NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 42, 4 September 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

It is scarcely necessary to remind our readers that the meeting in reference to forming a separate county will be held at two o'clock this afternoon, in the Hawera Town Hall. We hope to see a large and representative gathering. Whatever the decision may b" 1 , every settler who can conveniently attend should do so.

The Evening Post last night published a statement to the effect that 7000 acres of the Plains will be offered on the 25th of October. The upset prices are said to be £4 for cash and £5 for deferred payment sections. Our Wellington contemporary is usually well informed as to the intentions of the present Government, and we see no reason to doubt the correctness of the date given, as we know that six weeks ago the Government hoped to be able to offer the land for sale several weeks earlijr than the date now given by the Post.

It is understood that the first block of land on the Waimate Plains will be advertised for sale immediately (says the Wellington Post), the survey being completed and the plans all ready. It is described as a new block not previously surveyed, consisting chiefly of open land lying towards the edge of the bush, about three miles in a north-westerly direction from Normanby. A new township, to be called Okaiawa, is laid off about four miles from Normanby, the new road from which latter place to Opunake will pass through Okaiawa. The re-survey of the Waimate Plains and restoration of the removed pegs has now been finished, and the land is practically all ready for sale and settlement.

It has been telegraphed round the colony that the Hon. the Native Minister was seriously ill at the camp. From inquiries, we learn that Mr. Bryce is subject to asthma, and that he had a very slight attack of his old complaint, which some enterprising " special " managed to magnify into a serious illness. He looked rejnarkably ■well wlien lie arrived, in Hawera, but the day he drove from here to Opunake was bitterly cold. That would probably account for the attack.

Money must be getting very plentiful in the Empire City. Messrs. J. H. Bethune and Co. held a sale on Monday last, the total proceeds of which amounted to £12,500. About two acres in Hawke-stone-street, with a dwelling-house thereon, belonging to the late Mr. Shaw, jeweller, sold for £3000, to Mr. J. B. Harcourt, merchant.

We have received notification from Mr. Wanklyn, Town Board secretary, stating that the usual monthly meeting of the Town Board will be held on Monday evening. We understand that tenders will be opened for fencing in a portion of the recreation reserve, in order to make a commencement with the tree-planting. It is a pity that the public and private efforts in the direction are as yet so small. Tree-planting on a large scale ia very much required in this district.

Letters from Mr. Hill, Mr. Gibson, and " Katipo," are unavoidably held over.

The usual monthly meeting of the Hawera Masonic Lodge will be held on Monday evening.

Mr. W. M. Thomson will hold a sale of horses, &c, at 2 p.m. to-day, in Prosser's yard.

Mr. J. Paul has built a handsome threestorey building at New Plymouth for hotel purposes. It will be called the Criterion.

The Venerable Archdeacon Thorpe will preach to-morrow, at 11 a.m., in Hawera ; and at 3.30 p.m. in Normanby.

Mr. Cowem's new sale-yards at Kakaramea are nearly finished, and there will be a large sale of stock on Wednesday next. The entries are unusually large.

We have much pleasure in stating that a Post Office is now open at the Mangawhero, at Mr. Price's accommodationhouse, near the bridge.

The annual general meeting of the Cricket Club will be held at seven o'clock this evening, at Lloyd's hotel. Officebearers for the ensuing season will have to be elected.

The Harmonic Society have purchased one of Aseherberg's pianos from Messrs. Collier and Co., of Wanganui, for the sum of £52 10s. There must be some good working members in the society, judging from this fact.

Mr. Walter Coker, who is connected with the well-known musical firm of Collier and Co., Wanganui, will make a tour through this district during the present month. Orders for piano tuning, &c, may be left at Mr. Pitcher's shop, or at Messrs. Whittaker Bros.' store.

Mr. Mair, teacher of the Hawera school, has, we regret to state, been so unwell that he had to give up teaching during the past week. He is, however, progressing satisfactorily, and will be able to take charge of the school in a few days hence.

We have been requested to state that the funeral of Mr. Sanders' child will take place this afternoon, and not to-morrow, as neither the Rev. Mr. Fairclough nor the Rev. Mr. Torry would be able to attend on Sunday, as both the rev. gentlemen will be away from Hawera in the afternoon.

The Patea hospital will require a lot of new furniture, we should imagine, judging from a statement made by Mr. Black at the last meeting of the county council, to the effect that no less than sixteen applications for admission had been received from the ranks of the "unemployed" during the previous week.

