NEWS AND NOTES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 93, 5 March 1881, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES-

Our usual weekly Supplement, which is presented to our readers to-day, will be found to contain a lot of interesting information.

The first instalment of the property tax will be due on Tuesday next. Mr. Chancy, postmaster, will collect for this district. The Bank ol Australasia is likely to have a branch in Hawera. Mr. Morrah, the inspector for the colony, was here on "Wednesday, taking a look round. Mr. Wray has bold a site in Patea, 60 feet frontage, to the same bank for A branch will be opened there irumediately.

The steamer Rowena has reduced the freights to 12s 6d per ton between Onehunga and Waitara, and there is no doubt that the reduction will tend to increase the trade between this coast and Auckland. Cattle form the principal cargo, and consequently the back loading can be taken at very low rates, although we have been informed, on good authority, that 12s 6d per ton will not pay. Wo should not like to see the owners of vessels losing money, but after a fair trial at the reduced rates, they will be the best judges as to whether thej T will pay or not. If the present rates will not give a profitable return for the money invested, they will, no doubt, be increased. In the meantime, the competition will help to stimulate trade between Auckland and this coast. Wellington merchants will have to look sharp, if they wish to I'etain their hold.

The usual monthly meeting of the County Council should have been held on Wednesday ; but the only persons who put in an appearance were the Chairman, Councillor Milne, the Clerk, and our reporter. We afterwards learnt that the three representatives from this riding had made up their minds to go to the Ruatangata sstle, and being stock-breeders, few will find fault with them for doing so. But their intentions might have been very easily communicated to the other councillors and to the Press. Had we known that Messrs. Hunter, Partridge, and Wiuks intended absenting themselves, it would have caved considerable annoyance and trouble. Four weeks previously our representative escaped from a similar fruitless journey by the merest accident. The Press, whilst endeavoring to do its duty without fear or favor to the public, has a right to expect some little consideration from those who are in public positions. Courtesy is invariably extended to the members of the Fourth Estate in most communities, and there is no good reason why it should be otherwise in Hawera.

Reeattas will take place at Wanganni on Wednesday, and at the Wuitara on Monday next.

There is a large number of entries for Mr. Cowern's monthly sale at Kakaramea, which will take place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday next.

Mr. Crosse, surgeon dentist, of Wanganui, will visit Hawera next wpek. He will take up his quarters at Prosser's Hotel, where he will admiuister to the wants of unfortunate sufferers.

A charge of 2s. 6d. per quarter will be made for admission to the reading-room of the Hawera Institute, after the end of this month. This has been rendered inevitable, in consequence of the withdrawal of the subsidies.

The great sale of stock at Ruatangata appears to have been eminently successful. Knowing the interest taken in it by the settlers throughout this district, we have devoted a large portion of our space to the particulars, which will be found elsewhere. The stock sold on Wednesday realised over £3000.

Tenders will close at 2 p.m. on Monday, at Messrs Southey and Wiley's office, Manga whero, for earthwork, culverts, and bridges, on the roads in the Ngaire District ; and also for carting 90,000 feet of timber for Messrs. J. aud C. Bull, Rangitikei, from Waverley to Hawera.

To-day, being the first Saturday in the month, is the usual time for holding the monthly meeting of the Hawera Road Board. On Monday the Town Board and Ngaire Road Board will hold their meetings — provided that there shall be a quorum of each body present, which is not always the case.

Old Mr. Bishop, the keeper of the Waiwakaiko toll-gate, near New Plymouth, met with an accident on Monday last. He was returning home in Mr. Mj'nott's express, when, in some unaccountable manner, he fell out of the conveyance on his head, and was severely injured.

Brick-making will be one of the first local industries started on the Plains. A bed of superior clay has been found near one of the streams on the Manaia road, and the prospector has applied for a lease of the ground, which will probably be granted by the Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Ernest C. Wilkinson has been committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court to be held in New Plymouth. He left by the Ngaire coach yesterday, as the required bail was not forthcoming. The report of the second day's trial in the R.M. Court will be found in our fourth page.

" Then and Now " is the title given to a pretty photograph taken from an old engraving, by Mr. Gordon, telegraphist, New Plymouth, representing the landing of Mr. Creed, the first missionary, at Moturoa, which took place about 40 years ago, at the same place where the founda-tion-stone of the breakwater was laid recently by Mr. Carrington. New Plymouth must have been a pretty place in those days. We have to thank Mr. Gordon for a copy.

A narrow escape from drowning occurred last week at Waitara. A seaman of the schooner Telegraph was observed sitting on the wharf asleep, and in a few minutes afterwards, fell over the wharf into the river. A man named R. Beere, cook on board the T. B. Taylor, saw the accident, and immediately jumped into the river to the rescue of the amazed and bewildered seaman, who was scarcely conscious of what had happened to him when he was taken aboard his own vessel.

