NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 62, 13 November 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Mr. Finnerty has finished the survey of the Opunake township, and has gone on to the Parihaka Block, where the land to the seaward will soon be laid off.

Most of the A.C's at present at Cape Egmont are to be shifted to Opoua. A .small body will remain at Cape Egmont to assist in the erection of the lighthouse.

The third competition for the Officers' Cup will take place to-day. Firing will commence at 9 a.m. The previous winners are Messrs. G. Bayly and Flint.

There were no nominations yesterday for the vacancy in the Hawera Town Board, caused through the resignation of Mr. Stev nson, although the matter was advertised ibr nearly a month.

Good progr ss is being made with the Normanby Town Hall. All the framework is now rapidly approaching completion, and hopes are entertained that the building will be ready for use by the commencement of the new year.

The Government — finding, it may be presumed, that the general public does not read that wonderful literary production, the New Zealand Government Gazette — have caused to be printed a number of slips containing a few particulars about the block of land to be sold next month. Such rigid economy is highly commendable. If carried out by the owner of a chandler's shop, it would make tfie fortune of the. mac. Ye auctioneers, take a lesson !

Fencing has begun on the Plains. We are informed that one man has actually commenced, and it is within our knowledge that other tenders for fencing have been let, and work will be commenced in a" few days, We hear that there has been very little inquiry either for the work which has been let, or for that now under offer, and employers express surprise that some of the unemployed have jiot applied ; the current prices, though not high, are sufficient to enable a good werkman to earn from 7s to 8s per day, and this is about double what the unemployed are receiving. ;

The return match between the Patea and Hawera Cricket Clubs will be played on Saturday next at Cavlyle. A match, to be played at Opunake, between an eleven of the Hawera G.G. and a team obosen from the A.C. camps, will soon be arranged. It is also contemplated to send a team to Wanganui about the latter end of the months On the 28th instant the Nelson cricketers will play at Wanganui, and it is probable that a match will be arranged with them as well as with the Wan^anui Club. Our local players will have their hanAs pretty full, and if they wish to come off victorious, a little more practice would not be amiss.

Some of our Normanby readers complain as to the insufficient quantity of receipt stamps kept at the Post Office. This should not be the case. If anything were disputed in a Court of law, the Government or the Bench would not be likely to excuse any person who might be foolish enough ,to give a receipt without making the customary addition to the revenue. It is clearly the duty of the head of the department to provide enough stamps at the various post offices. Some of the Norinanby people have been compelled — so we have been informed on reliable authority — to come all the way to Hawera for stamps. It is really too bad, and we cannot see what good purpose can be served by doling out a few shillings' worth of stamps at a time to the postmaster. . . . •■

Wednesday will be the last day for receiving tenders for the gravelling contracts on the Mountain road. The furniture belonging to the West Coast Commissioners will be sold at 2 p.m. to-day by Mr. W. M. Thomson.

Two important sales of furniture and general merchandise will be held to-day at Carlyle by Mr. W. Dale. The first will commence at noon.

Of the 8500 acres of land on the Plains, to be sold on the 13th, 15th, and 16th of December next, at Hawera, about onethird will be offered on deferred payments at £5 per acre, and about 6000 acres will be put up to auction for cash.

Mr. Gardner, a groom in the employ of Mr. McKae, Kakaramea, received a kick DiJ& &6 jarr ircza bhe tho/vagh-bced iocse Puriri on Wednesday last. The shock rendered him insensible for some time, but he is now progressing favorably.

The following changes of office-bearers have been made in the Choral Society :—: — Mr. Leslie Charles, to be conductor, vice Mr. Dixon, resigned ; Mr. Dixon, to be deputy-conductor, vice Mr. Whittaker. resigned; Mr. Whittaker to be librarian, vice Mr. Wilkinson, resigned.

The Patea Races will take place on Friday next. The banks at Hawera and Normanby will be closed in honor of the event, and Mr. Freeman B. Jackson has postponed his monthly sale at Hawera till the day following. A general holiday will be obserVed at Carlyle.

