NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 80, 15 January 1881, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Supplement presented to our readers with this issue of the Star contains the conclusion of Part 1. of the serial story, by Donald Cameron ; a tale from " The Pen," entitled " The Cold Hand of Morbeck ;" and a description of Messrs. James M'Ewan and Co.'s exhibits at the Melbourne Exhibition. For the farmers there is a short account of how to make small chees s for home use. The best thing in the whole Supplement, however, is a skit by Mark Twain, called " Mrs. McWilliams and the Lightning." The ladies will find a number of interesting little scraps, both of prose and poetry.

Several distinguished visitors honored Hawera with their presence on Thursday and Friday. Sir William Fox, Colonel Whitmore, Lieut.-Colonel Roberts, Major Parris, Major Brown, and ex-Commis-sioner Williams, were amongst the number.

The sale of 5000 acres of land near Parihaka, advertised to be sold at noon on Thursday, the 17th February, at New Plymouth, is situated about twenty-five miles from that township. The sections of land to be sold for cash vary in price from £2 to £5 per acre. The small farm allotments, not exceeding 50 acres, will be open on deferred payments, on Monday, 14th February, at £3 10s and £5 per acre.

The business peoplo of Nornaanby are put to much inconvenionco, through being unable to obtain duty stamps at the local Post Office. This is not tho first time we have drawn attention to the matter. It is ridiculous that tho Btorokoopors should have to coroo all tho way to Hawera for a few shillings' worth of stamps, when they have a Pobl Oflioo at their own doors. Mr. White, the looal postmaster, should be requested to write to the Commissioner of Stamps for the nocessary permission to keep a small supply on hand.

The firing for the Officers' Cup will commence at nino o'clock this morning.

Owners of dogs, who have not taken the precaution of registering them, are now liable to a heavy penalty.

Tenders for the gravelling contracts on the Mountaiu road, aud for formation on the Carlyle branch railway, will close on Tuesday next.

Several complaints have reached us of a nuisance, caused by some dead pigs near the slaughter-house, at the corner of Princes-street.

Tenders are being called for the formation of Wilson's street (Bamford's paddock), and the formation and metalling of Princes street, beyond Lloyd's corner.

The celebrated Captain Jackson Barry is now in Duuedin, makiug a living by selling his book and keeping a small butcher's stall.

The Maoris are busy mustering pigs about Okaiawa. They state that they intend to settle there for a time and collect all they can, with a view of disposing of them to the pakehas.

Mr. Wray, Commissioner of Crown Lands, returned yesterday from New Plymouth, where he had been transacting some business in connection with his department.

Our Normanby readers •will be pleased to learn that tenders are now called for the erection of the bridge over the Waingongoro, and also for one over the Waiokura. The tenders will close on the Ist of February.

The United Press Association has telegraphed to say that Mr.' Walton Pell's contract, for the formation of the railway line to Hawera, has been accepted. This is good news, and will be very welcome to all our readers.

On Wednesday Edward Smith was brought before Captain Wilson and Mr. F. McGuire, charged with having been drunk and incapable, and was fined 5s and costs. On the following day a wellknown native named Tukino, on a similar charge, was fined 10s and costs.

Mr. Twigg and party are making good progress with the road line past Ahipaipi, which is to connect Manaia with Stratford. It will also run through the block now being surveyed at the back of Te Ngutu-o-te-manu. The line is said to be an exceedingly good one.

The postal authorities have accepted Mr. Prosser's tender for a tri-weekly mail service to Opunake, at £75 per annum. The mail will close at Hawex - a at 9 a.m. iv future, instead of 1.30 p.m. ; but there will probably be another alteration by the Ist of February.

Ths report of a meeting of the West Coast Railway Committee occupies over three columns of the New Zealand Times. Pressure on our space precludes us from attempting to condense it in this issue. The Government have consented to carry out the preliminary survey and complete the estimate of cost.

