NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 14, 29 May 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

On Tuesday next, the lands set apart by the Taranaki Land Board, for sale on deferred payments, will be open for application, at the Crown Lands office, New Plymouth, and at the Land office, Carlyle. Uuder the Land Act, Amendment Act, 1879, personal residence on bush land may be dispensed with, and is so dispensed with under the Taranaki Land Board Begulations. The following telegram was forwarded last week from Opunake to Major Atkinson by Messrs. Breach, Bartlett, and McGuire : — " Would strongly urge upon the Government for a proper surf-boat and outhaul buoy fixed at anchorage, the present boat being totally inadequate for the pubhe service. Thirty men have been held in readiness to discharge the Hinemoa's cargo for two days, but only a small portion has been landed owing to the want of a proper surf-boat." We trust that the matter will be promptly dealt with.

The Waitara Harbor Board having discussed the necessity of deepening the channel of the river, appointed a committee, consisting of Messrs. Halse, Bayly, Dugdale, and Webster, to confer with Mr. Holmes, on his arrival, in reference to devising some plan for the removal of the boulder stones from the channel of the river,

There was, we regret to say, only a poor attendance at the meeting of the chess club, which was held at the Institute on Thursday evening. The chair was occupied by the President, Mr. White. The minutes of the last general meeting, held in April, 1878, having been confirmed, the Treasurer (Mr. Wanklyn) stated that there was a small sum in hand from the previous season. Mr. White was unanimously elected President, Mi-. Mason Vice-President, and Mr. Wanklyn Secretary and Treasure!'. Messrs. J. Douglas, J. McCutchan, and H. B. Parrington were elected a committee, with power to add another person to -then; number. It was decided that Tuesdays and Fridays should be set apart for practice, the time fixed being seven o'clock. Now that the Institute has been lined, and will, therefore, be much more comfortable, there ought to be a large accession of members to the club, and we hope to se » a lively interest taken in what Napoleon used to term the " King of Games."

Mr. Robert Mcßobert Pringle, of the firm of Eytou and Pringle, land and general agents, Carlyle, has been appointed by his Honor Judge Shaw a certificated accountant in bankruptc}'.

A meeting of Mr. E. W. Stockman's creditors was held at New Plymouth on Wednesday, and Mr. Bauchope was unanimously elected trustee. The assets were set down at £1181 7s, and the liabilities at £1432 19s lOd.

Mr. R. C. Hughes (of the firm of Standish and Hughes, solicitors), left New Plymouth on Monday ior England, and will go by the overland route. Before leaving, he was presented with an address by the Taranaki Union Band of Hope.

At a meeting of ibe Eoman Catholic Union, of London, the Duke of Norfolk presented to Cardinal Newman the salver subscribed for in Sydney, and made of Australian gold. The Cardinal replied, warmly thanking liis Australian friends.

A volunteer review was held at Wanganui on the Queen's Birthday. The corps from Feilding aud Palmerston came in by the train and joined the Wanganui Bines in a review and sham fight on the racecourse. About 200 persons were present.

This is how the Auckland Star heads an account of Mr. McMurdo's interview with Te Whiti: — "Adventures at Parihaka. — An Inspired Insurance Agent Interviews Te Whiti. — Interesting Colloquy between the Two Seers. — The Great Pyramid and Prophecy. — The Parihaka Prophet throws up the Supernatural Sponge."

The criminals protection society, in Sydney, oiler prizes, ranging from £2 to £s, for essays on "man's duty to animals," written by pupil teachers ; and also prizes from £1 to £4 for essays written by scholars of from 12 to 14 years of age. This is a valuable hint for similar societies in New Zealand.

Mr. John Reid addressed a large meeting of the electors of Oamaru at the Volunteer Hall on Saturday cv ning. The address was favorably received. He said he would support the present Ministry in their policy of retrenchment, but would not bind himself to blindly follow them in all their measures. A vote of confidence was passed.

