NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 61, 10 November 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

are roavy in games as io fcbe percentages of 2ainbing in this district. If our farmers will kindly send us the particulars, we shall be glad to publish them. The average weight of wool per sheep shorn would also prove interesting.

Eate defaulters, residing within the town boundary, will have the screw put on, if they do not pay up immediately ; and the lessees of reserves are threatened with the cancellation of their leases unless they pay their rents within fourteen days.

The Taranaki News says that instead of the New Plymouth Harbor Board thinking of taxing the settlers of Waimate they have during the past week paid nearly J61,000 into the hands of the Sinking Fund Commissioners.

The following tenders have been received for bush felling on the Manaia road : — Accepted : M. T. Harvey, £1 7s per chain ; extra bush, £2 5s per acre. Rejected : T. per chain : extra bush, £3 per acre. Beresford and Willy, £3 per chain ; extra bush, .£B lss per a"ere. P. O'Connor, £'6 per chain ; extra bush, £& per acre. W. and T. Jenkins, .£8 2s Od per chain ; extra bush, £4 2s 6d per acre. H. Downey, £3 10s per chain ; extra bush, £4. per acre. Wm. Barker, £4 15s per chain ; extra busu, £3 10s per acre.

The building of the Manaia redoubt has been finished, and whares will soon he put up inside the enclosure. A cricket club has been formed, and a piece of ground partly levelled off. Mr. Espagne's billiard-room is a substantial - looking building, and the table is well patronised. Of course, the inevitable canteen is not far off, and whenever the British flag and the British beer-barrel are seen in the wilderness, it may without doubt be asserted that civilisation is advancing. Wiremu and one or two otlier natives are allowed to vis'jb bhe camp -whenever bhey feel disposed to do so. but' the others have to keep outside the line.

Whilst the County Council are discussing — or rather postponing the discussion — whether the administration of local government would be better entrusted to the county councils or to the road boards, the people who have to travel over the road between Hawera and Normanby are thinking about the advisableness of petitioning the owners of the land along the route to allow a horse track to be made inside their fences. The dangers of travelling over the public road on a dark night are nearly as great as along the Mountain track. The sooner something is done the better. Accidents have occurred, and are sure to occur again, if the road is left in its present deplorable condition.

A correspondent wishes to know when the bridge over the Wamgongoro, at the Mawhitiwhiti, is likely to be built. We regret we cannot enlighten him ; but as Mr. Blackett will probably visit the district in a short time, it would be well for our correspondent and a few of the people of Normanby to wait upon him. The work is an important one ; it would enable the settlers on the Plains to get their timber at much cheaper rates than if it has to bo carted round by the main road. The Waimate people have, therefore, a right to expect that such a necessary work, involving a comparatively small outlay, should be done at once.

Mr. George Hall, well known in Wellingtou for many years as the successor of Mr. Minifie, who ior a considerable period carried on the leading business as plumber and paperhanger, has started in business at Carlyle. In the days of Wellington's prosperity, Mr. Hall was a large employer of labor, and he, Mr. J. E. Hayes, and Mr. S. Danks, did nearly all the business in the plumbing and. gasfitting line ; but in. consequence of tlie dulness of trade, My. Hall decided upon leaving the Eropire City. Those who are well acquainted with him state that he is a thoroughly practical tradesman, and very trustworthy He ought to do well on this coast.

A special meeting of the Town Board was held on Saturday night, and a good deal of business was transacted. Mr. A. J. Whittaker took his seat for the first time, and Mr. M. D. King was unanimously elected chairman. The secretary appeared doubtful as to the legality of the election, because of the seat vacated by Mr. Stevenson not having- been filled up. We do not, however, agree with Mr. Wanklyn. A quorum of the board is quite competent to elect a chairman or to transact any business except the rescinding of a resolution, without notice of motion. Of course, it may not be always advisable for a quorum to transact important business, and it is often better to wait until all the members are present. But as to the legal point, we think there cannot be very much doubt. A report of the proceedings will be found- in our fourth page.

The Government intend granting the Te Aroha prospectors nine men's ground. The field will be opened on Monday next.

Applications for shares in the Patea Permanent Land and Building Society are invited.

Mr. O'Neill l'equests us to state that the tenders for building a villa residence for Mr. Isaac Bayly will close to-day.

A number of advertisers offer to supply the manifold wants of new settlers on the Plains.

Mr. W. M. Thomson will sell the furniture belonging to the West Coast Commission on Saturday next, at 2 p.m.

Mr. Cowern will hold a large sale of stock at Kakaramea to-day, at 2 p.m. About 300 head of cattle are advertised.