There is likely to be keen competition in the auctioneering live along this coast, if rumors are to be credited. A little of it is very good, no doubt, but there is such a thing as over-doing it. It is said that other sale-yards will shortly be put up at Kakaramea, in addition to those already there. Besides, Mr. Dale has yax*ds at Patea, and Mr. Barker will shortly have his ready. Some mutual arrangements might be made, and ruinous competition, which in the long run is as disastrous to the farmer as the business man, might thus be avoided.

At a meeting of the Hawera School Committee, held on Wednesday evening, there were present — The Rev. Mr. Torry (chairman), Messrs Hobbs, Syme, Pitcher, aud McFarland. Messrs McGregor, Watt, and Bridge, who had been nominated by the committee, were chosen as suitable members of the Education Board. The chairman expressed his regret that he had been unable to lecture on Tuesday evening, on behalf of school fund, as advertised ; but stated that he hoped to be able to meet the engagement in about a fortnight or three weeks. It was then arranged that school prizes should be distributed on Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock.

" Spectator " writes :—": — " In conversation with Sir William Fox, re the Institute, and the financial difficulty of the committee, he said : ' By-the-way, I have been using the Institute pi etty frequently since my stay in Hawera ; here is a subs ription towards the fund ;' at the 6ame time hauding me a pound note. Thinking this might awaken some others who have been enjoying the comfort of the reading- room, is my excuse for letting you know the above. Sir William will also give his promised lecture on behalf of the Institute when the committee can arrange it conveniently. The subscription list is now lying on the Bank of New Zealand counter."

The distribution of prizes took place at the Hawera School yesterday afternoon, there being about 200 children in attendance. The Rev. Mr. Torry (chairman of committee), Messrs. Pitcher and McFarland (members of committee), a large number of ladies, and three or four gentlemen, were present. In a few wellchosen words, the rev. Chairman expressed the pleasure it gave him to have to distribute the books and other articles, and trusted that it would be the means of encouraging the children to persevere in their studies, and also that it would afford encouragement to the teachers in their arduous work. Not that he (the rev. Chairman) expected the children to give up the time that they gave to play, but he hoped they would exhibit the same earnestness with their studies as they did when engaged in amusements. There was a very nice collection of books on the table, and the Rev. Mr. Torry then proceeded to distribute them. The principal prize (the "History of the Sea") was taken by James Holm.

The Hon. Robert Campbell's Frozen Meat Export Company has been floated with a capital of of £5000, of which only .£3OOO is to be called up at first. An influential meeting in furtherance of the object was held at the Duuedin Chamber of Commerce last Saturday.

Mr. Walton Pell has transferred the Hawera-Norinanby stations building contract to Messrs. J.* and C. Bull, of Rangitikei. We understand that the latter have contracted to build a large private residence for Mr. J. R. Lysaght, J.P., at Mokoia. This has probably led to the arrangement for taking over the railway stations from Mr. Pell.

After quoting the remarks of the Star in reference to the late land sale, the Wanganui Herald says : — " If next session should witness the transfer of the administration of the deferred payment sj-stem to the County Councils, the localization of the revenue derived from it, an important step will have been taken towards satisfying the demand which those bodies are now making for funds wherewith to carry on the construction of roads and bridges." £)

We understand that as soon as the Land Office is finished at Manaia — which will be in the course of a week or two — Mr. Robinson, tbe Crown Lands Ranger, will take possession of it. Maps, plans, and all other necessary information will be kept, and as the ranger will sleep there two or three nights each week, it will not be an easy matter for deferred payment selectors to evade the residence clause of the Land Act. When Mr. Robinson is at Manaia, he will keep the office open till nine or ten o'clock at night, for the convenience of the public.

Litigation, we are glad to state, is on the decline. There have been but few enses lately before the R.M. Court at Hawera. On Thursday there were only two items on the fortnightly list. Arthur Owen, proprietor of the Egmont Hotel, was charged by the police with keeping his hotel open after licensing hours, and was let off with a caution. In the case of Humin v. Espagne, the plaintiff claimed £5 15s, balance of wages ; but in crossexamination by the defendant, he admitted that he used some of the money which he collected on behalf of his employer for his own purposes. The Beach dismissed the case.

The following telegram has been published by some of our contemporaries, but we do not find it amongst Keuter's. It, therefore, to some extent, lacks confirmation, as it appears incredible they could let such important news go by default : — "A great sensation has been created, and alarm excited, by what is beli ved to be a diabolical plan to blow up Windsor Castle. Trains of gunpowder leading to the Royal residence have been discovered. The feelings aroused on the subject are aggravated by the knowledge of the fact that Her Majesty the Queen had only recently returned to the Castle. Extra precautions for the protection of Her Majesty's person and residence have been taken- in consequence of the discovery that has been made." The telegram is dated London, 21st February.