In his address to his constituents, at New Plymouth, on Wednesday night, Mr. Kelly stated that the report of the Native Commission had been misapprehended by many, for the land was not all to be given back to the natives, as commonly stated. In one block alone 80,000 acres would be open for settlement. He thought the land should be sold at a moderate price to induce settlement.

The complete returns of railway revenue and expenditure for the nine months ended 31st March, 1880, are now published. The gross receipts amounted to .£575,588, or .£09,412 under the Colonial Treasur r's estimate — .£675,000. The working expenses were £430,284, being 74f per cent, on the receipts, thus leaving 25£ per cent., or £145,804, as the net revenue available for interest on the cost of construction.

At Sir G. Grey's meeting, at Auckland, Mr. Swanson was called on the platform, but was much interrupted, whereupon "Billy" "jumped" on his tormentor properly. " Silence, you hound," said the hon. member for Newton. "If the people want to hear me, what right have you to interrupt me ? (Uproar.) Those who know me, know this — I never turned nay back on friend or enemy in my life, and it is not likely that I am going to be afraid of such a cur as you."

At the last meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, a letter from the Hawera Library Committee, enclosing copy of letter sent to the Minister of Education, was read, but no action was taken, pending a reply from the Minister. Mr. Coutts stated that the committee admitted that they had included in the amount sent in by them a grant received from the Patea County Council, the proceeds of a bazaar, and proceeds 'of a concert, but still they considered they were justified in including them as voluntary contributions.

A man named William Kemp, a sawmill hand, was killed on the WellingtonGreytown railway on Saturday last. It appears that he was intoxicated, and was sitting asleep on the platform at the Silver Stream station. The steps of the first carriage caught his legs, throwing him under the wheels. Both of his legs were broken, and his body fearfully mangled. No blame is attached to the driver of the engine, he not having

time to pull up when the deceased was observed.

Mr. C. W. Govett advocates the establishment of Savings Banks for the A.C. Force in the following letter to the Taranaki Herald: — " I have lately heard regret expressed by a member of the Armed Constabulary that so little effort is made to induce the men of the force to lay by part of their wages. I believe that it is in the power of the officers to do very much good in this respect without much trouble to themselves, by establishing a temporary savings bank in connection with each company. All that need be done is to get the men to sign the deposit forms, and lor the officers to forward any money received to the nearest Post Office Savings Bank to the credit of each depositor. It may be said that this is stich a simple tiling that the men can do it themselves, but as a matter of fact it will be found that a little extra trouble makes all the difference between doing a thing and leaving it undone."

As the coach from Hawera on Saturday did not i\ach Stratford in time to catch the train, the passengers had to remain in that township till Monday evening, there being no means at hand to convey them to New Plymouth. This is very hard on the travelling public (remarks the Taranaki Herald), and we think the railway authorities should make some provision for having the passengers and mails brought into town as soon after the coach arrives as possible. Instead of encouraging persons to visit New Plymouth by the overland route, it would appear as if the authorities wanted to stop it, which they will very successfully ace omplish if they continue the system they are carrying on now. [We might mention that the matter was brought under the notice of the Hon. Mr. Oliver by Mr. Barleyman, and the Minister for Public Works promised that the train would be made to wait for the coach, provided it did not interfere with the working of the department. — Ed. Star.]

We learn that out of eleven competitors Mr. C. Rosinsky, of Normanby, is the successful tenderer for Mr. W. Bayly's cottage, at the price of £145 lGs.

We see by the Waikato Times that Mr. Gerse, V.S., lately attached to the South Auckland Cattle Board, has left Ohaupo for Auckland, en route to Wanganui.

At the meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, held last month, Messrs. Coutts and McGregor were deputed to inspect the Hawera School, and "to report to next meeting." The " next meeting " has been held, but there is no mention of the report in the Wanganui papers. Why has it not been presented ?