Mr. W. Dale announces two extensive sales of furniture and other articles to be held at Carlyle on Saturday next, The first sale begins at 12 noon ; the second at 1 p.m.

Fresh tenders are called for gravelling contracts on the Mountain road, none of the tenders previously sent in having been accepted, as they were considered too high.

A dray-load of wool, belonging to Mr. Winks, passed through Hawera on MonAay evening. Mr G. T. Bayly, of Mokoia, sent his wool down the previous Monday.

"We understand that instructions have been given to all the deputy Property Tax Commissioners to proceed immediately against all persons who have not sent iii their valuations.

Mrs. McCusker and family were passengers by the Hinemoa to Taranaki. The Government steamer arrived there on Saturday with material for the Cape Egmont Lighthouse.

The Government have resolved to abo2f522 tlie Meteorological Observatory at New Plymouth. The gentleman in charge has received notice that his services will not be required after the Ist December.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook, the new lessees of Lloyd's Empire Hotel, took possession on Friday last, the old host and hostess retiring into private life for the present. • Mr. and Mrs. Cook have had some experience in hotel-keeping, and therefore appear quite at home in. their new quarters.

A rather serious accident befell a son of Major . Nixon' on the Waverley course yesterday. He tried to run across the track before the third and fourth horses had come in for the handicap, and the latter knocked him down. He was picked up senseless, and was some time before he came to, and then seemed much shaken.

The Sydney Morning Herald says that the Australasian colonies have an aggregate population of 2,686.951 ; the governors* salaries amount to .£BB,OOO, and ministers' salaries to .£53,590. This is almost equal to the amount drawn by the Cabinet ministers of England, with a population of over thirty-five millions to be governed.

The New Zealand Gazette of the Ist instant contains a notice that on the 15th and 17th December, about 8300 acres of land on the Wainiate Plains will be open for selection at Hawera and Carlyle, the auction being held at the former place. Sections in the township of Manaia will be offered at the same time, at prices varying from £10 to .£25 each ; and suburban sections of from 5 to 40 acres will be offered on the village settlement conditions on Monday, 20th December, at Hawera and Carlyle, at £6 per acre. ■ The notice is signed by the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district.

Tie Wajmrapa Standayd, in a short article winch might "be termed a iaueral dirge on. Macara's line of coaches, concludes with the following remarks : — " Men may travel through the length and breadth of New Zealand without finding more undeveloped wealth than what exists in the Wairarapa. It is the ease with which men and women have been enabled to live in this district which accounts for their lack of energy and enterprise. The struggle for existence here at least has been well tempered to the comfort of the people." Some of the older settlers are probably wishing that the author of the paragraph had been with them when they had to carry flour on their own backs over the Itimutaka ranges.

At half-past two on Saturday last a serious accident happened to Mr. G. George, one of the employees at the Messrs. Shuttleworths 1 mills. New Plymouth. The sufferer, according to the Taranaki Herald, was engaged at the circular saw, and at the time of the accident he was cutting a piece of timber, about fourteen feefc long:, when \>y some mischance the timber after having been cut through by the saw did not fall "clear," and was caught again by the saw and propelled backwards with great velocity, striking Mr. George on the forehead, and then passing through a door immediately behind, shattering the panels of the door to pieces. Mr. George was picked up insensible, and Dr. Rawson was immediately sent for, who, on examination, found that the front part of the skull and face extendiug to the eyebrows and nose, wera completely smashed. The doctor dressed the wounds, and shortly afterwards the patient showed symptoms of consciousness. Dr. Rawson considers the case a critical one, but entertains hopes of the recovery of the unfortunate man.

The Wanganui Maoris, under the direction of Semp, laave at last begun tla c lon«j threatened marking out of claims of land throughout the West Coast. They receive the countenance and legal assistance of Mr. Sievright, the gentleman through whom Mr. Rees received his retaining fee of £'600, as counsel for the Maori prisoners. Two flags were erected at the place chosen for the first land-mark, on the 2nd instant. Kemp made a speech on the occasion, and is reported in the Wanganui Chronicle to have said :—": — " The post was erected on their own land, which had been handed down to them by their ancestors. The land there — Kuaomoa — belonged to them, notwithstanding that a portion of it had been clandestinely taken in the absence of some of the owners at Panhaka. He said that no one would be hint by what he did. He complained that the Native Land Court was going to be held at Taupo, and said his people would hot attend." Kemp's original intention of going all round the land claimed has been abandoned, and he now proposes to put up a post here and there ; and it is said that the next land-mark will be erected in the course of a few days at Matemateaonge, near Patea.