NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 105, 16 April 1881, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Major Parris has denied that there is severe epidemic sickness at Parihaka.

Farmers may regret to learn that the bull " Wizard " was sold to leave the district, as he was bought to go to Westmere.

The extra charge of Gd., until recently levied upon all telegrams despatched from Waitotara, has been abandoned.

Sunday hours will be observed at the Post and Telegraph Offices on Easter Monday. Telegrams can only be sent from 10 to 10.80 a.m., and from 5 to 5.30 p.m., on that day.

The Hon. Mr. Bolleston, accompanied by Major Parris, arrived in Hawera last evening. The hon. gentleman will proceed this morning to Wanganui, from whence he will take the steamer at night for the Empire City.

A competent officer having been appointed to examine and report to the Government upon the Patetere block, it is said by the Eangitikei Advocate that the report has been prepared, and proves that the Government made a very good bargain when they sold it. *,

Mr. McCarthy, late of Charleston, on the West Coast of the Middle Island, proposes erecting a large boarding-house and shop in Manaia without delay. Mr. B. Dingle, of Hawera, is also about to build a house within half a ruile of the township. jt'

Notice is gazetted that the Cape Egmont Lighthouse will probably be ready for the exhibition of the light during August next. It will show a fixed, white light of the second order, and will stand about 97 feet above the high-water mark, and will be visible in clear weather from a distance of about 15 nautical miles.

To-day's Supplement contains a short continuation of the serial story, and an interesting talo entitled "A Mesmeric Experiment," of which it is said that the events are not only founded upon facts, but also happened almost exactly as related. There is a good account of how the blending of tea is done by the Orential Tea Company. The humorous column maintains its character for containing nothing but really well-selected matter.

We hear that a flock of 500 pure-bred Lincoln ewes, of mixed ages, have been lately brought into this district by Mr. J. Douglas. They were selected from Mr. Nelson's flock at Hawke's Bay, and were chosen from a mob of 1500. There are 24 imported ewes among them. The rams were imported from Messrs. Sutton Bros., of Southland, and one of them was reserved by the owner some time ago at £100.

A deputation waited upon Mr. Maxwell, General Manager of Eailways, whilst passing through New Plymouth, last Thursday, upon matters connected with the working of the Foxton-New Plymouth line. The Taranaki Herald says :—": — " Mr. Maxwell promised that no time would be lost in providing the line with more rolling-stock, the stock at present in use being evidently quite inadequate to meet the requirements."

The last case which was tried at the criminal sittings of the District Court at Patea, on Tuesday, was against James Taylor, who was accused of stealing a saddle, the property of Cyril Dasent. The evidence was similar to that given lately in the K.M. Court, and simply proved that the accused had sold the saddle at Opunake, and stated that he had bought it from a man on the road. The jury, after a short retirement, returned a verdict of not guilty.

The new road from Bahotu to Opunake has been formally opened for traffic. The first four-horse coach was driven through by Mr. A. Hall on Thursday. The road, as might be expected, is not yet quite even, and the dust is anything but pleasant for travellers. The A.C.'s are hard at work, and in a short time the road will be fit for light traffic. It is intended to metal all the way from Pungarehu to Opunake with as little delay as possible. The Hon. Mr. Rolleston and Major Parris drove through the new road in Mr. Hall's tioach.

Numerous complaints have reached us about the long period during which the Waingongoro bridge has been under repair. No heavy loads are allowed to pass, and a great deal of extra expense and delay in obtaining timber and stores, has been caused to the settlers by this want of despatch. It is, however, only fair to point out that the County Council have not at present anything to do with the repairs of this bridge, except on sufferance, as the General Government have hitherto retained their jurisdiction over the main road, north of the Waingongoro as far as, and including, the bridge. The two men employed seem to have been working hard, but there ought to have been three or four more to help them, if the work was to be done expeditiously,

There has been some hitch about the handing over the registrarship of brands. One of the settlers reports that he first paid a fee of ss. to the Clerk of the County Council some months ago, in order to register a brand and ear-mark. Inasmuch as the interpretation clause sets forth that the word brand " includes an ear-mark made by cutting, or splitting, or punching the ear, so that not more than one-third of the whole ear shall be r. moved," the settler in question forwarded to the clerk of the County Council a description of a fire-brand and ear-mark, which he desired to register, and also the foe of ss. required by the Act of 1880. Some months afterwards he was called upon by Mr. Gerse, the new registrar at Wanganui to again forward a description of his brand and ear-mark, and fees of 10s. He tent ss. for the brand, but referred the registrar to Mr. Black for the other 55., and has now received the following letter :—" I have received your application for registration of ear-mark. I cannot see how Mr. Black can keep your money for Patea County, seeing he has not registered your brand or ear-mark. But this matter has nothing to do with me. I cannot register your ear-mark, without the proper fee of 55. ; nor would I have registered your brand and earmark together for one fee. I could only do so by express orders from my superior. — (Signed) J. Gerse.' ' The settler in question cannot see why, having paid the money, and possibly twice as much as can be legally claimed, he should be required to make the third man in an official triangular duel about a disputed five shillings.

Messrs. Bunny and Beetham addressed their constituents at Masterton on Wednesday, but their speeches contained little of general interest.

The Taranaki Herald gives extracts from Major Atkinson's speeches in 1878 and 1881, showing that in the former year he was in iavor of an income and property tax, and now prefers the latter alone.

For Mr. Jackson's monthly sale at Waverley to-day, over 300 head of cattle and nearly '2000 sheep are advertised. The continued spell of dry weather has no doubt helped to swell the nnmber of entries.

The Taranaki Herald reports that some old filled-up census papers, for 18G7, have somehow come into the possession of a Stratford storekeeper, who wraps up his parcels with the papers containing this interesting private information.

We regret to hear that Mr. Benjamin Wells is suffering from a severe attack of illness, brought on, it is feared, by overwork. In addition to editing the Taranaki News, Mr. Wells has for some time discharged the duties appertaining to the chairmanship of the Taranaki Education Board, and he has also been a member of the New Plymouth Harbor Board for some years.

The grand jury in "Wellington; when giving a verdict of not guilty in respect to the charge against Mr. Downes for malpractice in connection with legal stamps, censured the Government for an utter want of system, and great carelessness in connection with the custody of valuable public documents in charge of the Land Transfer and Begistrar of Deeds Department;