NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 77, 5 January 1881, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

One hundred and fifty men have been shifted from Cape Egmont to Ngakumikumi, as the road-making is to be resumed in that quarter.' It is probable that another body of A.C.'s will shortly be stationed at the old camping ground at Pukehinau. Some time ago we drew attention to the manner in which Constable Bailey had been treated at Opunake, where he had to take charge of the store without delivery of the goods having been given over to him. We now learn from our Opunake correspondent that a court-mar-tial will investigate the circumstances. This is so far satisfactory, and it is to be hoped that the finding of the court.will be published. A meeting of the Ngaire road board was held on Monday afternoon at Mr Southey's residence, Mangawhero. Tenders for several road works are to be called for immediately, and Mr. Twigg, foreman of works, was authorised to prepare a schedule of the most important works required ; the chairman to call a special meeting as soon as the report, together with a plan of the district, is ready. Mr. C. H. McCutchan, jun., was appointed clerk to the board. Our report is unavoidably held over till next issue. - It is stated that Mr. T. Lloyd will be a can&fjate for the vacancy on the Town Board. "jl>Y the way, the committee appointed some tJiZLS^syg^ould do well to bestir itself. There must 'tie -plough householders within a reasonable distantt of the town boundaries to enable a borough to be proclaimed. We would suggest that the committee should make another tour round the town, and if its report be favorable, that the Chairman of the Town Board call a public meeting, for the purpose of obtaining an expression of opinion. That it will be favorable, we have no doubt. ' We are pleased to learn from our Opunake correspondent that a money order office is to be established at Opunake. The necessity of such a public convenience was frequently urged in the columns of the Star. A surf-boat is very much required, and the Marine Department would do well to imitate the example of the postal authorities. Any expense will be amply repaid by the increased consumption of dutiable goods. Those who have recently purchased, land, at high prices, are deserving ot some little consideration If a good surf-boat was provided, many of them would ship goods to Opunake. We hope that at the meeting to be held tonight the matter will be earnestly taken up. Several buildings are now going up on the plains, and we hear that a number of the new settlers have given out contracts for clearing some of their land; about I2s. an acre is being given for clearing the fern and grubbing flax and tutu. We hear, that plans and specifications are being prepared for a large hotel at Manaia, which will be erected shortly. In addition to th ■ above, tenders are advertised for a Government office there by the Commissioner of Crown Lands at New Plymouth," and also business premises to the order of Messrs. Edmonds and Sanderson, architects, New Plymouth. ' We hear that the whole of the frame work of Mr. Langley'f. new store ut Manaia is now up, and the builders expect to finish in about a fortnight. Regarding the pigs on the Waimate , Plains, we hear from Mr. Katene that the Allowing are the rightful owners of all p\js on this side of the Inaha stream. On the.^eawa'rd side of the road between the. twtjNjuidges, Mr. Tauke : on the .upper side ot the main road and on the seaward side of Nshe Manaia and ]f ormanby road, Taike ana Jimmy r Peach ; near the bush above Okafcwa, Te Weihi Maike ; between Okaiawa atKj the Inaha apper. crossing, Beni. The s Maoris ' ( admit, however, that they ar6\ quite willing that where the pigs are " destroying the fences they should be Trilled, but . they do not like to have them iwd up and carted away for sale by Europeans, as they regard this as a sort of thieving. ' It is their intention to organise a party of pig-hunters in a day or two, and catch a largo number ot pigs on this side the Inaha. A meeting of persons interested in opening the road through from Highstreet to the railway reserve was held at Prosser's hotel on ' Monday night. There were present— Messrs J. Prosser, Tait, M. Campbell, Davidson, Cockburn, ■ and McCutchan. Mr. Prosser was voted to the chair. Mr. Cockb'irn stated that the meeting had been called for the purpose of deciding how the money which had been subscribed for opening the *oad should be expended. It was decided that a committee should be formed to look after the interests of the subscribers, and the following gentlemen consented to act, viz.: — Messrs. J. Prosser, J. Davidson, M. Campbell, H. B. Cockburn, and C. Tait. It was resolved that Renders be called for the necessary fencing, removal <5f builcb' ings, &c. ; sucfc- tenders to"De advertised in the Stab, and tk*fese on-Saturday, Bth instant, at 7 o'clq c k. The meeting then adjourned. ;