Mr. Homer, the manager of the Patea S.S. Company, informs us that in future he will telegraph to Normanby and Hawera immediately after the arrival of the steamer. The telegrams will be found on the notice-board in front of the Star office, and information can also be obtained at the Post Office, Normanby.

The tenders for the building of the Town Hall in Normanby were opened at a meeting of directors held on Wednesday, and that of Mr. Lockington, for £529 4s sd, was accepted. The deed of transfer, from Mr. Hirst to the company, -will -be— prepared- -with-as -little- delay as possible, and. on its execution the work will be commenced forthwith. Tbere is every reason to hope that the building will be completed about Christmas.

Last week we pointed out the inconvenience under which the Normanby settlers labored, through having to wait for their letters a day after the arrival of the coach. The Hawera people also have a grievance, in the same direction. The mail from New Plymouth arrives in Normanby early in the day, but it does not reach Hawera till the following morning. Had it not been for Mr. Isaac Baily, the people in Hawer-a would have had. to wait for their English letters two days after their arrival in Normanby. The mail was brought down on Saturday, and Mr. Baily hearing of it, rode out and brought it to Hawera. Surely this delay could be avoided without any very great additional expense to the department.

Mr. F. OS. McCarthy, Carlyle, has favored us with a copy of the Watchman, published at Enniscorthy, in the county of Wexford, Ireland, which contains the following item of news : — " On Wednesday, the 30th June, took place in the beautiful Church of the Lady's Island, the anniversary High Mass and Office for the repose of the soul of Anne, wife of Mr. William J. Furlong, Hawera, New Zealand. The celebrant at the Mass was the Rev. John L. Furlong. P.P., Ballygarret ; the deacon and sub-deacon being Rev. P. M. Furlong, New Ross, and Rev. N. Lambert, Clongeen ; Rev. S. B. Hore,' 0.5. F., officiated as master of the ceremonies. The Right Rev. Dr. Warren presided at the function, which was attended by about thirty Priests."

Linen drapers (an exchange says) should take a lesson from the lawyers, and make out their bills to their customers as follows : — To attending upon you in my shop, 6s 8d; to advising you as to what to buy, 13s 4d ; in deciding with you to buy black silk ribbon, 6s 8d ; the price of the ribbon, 2s ; to making out your account, £1 Is ; to attending cashier for change, 6s 8d ; to handing you said change, 13s 4d ; to wrapping up parcel, and placing it in your hands, 6s 8d ; to attending you to the door, £1 Is ; to advising you to put up your umbrella, as it was going to rain, 6s 8d ; for use of my shop while completing your arrangements, £1 Is. Total, £& ss.

In dismissing the charge against Edward Hawkins, for embezzlement, the Resident Magistrate severely admonished him, and advised him to pay all his lawful debts. It seemed very clear that the plaintiffs in the suit were morally entitled to a fair proportion of the money, after the demands of the butcher, the baker, and the storekeepers were satisfied ; but as they had not obtained jugments against the accused, the amount remaining, after paying Messrs. Beresford, England, Treweek, and the gentleman who conducted the defence, was handed over to Hawkins, who has pocketed £16, whilst those who worked with him will have to whistle for their share. Law and justice were at one time supposed by the uninitiated to be almost syonymous terms ; but Bobert Dent and Henry Miller will be able to appreciate bow widely apart the two things may be. Working men ought- to learn a useful lesson from this case. In these degenerate days, it is not always safe to trust to a man's honor.

We were in error last week in stating that the meeting, for the purpose of forming a school district in the Whakamara, and electing a committee, was to have been held last Saturday, and we regret if we should have been the means of unintentionally misleading any of the residents, and bringing them from their homes in such disagreeable weather. The meeting will take place this evening, at seven o'clock, at Messrs. Dunstan and Barnett's residence.

On Wednesday Mr. McDowall, secretaiy to the Normanby School Committee, attended at the school-house, for the purpose of handing over possession to the new teacher, Mr. W. A. McCutchan. Mr. McDowall addressed the children, who were all present, and in the course of his remarks he said the governing committee were veiy anxious that the children should receive a good education. He was sorry to say that serious charges hid been made to the committee that some of the children were in the habit of using obscene language outside of the school: this could not be tolerated, and the committee were determined to dismiss from the school any of the pupils who were found guilty of this offence. Mr. McDowall further stated that Mr. Hill had haud cl over the sum of £5, being a balance from the amount raised at the pic-nic, which would be spent on prizes. The books had not yet arrived, but as soon as they did, they would be distributed.