NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 56, 23 October 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

From the report of the Patea Steam Shipping Company, published in another column, it will be seen that the company has determined to increase its capital, and it is intended to ask the principal settlers in the county to become shareholders. As we pointed out, when writing on the subject previously, anything that may tend to give the farmer an easy access to the principal markets must be a gain to the whole district. The project has our best wishes, and those who take shares will undoubtedly gain indirectly what they may lose in the> shape oi interest ior their money, even should the company be so unfortunate as not to be in a position to declare a large dividend, as they were able to do at the last meeting. It is to be regretted, however, that the present shareholders should have gone in for bonus shares. The act is not an unjust one, but it is certainly very impolitic, to say the least of it. Two or three months ago we sounded a note of warning on the subject, but it has been unheeded.

Our Pungarehu correspondent's letter will be found in oar fourth page, and also some news in reference to'the last Parihaka meeting.

On his return trip form Parihaka, Mr. Collins, the carter, was turned off the' new road by the Maoris, and made to travel by the old beach road.

Manaia will soon have an air of civilisation about it. The redoubt will shortly be finished, and the building of whares commenced. Mr. Espagne is putting up a place, and is about to transfer his bil-liard-table from Opunake to Manaia. Mr. Brightwell intends having some cows near the camp, so that it will be the men's own fault if they cannot make themselves comfortable.

A meeting of the Hawera School Committee was held on Wednesday evening. Present — The Rev. Mr. Torry (chairman), Messrs. Partridge, Hobbs, McCutehan, and Sj-me. It was resolved that the committee direct the attention of the Education Board to the rigor with which the proposed reduction of teachers' salaiies will fall upon Miss Hills, the pupil teacher, who, in the absence of friends, has to board with strangers. It was resolved to hold the meetings henceforth at half-past seven in the evening. Several small accounts were passed ior payment.

We understand that the appointment of Mr. Wilkinson, as clerk of the Land Office in Hawera, will be gazetted in a few clays, if it has not already been published. Mr. Baddeley will act as Receiver of Land Revenue for the West Coast Land District, but will be in attendance at all sales held in Hawera, in order that depositors may not be put to the inconvenience of going to Carlyle. A separate set of books, plans, maps, &c, will be kept in Howera, and air. Wilkinson will be empowered to receive money when applications are lodged, which will afterwards be forwarded to Carlyle. Mr. Robinson, who acted as ranger to the Taranaki Laud Board, wili be transferred to this district.

In another part of the colony, it once became our duty to direct attention tq the quiet little political swindle, engineered through the House of Eepresentatives by H. Bunny, Esq., known as the Greytown branch railway. It was passed by the cunning insertion, at a late hour, of the two words " and branches " into the Eailways Construction Act, 1878. The outcome of the little swindle is shown by the following extract from the Wairarapa Staudard;— " The Minister for Public Works has given up the idea of working our branch line with horse power. The lowest tender was considered too high, although far lower than we expected any offer to have been made. It was £6 per week. Mr. Ashcroft will put on a small engine to do the work, which he considers can be done by steam for £1 a week. The tenderer for £6 a week, in our opinion, need feel no disappointment that his offer was not accepted." What a vast quantity of traffic must be carried by the branch !

Tenders are called by the Patea County Council for the supply of 350 dog collars.

The Choral Society concert will come off on Thursday next, at the Town Hall, and promises to be very successful.

"Bound Arm's" notes, we regret to say, are again held over, through pressure on our space.

Honi Pihama met with a nasty accident while going to Parihaka. The pole of the buggy broke, and one of the bolts entered Ms foot, but the wound, though

painful, is not dangerous.

Some valuable bulls will be sold by Mr. Freeman E. Jackson, on the 28th inst., on the Wanganui Race-course, immediately after the show, which will be held on that day.

Mr. Skeet forwarded the following telegram to us yesterday from Carlyle : — " Leave per coach to-morrow, without fail. Will remain in Hawera about a week."

Mr. Eyton, secretary of the Patea A. and P. Association, wili attend at Lloyd's hotel on Monday next, to receive entries for the show, to be held on Thursday, the 4th November. Forms of entry can be obtained at this office.

A good carpenter can be hired in Maurit'us for £2 per month. A contemporary proposes that some of them should emigrate to the Australian colonies. It is, however, certain that if they came they would at once raise their prices about 500 per cent. „

The penny -wise -and -pound -foolishpolicy is not always confined to the small farmer or the retail shopkeeper, as is too generally supposed. High and mighty Government officials, and Ministers of the Crown, frequently sin in the same direction. The Government have at length made up their minds to have a sub-Land Office in Hawera. They have a very fine site near the Post Office, on which a suitable building might be put up for £500 or J?6DD. At pyesent, i&O a year is paid to the Town Hall Coxupany for tbe use of their hall as a Court-house. Another £50 or £60 per annum will now have to be paid for the necessary accommodation required for the Land Office. There is such a thing as wise and unwise economy. The Government appear in this case to have adopted the latter. There are few tenants who would prefer to pay rent, when they might become their own landlords for a four or five years' rental.