The post office at Normanby has been opened as a Government Life Insurance Office. A sale of town sections at Stratford will be held in the Town. Hall, H-iwera, tomorrow, by Mr. Wray. The Eev. Mr. Dasent requests us to state that there will b? Holy Communion at the Church of England service, to be held at Hawera next Sunday morning. The nominations for Nelson Suburbs took place yesterday. A. S. Collins and A. Harley were the only two nominations. The poll takes place on the 11th. Efforts are being made to form a lawn tennis club in Hawera, and a preliminary meeting will soon be held of those in favor of establishing thia agreeable pastime. Messrs. Adamson and Pease, formerly in the employ of Messrs. McLDowie and Co., are about to start another butchery ' in Hawera. A meeting, to consider the advisability of forming a town board, and for the .discussion of other matters, will be held at Opunake this evening. ; , Mr. Quinlivan's Redeemer won ,the Railway Handicap, of 100 soys., at the Marton - Rangitikei meeting, and ran Opawa to a head for the Marton-Rangi-tikei Handicap. We have been informed that a telegram has been received by a gentleman at Normanby, stating that the site ol'the Normanby railway station has been fixed on Hone Pihama's land. To-morrow Mr. W. M. Thomson will sell by auction the lease of 51 acres of land, being section 213, Hawera ; 50 acres freehold, being section 142; section 66, block VIIL, Vahnate ; and section 100, in the suburbs of Hawera. Mr. C. E. Rawson, the newly-appointed Resident Magistrate at New Plymouth, took his seat on the Bench for the first time on Friday last. We have no doubt that Mr. Rawson will make a conscientious and painstaking magistrate. At the R.M. Court, on Monday, before Captain Wilson and F. MeGuire,,J.P.'s, a man named William Cunningham was charged with stealing a gold chain, the property of John Burton^ After hearing the evidence, the accused* was committed to take his trial. The usual monthly meeting of the | Hawera Masonic Lodge was held on Monday evening, the R. W. M., Bro. Pitcher, presiding. One member was proposed for initiation, two for affiliation, and one was raised to the third degree. A good story comes to ns from Normanby. The owner of an old and crippled dog was called upon to pay the new ten shilling tax. He said : " The old dog is not worth the money, but I do not wish to destroy him ; I will pay half-a-crown a leg for him, which, as he has but three legs, will be 7s. 6d. instead of 10s. The tax collector objected to the proposed reduction, and consequently the tax upon that three-legged animal remains-- unpaid. ** "■"'^rSrijcketer " requests us to draw attention to feft necessity of re.turfing whenever the gra'sVgits worn out on the pitch. This would not beTWKcn^ffiPJible, and if a little grass-seed were regularly siwra, and the water judiciously applied to theground, an even pitch would always be secured. We commend the matter to the attention of the committee. On one oLib&Jaififeskericket grounds in Victoria it is a constant practice to do what " Cricketer" suggests. The Wairarapa Standard says : — " Mr. Maginnity is to go in exile to White's Bay, the cable station in the Sounds, at a salary of .£l5O p r annum and a free house. The Premier should have done something more for his friend and coadjutor than this. Perhaps, however, he may supplement Mr. Maginnity's scanty income from his private purse. It would be a graceful and a grateful action." It is understood that there was a lady in the case which resulted in Mr. Maginnity's removal. ' Our respected contemporary, the Taranaki Herald, wbilst endeavoring to clear the mist from our brother's eyes at Patea, has itself got into a fog. The question asked of Captain Wray, previous to the land sales, and answored by that'gentleman, was as to the liability of tie land for a shilling rate . " in the pound," and not " one shilling per acre," as stated by our contemporary. As it appears anxious to have the light diffused, we supply this information for its benefit, and that of' our readers. _ v Captain Walkington, of* the Wairoa Light Horse, has .accepted the challenge sent .by the Hawera troop to arrange to fire a match to-morrow, commencing at 9 o'clock. Their team consists of- Capt. Walkington, Lieut. Johnston, Sub-Lieut. «T; Thurston, Sergt.-Major Howie/ Sergts. Aikeni G. Howie, McLean, Corpl tMilne, Trumpeter J. Aiken,lTroopers W. Howie, , J. Howie, and W. Virioent. The Hawera team will consist of Sub.-Lieut. Johnston, Sergt.-Major Lloyd, Sergts. Gi Bayly, -tV. Sutton, Corpl. W. Dingle, Troopers Flint, Lee, Mason, Parrington,' Rogers, Urwin, Willy; waiting men: Trooper Lysaght, Lieut.. Riddiford. With reference to the exodus of Maoris from this district to Parihaka, which is now taking place, we hear that they have resolved to establish themselves permanently at Parihaka. A large block ; ; of the native reserve near Parihaka ha§ been , divided off into three sections — one -for the Ngatiawas, one for the Taranakifc, and one for the Ngatiruanuis. It is tne intention of the Maoris- to fell a large extent of the land, and to plant their crops there. Some seventy men from the .different Zhapus are busy felling now, and' more intend to set to work very shortly. It is a wise move on the part of the natives thus to unite and live together, and avoid the demoralising influences of life near European settlements, which are apt to tempt them beyond their power to resist. Mr. H. V. Barclay has written to the Taranaki Herald, as follows : — " In reference to a paragraph which appeared in your issue of yesterday regarding supposed'discovery of gold on the bunks of .the Mangaehu creek by ' Mr. Barclay's survey party,' I wish- to state that so far ■as I know, there is no foundation; ior the report, although it is true that we have found quartz specimens in several of the creeks, in that neighborhood, w.hich appear to indicate the existence of a rich reef somewhere amongst the ranges; The jjost of prospecting such country would be very heavy, on account of the difficulty of obtaining-provisions, and I should not recommend any one to try canoeing down the Patea from Stratford, as that river is very Bhallow and- rapid and full a/ snags."