Complaints of petty thieving come to us from Normanby. - Mr. Crocker, of Waihi, has had his fruit garden pilfered, and a considerable amount of damage has been done as well ; whilst some "mean thief" has been stealing Mr. G. Inkster's firewood. The parties are warned in our advertising columns against a repetition of the offences.

The Town Board, at its meeting on Thursday night, decided that the secretary (Mr. Wanklyn) should ascertain the number of householders in the town, and if it is found that there are 250, as required by the Municipal Corporations Act, that a public meeting should be called for the purpose of taking the necessary steps for proclaiming Hawera a borough.

Sir William Fox arrived by the Wanganui coach on Thursday afternoon, and visited the Waimate Plains yesterday. He will probably proceed to New Plymouth to-day, and will remain there for a short time, after which he will return to this district. It is not improbable that Hawera will be made the headquarters of the Commission for at least a couple of months.

On Saturday, the sth February, the Armed Constabulary sports will be held at Ngakumikumi. An Egmont Cup, valued at £11, has been subscribed, £7 for the Steeplechase, and £5 for the Mile Race. It is provided that three must start, or no race. The meeting is likely to be one of the best of the season, and will probably attract a large number of visitors from this district, and also from New Plymouth.

We hear that the Sheep Inspector for this district has been up the coast as far as Hakaria's place, and finds that the latter has about 1500 sheep there, but has paid no rates upon them during the past two years, and now declines to pay rates unless he receives a Crown grant for the land which he claims, but it is more than doubtful whether it belongs to him. Mr. McKenzie has applied to the Government for leave to sue Hakaria for the amount due.

At the meeting of the Taranaki Land Board, held on Tuesday, a memo, was read from the Secretary of Crown Lands, stating that the resolution of the board re sale of sections at Stratford was approved of, and that the sections would be offered at the upset price,. £7 10s each, excepting one corner section, the upset price of which would be £10. Mr. Standish moved, and Mr. Syme seconded, " That the town sections at Stratford be offered for sale on Saturday, 12th February, at noon, at the Crown Lands Office, New Plymouth, by the Chief Commissioner." The resolution was carried.

The recent heavy rains have laid and damaged considerable areas of the grain which is now fast ripening near Hawera. Many of the new comers into the district express surprise that the harvest here should be as late, if not later, than it is at Oainaru, some 800 miles or more farther south. The damage done to the crops in this district will probably interfere with the success of the recently imported reapers and binders, which cannot work satisfactorily in grain that is laid. We regret to hear that a breakage has stopped one of Mr. Caverhill's new machines, and that he has had to send to Christchurch to replace the part broken. Strangely enough, the travelling expert, before leaving the district, supplied Mr. Caverhill with a list of duplicates which it would be advisable to procure in case of accidents, but the part which has come to grief was not among the duplicates which were named and ordered. The machine broke, through a sudden jar, caused by its dropping into a hollow in the field.

A lively meetiug of George Noith's creditors took place at Wellington on Tuesday. It was adjourned till the following day, to allow Messrs. Nathan and Bhindell to take legal advice as to what they were to do. It appears that in addition to taking away the subscribed for the Wellington Cup, he also took several hundreds on account of another sweep on the Canterbury Cup. He had likewise privately disposed of his property.

The natives from the surrounding pahs have been making the town rather lively for the past few days. They came in to receive their share of the purchase money in connection with a block of 16,000 acres, situated at the back of the Ngaire, near the Patea river. It was on this block, or in the immediate vicinity, that the quartz specimens were found by Mr. Barclay's survey party. Captain Skeet, Mr. T. Bayly, of the Waitara, and one or two other persons, are said to be the purchasers. Mr. Williams conducted the negotiations.- On Thursday night most of the Natives stayed in Hawera, and on Friday morning, at a very early hour, lively discussions were going on in the Square, and those pakehas who reside in the neighborhood did not get much sleep after daybreak.