The " Special" is at his old game. He states tbat the letter ■which the Hon. Mr. Bryee addressed to Wiremu Kingi was dictated by the late Native Minister, and was afterwards revised by that gentleman. The "Special" states the reason why the native news is so uninteresting "is well understood by thos > who ' know, you know.' A Government that can make a District Court Judge the mouthpiece of its policy, can and does ' nobble ' the socalled Press representatives on the Waimate Plains. From private and perfectly independent sources, I learn that a very different tale could be told by any correspondent free from Government influence and Taranaki prejudice." Mr. Hamlin came here to endeavor to confirm the preposterous zals - statements oi the "Special," and because, like a truthful gentleman, he refused to do so, the " Special " retorted that when the hon. member lor Franklin came to the Waimate Plains, he, too, got "nobbled." Comment is needless. The "Special" will have exciting news, whether it be true or false.

A meeting of the Norrnanby School Committee was held on Tuesday evening. Present: — Messrs. Quin (chairman), McDowall (secretary), Richardson, and Sisley. A letter was read from Mr. A. A. Brown, Secretary to the Education Board, stating that the Board would consider the matter of extending the schoolhouse, when it was in funds. The Board considered that a lease for seven years of the old school site would be a sufficient term. The secretary forwarded two copies of the Education Act, and two copies of the rules of the Board to the committee. It was resolved that Mr. McCutchan be allowed to take over the school books at the price-list, and dispose of them on his own account; he to pay the committee for the same. Mr. McDowall was appointed to counter -sign cheques, in the loom of Mr. Gibson, resigned. The following tenders for the school acre were received : — M. Bichardson (accepted), £2 10s. ; S. Gray, A' 2 ss. The following accounts were passed for payment: — Mrs. Bitter (cleaning school), .£1 16s. Bd. ; F. Sisley (filling holes in play-ground), 155. ; C. E. Gibson (zinc-lined can), 55. ; Galvin and Co. (advertising), 12s. The chairman, however, explained that there was only 15s. Bd. in hand, but he expected a little more in a short tune.

Had the Hon. Mr. Bryce been present at the Town Hall last night, we venture to think he would have been compelled to change his opinion witb regard to Hawera being on the confines of civilisation. The bachelors of the district, some few weeks ago, determined to give a ball to their " sisters and cousins" (the "aunts," we are informed, having been left at home on this occasion), and they deserve to be congratulated for the successful manner in which everything was caiTied out. If Mr. Lysaght's prediction does not turn out correct — why, then, it ought to. A good 50Qa,»y c£ tlife i'aii* " esiisi»s" easae Iybki New Plymouth, and were accompanied by a few gallant knights. One of the latter, who took an active part in the preliminary arrangements, came to grief, we are sorry to say, through his horse having got bogged on the Mountain "road, and he had two or three fingers dislocated in consequence of a tumble. The decorations were carried out under Mr. Mason's superintendence, and the ' hall looked very well, albeit the want of some bunting was rather noticeable. Mr. G. V. Bate acted very efficiently as M.C., and the band, though small, played the dance music with much spirit, so that the thirty or more couples who were present thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Mr. Owen did the catering, and took a good deal of pains with it. He provided a capital spread, which was neatly and temptingly, laid out "behind the footlights." The following comprised the programme : — I, galop ; 2, quadrille ; 3, mazurka ; 4, valse ; 5, lancers ; 6, polka ; 7, valse ; 8, mazurka; 9, schottische; 10, quadrille; 11, polka; 12, valse; 13, lancers; 14, galop ; 15, mazurka ; 16, valse ; 17, polka ; 18, quadrille ; 19, valse ; 20, mazurka ; 21, galop ; 22, polka ; 23, valse ; 24, valse. Mr. Knight presided at the piano.

The monthly inspection parade of the Hawera Light Horse will be held to-day, at 10 a.m. ) and the Normanby Rifles at 2 p.m.

At the last meeting of the Taranald Land Board, the following applications for sections on deferred payment were granted : — G. A. Marchant, rural sections 53 and 54, block 1., Ngaire, 216 acres ; Joseph Richardson, section 61, block L, Ngaire, 178 acres; Charles H. West, section 29, block V., Ngaire, 62 acres ; Thomas J. Storer> section 11, block VI., Ngaire, 68 acres. The transfer of section 128) block 11., Ngaire district, from John Plews to Ad.im Gordon, was allowed. Mr Henwood applied to the Board for an extension of time for the payment of instalment due upon section 1, Manganui. The Board granted an extension of time for six months.