The schooner Nelson has arrived in the Waitara with the first load of piles for the proposed wharf. It has been a matter of considerable surprise to the settlers in this neighborhood that something has not been done, long before this time, to facilitate shipping at that port. There can be little doubt that, when the railway is completed as far as Normanby and Hawera, a large trade will be done between this district and Auckland. Consequently, anything that can be done to improve the Waitara must have more than a passing interest for the settlers here. We do not say this because of any desire to disparage the port of Carlyle. On the contrary, the people of Hawera and Normanby are as keenly alive to the importance of making a good port at Carlyle as are the people ot that town. But Auckland will be one of the principal markets, if not the most important one, for our cattle. B sides, it is stated that a good many articles of merchandise can be had at cheaper rates in Auckland than Wellington or Dunedin.

Te Whiti has held himself aloof from the European villages and towns for a long time, thinking, possibly, that it would ill become him to " mingle in the busy crowd " when he had voluntarily set himself apart to the sacred office of the priesthood. He is not, however, (says the Taranaki Herald) so repugnant to civilisation as to prevent his own son from running the risk of being contaminated, tor to-day we had the pleasure of seeing Te Whiti's son walking the streets of New Plymouth, and gratifying his boyish appetite with the pleasures of civilisation. This fact may possibly be interpreted as showing a gradual relaxing of the prophet's stem interdict to his people to avoid all dealings with the pakeha. The appearance of Te Wln'ti's son — a lad about 12 years old, whose actions are still under the control of his father — in New Plymouth must have its effect upon the native mind, and they will naturally draw the inference that then: leader's former views are undergoing a process of modification, in favor of free and unrestrained intercourse with those Europeans who, a few months ago, he prophesied would be completely routed from these islands.

They are a smart people in Cork (says a Home paper), but the laugh this time is not on their side. The other night they vociferously refused to allow Mr. Archibald Forbes to deliver his Zulu war lecture to them, on account of some old grudge, dating from the period of John Mitchell's candidature for Tipperary. When they had accomplished their purpose, intersperesing the proceedings with eggs heaved at the woiild-be lecturer, they asked to have their money returned to them, but they did not get it; and now, when they reflect that Mr. Forbes has pocketed their money without having been put to the trouble of delivering his lecture, they begin dimly to recognise the turth of the geographical axiom, that the Scot is too far north for the Irishman.

A few years ago (says the Family Herald) when diphtheria was raging in England, a gentleman accompanied the celebrated Dr. Feild on his rounds to witness the so-called " wonderful cures " which he preformed while the patients of others were dropping on all sides. The remedy, to be so rapid, must be simple; all he took with him was flour of sulphur and a quill, and with this he cured every patient, without exception. He put a teaspoonful of flour of brimstone into a wine-glass of water, and stirred it with his finger instead of a spoon, as the sulphur does not l'eadily amalgamate with water. When the sulphur was well mixed he gay •itas a gargle," and in ten minutes the patient was out of danger. Brimstone kills every species of fungus in man, beast, and plant in ten minutes. Instead of spitting out the gargle, he recommended the swallowing of it. In extreme cases, in which he had been called just in the nick oi time, when the fungus was too nearly closing to allow the gargling, lie blew the sulphur through a quill into the throat, and after the fungus had shrunk to allow of it, then gave the gargle. He never lost a patient from diphtheria. If a patient cannot gargle, tak* a live coal, put it in a shovel, and sprinkle a spoonful or two of flour of brimstone upon it; let the sufferer inhale the fumes, and the fungus will die. As a set-off: to 100 faggot voters created by the Duke of Buccleuch at the late elections in Scotland, Lord Rosebury is said, as if by a sudden touch of enchantment, to have thrown up 160 cottage near Edinburgh, on the Tyne side, to house 160 working men, and add 160 to the Liberal constituency. The works were pushed on in a most picturesque and energetic manner, four con'ractors taking each forty tenements, and a force of 500 masons, bricklayers, laborers, and so forth relieving each other in relays night and day.