A cricket mat h was played at Cape Egmont on Saturday last between teams chosen from Major Tuke's camp and Major Croi'ing'Vs. The "Bgmonta scared 31, whilst their opponents made only 20. Foley was in splendid form, and bowled remarkably well, his analysis for the first innings being— 42 balls, 4 maidens, 6 wickets, 7 runs. Sergeant deary is hopeful that the Pungarehu men will be able soon to retrieve their loss. Another match was to have been played on the Prince of Wales' birthday, but the particulars are not yet to hand.

The Post says : — " The new AgentGeneral, Sir Francis Dillon Bell, will arrive in Wellington on Wednesday, by the Wanaka, to hold a final conterence with his brother Commissioner, Sir Wm. Fox, and the Government, touching nativa affairs on the West Coast of this island. It was arranged that Sir F. D. B 11 should proceed to England by ,the Orient steamer Liguria, on the 14th December, but it has now been found convenient to postpone his departure to the following steamer, the Potosi, which sails a fortnight later. It has been settled that Sir F. Dillon Bell's appointment is for four years definitely." Major Parris left Hawera very early on Thursday morning, as the Commissioners and the Government were very anxious that he should be present during the time that native matters will have to be deliberated.

Messrs. Duffill Brothers have just completed a handsome six-roomed residence for Mr. F. Biddiford, in Bamford's paddock. The drawing-room and sittingroom are about 15 feet long, 14 feet wide, 12 feet high, and there is a handsome baywindow in the former. About 16,000 feet of timber wei - e used in the villa and stabling, all of which was supplied by Messrs. Eobson Brothers, of the Ketemarae saw-mill. The outside of thebuilding is composed of rusticated matai, which looks remarkably well. Though considerably dearer than weatherboard, it is much neater, and we understand that thei'e is a large saving in labor by using it. The papering has been tastefully done, and the patterns are of the newest design, and very rich, indicating the great improvement that has lately taken' place in this line of decorative art.

We understand that a mov merit is on foot for purchasing all the Maori pigs at present running on a large portion of the block of land recently sold on the Plain 3. It is stated by those who ought to know that there will probably be but little difficulty in arranging with the Maori owners at a reasonable price. No doubt buyers could easily be found for a large number of the pigs now running at large : men and dogs would be forthcoming to catch and convey all the marketable ones to fresher fields and pastures new, the old tuskers being treated in a summary manner with a short shrift and a long knife. The. proposition appears to be reasonable and fair, when the fact is taken into consideration that a number of the pigs have been hand-fed, and cannot be regarded as wild aanaals.

Mr. Mills, the manager of the Union Steam Shipping Company announces that the company are building a number of new steamers, the Manipori — 285 ft. feet long, 36ft. beam, 35ft. depth of hold — and will be of the same power as the Eotomahana, with a twin screw, having a carrying capacity of 300 tons on a maximum draught of 9ft. She is intended io trade to Hokitika, G-reymoixth, Westporfc, and Waagaaui. Another steamer is intended to trade exclusively from Westport to ports on the East Coast, and so develope the coal resources of Westport. She will cany 500 tons on a- draught of lift. Three other small steamers are to be built of steel. One is to tender the Waitaki at Whangarei, and to • trade between that port and Waipu. Another is to tender the company's steamers at Gisborne, and a third is io he employ, d in tendering the Waitaki at Tauranga, and keep up the communication between that place and Opotiki. The two smaller steamers and their launches are to be in the colony by this time next year.

Our respected contemporary, the Wellington Evening Post, has got into an impenetrable fog in reference to the Okaiawa Land Sale. It takes exception to a telegram forwarded by the Press Association agent at New Plymouth, but its explanation, instead of enlightening the public, must have had the contrary effect. For the benefit of our contemporary, and the general public, we shall give the true facts, as they appeared in our report published after the time of the sale. There were seven small-farm allotments offered on deferred payments, all of which, with one exception, were keenly competed for, and consequently all were taken up. There were twenty -four village allotments offered for sale, but only four were sold. There were nineteen suburban deferred payment sections offered, but only two were taken up. Our contemporary was right with regard to the small farm rural allotments ; but the Press Association was correct with reference to the village and suburban sections.