devoted to music, song and story, with dancing as n finale to tbe night's amusement.

Songs were rendered by Mesdames Attewell, A, F, Martin, and Messrs N. Nelson, Cross, H. and V. Martin, R, and D. Pitcaithly, the dance music being played by Mrs Davy, Miss Hutchison, Miss ffalden, Miss f Martin, nnd Messrs Haycock, H;

Martin, and Leslie. The refreshments were supplied by the ladies, and Mr Walden gave general safefaction as M.C. tU That portion of the Mangar^■ Pahiatua-road, which has never previously been metalled, and ench succeeding winter was a verit-

able bog, has at last been attended to. This will prove very acceptable to the mail service between Eketa-

huna and Pahiatua (via Mangaone) as also to tho travelling public who havo to use the road. A popular pastime with our shootists of late has been a series of clay-pigeon matches. A number of friendly matches have been fixed and next Thursday a contest Town v. Country will eventuate. The produce market appears to bs. glutted in almost every department at present, Splendid samples of potatoes are quoted (wholesale) at £2 ss, whilst good clean cocksfoot seed is quoted at twopenceperpound. Oaten sheaf chaff of good quality can be bought at £2 5s per ton, and farmers find difficulty in placing their produce at the above prices. Tho children of Rongomai have been unfortunate of late in havjfk no teacher to instruct them, and cSP-' seqnently have beeu thrown back considerably in their preparations for examination. Miss M cLauchlan, the mistress, applied for leave of > absence recently on account of ill- , 4 health, and notwithstanding that she has been absent for nearly a month the Education Board has taken no steps to temporarily fill the vacancy. Tho committee have * communicated with Mr A, W. Hogg in refereuoe to the matter. The school committee for the ensuing year is as follows: —Messrs Davy, (chairman), Walden, Aitken, Dayison and D, Pitcaithly, In speaking to Tawataia settlers on matters in general, the question of the quality of the sheop being pastured in that locality cropped up. For a number of years wool and, mutton were represented in that * district by what the settlers designated "oldcrocks. Bufcwiththerapid clearing and grassing of the land, and increased knowledge of sheeprearing and a ready market, ther& has been a corresponding meufc in tho quality of the sheep, and some of the best mutton bought by the freozing companies is now pro- . cured in tho Alfredtou district, A T number of the farmers are strong believers in rock-salt as a specifio for keeping sheep healthy generally,

and it was pointed out to me thai the lambs from properties where the

salt was used were in 'much better

condition than those from properties where salt was discarded, notwith-

standing that all other conditions wore equal. A well-known business man of Masterton is negotiating for the purchase of a local hostolry, and should he decide to take it over will doubt- : less work np a good His business ability and genial ' position are qualities whioh characterise all successful publicans,