Yet another Maori prophet ! It may not be generally known that Manawatu can boast of a rival prophet to the seer of Paribaka. The wise man, whose name is Kere, resides at Awapuni, and his predictions are held in gi*eat respect by his dusky followers. Amongst other of his prophecies (says the Manawatn Times) is one that in a very few weeks this country will be again visited by aflood which in its magnitude will far surpass that recently experienced. So implicitly is it believed by the Maoris, that from Jackeytown, down to the Oroua Bridge, there has been a general stampede with their stock, goods, and chattels, from the low grounds to the hills in the immediate vicinity. Those of the tribe who are friendly with Europeans are beginning to feel wroth with the sceptical and unbeliving Christians who will not secure their own safety while there is time, and insult the power of their prophet by treating his admonitions with contempt.

In one district of Victoria a million of rabbits have been destroyed within a short time.

Mr. Foulis, Inspector, visited the Hawera School last week, and expressed himself as being highly pleased with the way it was progressing.

A premium of £200 has been offered by the Mayor of Melbourne for an essay on the best system of underground drainage. The essays must be sent in by the Ist of October next.

The Taranaki Herald hears that Te Whiti is having large clearings made at Parihaka, and is preparing to have put in a larger amount of crops than in any previous year.

Colonel Trimble, M.H.R., passed through Hawera on W dnesday. The hon. and gallant gentleman, who was going to Wellington to attend to his Parliamentary duries, will, therefore, have a pleasant remembrance of the drive through the Mountain Road. The bespattered coach presented anything but an artistic appearance. Dirt, dirt, dirt, from top to bottom. That is the only description that can be given of the vehicle that conveyed the hon. member for Grey and Bell.

The annual ploughing match of the Taranaki Agricultural Society took place on Wednesday in a paddock adjoining the township of Westown. The weather was anything but favorable, and the competitors had to contend against a steady downpour of rain during the day. Messrs A. Davidson, H. Battenbury, and G. Tate, jun., were the judges. The following are the prize-takers : — Double furrow ploughs. — First prize, £4 10s., W. Grey ; second prize, £1, J. R. West. Single furrow ploughs. — First prize, £2, H. Allenbury ; second prize, £1, J. W. West. Boys' class. — First prize,|£2 los., J. West; second prize, £1 10s., R. Petch; third prize, 10s., J. C. Hamblyn. For the best team and best kept harness. — W. Grey (double furrow) ; E. Lloyd (boys class). Mr. Harris Ford's prize. — J. West. Messrs. Patterson and Co.'s prize. — E. Lloyd.

The roads being made by the Public Works volunteers are being rapidly proceeded with. The party this side (says the Taranrki Herald) have already passed the road leading to Parihaka, and it is expected that the camp will be soon shifted to Waitaha, a place about sixteen miles from Stony River, when the two road parties will not be above five miles apart. We hear that the Public Works volunteers have at times been sent off to work over two miles from the camp, at Ngakumikumi, without arms or even a covering party to protect them, whilst the A.C. working party, who are nearer the camp than the volunteers, are not only well provided with arms, but have a covering party of twenty men to look after tli em. This pretty well shows that the men who are working on the road are convinced they will be in no way molested, or they would not proceed to their work so contentedly without a covering party to protect them.

The Opunake correspondent of the Wanganui Herald writes to that journal as follows :—": — " Your correspondent has been requested by the men of the A.C. force to correct an error into which you have, no doubt, inadvertently fallen, with regard to the military settlement scheme. The scheme originated entirely with the men themselves, and the contents of the papers were entirely unknown to Colonel Roberts and the officers until they were given to the former for presentation to the Native Minister. Your correspondent is also in a position to state that the papers were not submitted to the Native Minister, but that the matter was the subject of discussion simply between the latter and Colonel Roberts. The error, no doubt, originated in the Hawera Star." Had the correspondent taken the trouble to read the Star, he would have been able to see that no such error as the one he accuses it of having fallen into could be laid to its account. We not only were aware that the scheme had originated with the men, but we also knew the one man (who is possessed of much more than the average intelligence) who first drafted it and submitted it to his comrades. But the correspondent is only another exemplification of the truth of the old adage, which sayeth, that " there are none so blind as those who will not see." Of course, the men could not submit the scheme to the Native Minister. So long as they are in a properly disciplined force, such communications must necessarily pass through the hands of their superior officers.