RAGLAN.

From Our Own Correspondent

Several changes are taking place in business concerns here. As a result of the destruction of their premises a fortnight ago, Gilmour Bros, have bought out Mr B. VV. Hamilton's storekeeping business, and will soon be left in sole possession of the field—that .is, till somebody else comes along. Mr George Moon, who for some years has been " rutning " the principal boarding-bouse here, known as Sea View, has leased the place to a Mi Muncaster, of VVaihi, Muncaster and family being already in possession. Mrs Reid, who is licensee of the Harbour View Hotel, which was burned down in December, and who has been keeping the licenso good by conducting the business in the Public Hall, has declined to became the tenant of the new hotel, now approaching completion, and will shortly take her departure from Raglan, much to the general regret, for the "Harbour View " was, under her management, as well conducted a bouse aB one could wish to see, The,name of the probable new hotelkeeker is not at present knowD. Probably the proximity of local option polling time may cause something like a slump in such properties. But this fact notwithstanding, th<i " Royal" will have to go up, 'again between now and then, to save the iModbse. The A. and P. Association has, af all, decided that it will not do to let the root, fruit, and vegetable show fall through this year, in spite of the bad season for held, garden and orchard produce, and the fact that the weather is now unreliable, and the possibility of the roads being in their usual wintry condition by show time. Tuesday, June 20th, is the date decided upon for the event, and the Committee ia now at work with the schedule of exhibits for which prizes are to be oilered. A bazaar in connection with the Congregational Church is to come off the week previous. The Te Mata H all will soon be finished, and Mr Seddon is to be asked to perform the opening ceremony, this side of the meeting of Parliament. The tender for the new school has been accepted by the Education Board, and what with that and the new hall and the recent additions to the post office and store, Te Mata will have a very thriving appearance. Mr Northcrott, S.M., held a sitting of the Court at Raglan on Tuesday. Judgement by default was entered in the following cases: Gilmour Bros., v. Wilson, Te Ao-te-rangi, £lO 9s 6d and £ll9s Gd costs; Same v. Geo. Murray, £2 18s 9d and £1 Os 6d costs; B. W. Hamilton v. C. Smythe, £3O 7s 5d and\£l 9s costs; Same v. Warrick, £7 10s and 8s costs; Same v. Reginald Foster, £4 17s 3d and 7s costs; Raglan Printing and Publishing Co., Ltd., v. E. Green, (Coge and Green). £h 15s and lis costs.

There was also a case of considerable local interest in which Michael Galvan, a Maori named Kongo, and Ulta Bongo, his wife, were the litigants. It arose out of the seizure of two horses in satisfaction of a judgment attained by Oelvan against Rongo. Bongo's wife claimed the horses as her property, and released them by paying the amount of the claim and oosts, JBI9 odd, into the court, this preveuting the advertised sale of the animals at auction. Mr Hackett appeared for the interpleader and succeeded in convincing the Magistrate that the horses did not belong to Bongo, but to his wife and son, conjointly, the dam of the two having been given her by her brother, Wahanga. As a result, Mra Bongo " lifted" the money she had paid into the court, plus JB3 6s, costs, the latter amount being Galvan's penalty for putting the bailiff on to property which his debtor did'nt own. It looks as though there is no getting at the Maoris; those who give them credit uudoubtedly have a tough task in trying to prove that they have got anything belonging to them. There was nearly another fire here the other night, A Maori girl employed as a domestic at Mr Arthur Willis, at Okete, went into the children's bedroom with a lighted candle and carelessly set firs to some clothing hanging in a wardrobe, with the result that the lining of the wall was burning furiously when Mr Willis had his attention attracted to that part of the house by the 6mell of smoke. After a great struggle he managed to put the fire out, but not before a hole had been burned in the ceiling, the wall partially destroyed, and a quantity of clothing consumed. Mr Willis' residence is one of the finest in the district, and under the circumstances he was particularly fortunate in saving it from destruction.