NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 120, 8 June 1881, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

It is understood that the contractor for the Normanby and Hawera station buildings has been written to by the Public Works Department, and requested to complete the Normanby buildings, if possible, by the 20th inst. The contractor expects to have the work finished by the date named, both the station buildings and the goods-shed being already roofed in, he is no longer dependent on fine weather. We believe that the Eailway Department intends to run a couple of passenger carriages through to Normanby without waiting for the completion of the ballasting. The latter work, which is let to Messrs. Mace and Bassett, has been considerably delayed by the fact that no good ballast could be found within a mile of the railway line. The present pit has cost some hundreds of pounds to open, and the work of forming the railway line to it has been very heavy. It is rumored that the Department will run the carriages right through to Hawera, but this assertion requires corroboration. The biidge over Cattle Creek, which has bo long delayed the laying of the last two miles of permanent way, is now complete, and the rails will be laid to Hawera as quickly as possible.

There was no sitting of the Licensing Bench at Patea, owing to the absence of Messrs. W. F. Christie and Jas. Livingston. Iv consequence, a large number of hotelkeepers who attended in order to apply for or receive their licenses, had to go away empty handed. The standing joke against the hotelkeepers was that the missing members of the Licensing Bench must have been "on the spree." Mr. Christie is absent from Patea on leave, and under the circumstances it would be interesting to know whether the Clerk of the Court warned the members at a distance that "9lg s s they all attended the sitting of the Bench would fall through.

The power of the Wdiinate Road Board to levy a rate, if appointed by the County Council, having been questioned, we draw the attention of those interested to clause 5 in the Hating Act Amendment Act, 1878, which reads as follows :—": — " Notwithstanding the constitution of any road district after the 15th of January in any year, the Board thereof may levy and make rates to all intents and purposes as if such road district had been constituted before the said 15th of January in such year. But this provision shall not authorise the levying of any rates prior to the day when such district was constituted." This would seem to remove the difficulty complained of.

We hear that the case Frank Evans v. J. and O. Bull, for the amount of a cheque given by the latter in favor of Payman and another or order, has been given against Messrs. Bull. The facts of the case were somewhat as follows: — A cheque for some £20 odd pounds in favor of Mesßrs. Payrnan and another or order, ■was posted by Mr. Bull to them at Wanganui. They received it during the Easter holidays, and took it to Mr. Evans to bo cashed ; the latter did so when they had endorsed it. On the cheque being presented to the bank at Bulls, they declined to cash it until the endorsement bad been attested. After some interchange of telegrams, the case was brought before Judge Hardcastle, by Mr. Evans suing Mr. Bull for the amount of the cheque and costs incurred. Yesterday we heard that the Judge had given a verdict against Mr. Bull, after taking about three weeks to consider the case in all its bearings. Although conflicting evidence was given by the bankers in respect to the usual practice in such cases, in ordinary business we believe that an attestation of endorsement such as that referred to, is usually required by the banks in the case of any cheque for £100 or more, but the rule is seldom enforced for smaller amounts.

There have been a number of persons, enquiring for land, visiting the district during the past week.

Tenders for carting 6000 railway sleepers from Waverley to Patea close on Friday next, at noon,

Mr. Cleary, the popular station-master at New Plymouth, has been transferred to Waverley.

Walter Stannard was committed on Monday on another charge of horse-steal-ing. A report of the case will be found in our fourth page.

Mr. H. I. Jones, stationer, announces that he will open in Hawera on the premises lately occupied by Mr. Crowhurst, on Friday next.

The Union Steam Shipping Company's pocket time-table for June is to hand. It contains the railway time-table, as well as those of the large fleet of steamers belonging to the company.

Messrs. Cowen, Godkin, Harm, Johnston, Marchant, O'Donovan, and Taylor were nominated on Saturday for the Ngaire Road Board, and were declared duly elected. Several other persons were nominated, but withdrew, and thus saved an election.

The Hawera Town Board expressed themselves as strongly opposed to issuing promissory notes for money due to their engineer a few months hence. A ratepayer suggests that perhaps they would be unable to meet them if issued.

The comet was distinctly visible on Monday night. It has been remarked by several observers that the tail is only occasionally distinct, and appears to fade away every few seconds almost entirely, and then suddenly to reappear. No one seems to have predicted its appearance.

During the month of April typhoid fever caused five deaths in Wellington out of seven in the whole colony ; dysentery, six in Wellington out of seven in the colony ; and diarrhoea, four in Wellington out of eight in the whole colony. These unsatisfactory figures preach xuost foroibly the urgent necessity of improving the sanitary condition of the city.

We are pleased to learn that the Choral Society is in a satisfactory financial position. The balance due on the piano has been paid off, and there are now only a few small accounts outstanding. As the honorary members' subscriptions wil| soon fall due, it will be perceived that the society is in a healthy condition, and we trust that it will go on and prosper.

The Upper Waingongoro bridge is now finished, and has been painted. It is considered to be one of the best and handsomest bridges between here and Wanganui. An expenditure of £5 or £6 on the approaches would render it practicable for light traffic, though some of the side cuttings leading to it on the Normanby side also need to be opened without delay.

The new Town Board was to have met at 7 p.m. on Monday. Four of the members arrived there within a few minutes of the hour fixed . and had the pleasure of waiting till a quarter to eight lor a fifth member to arrive. As usual a " whip " was appointed to hunt up truants, but returned unsuccessful. The delinquents seemed quite surprised that they should be taken to task ibr delaying the transaction of business ior nearly an hour.

The following tenders have been received for the erection of Mr. Wilson's new hotel in Normanby : — Accepted — J. H. Weddle, Hawera, £227. Declined— Martin and Co., £239 ; Scott and McDowall, £284 ; J. A. Petherick, £305 10s.; J. Goodfellow, £334 ; Jas. Jackson, £372 ; Jas. Aitchison, £395. Mr. Lockington prepared the plans and specifications of the hotel, and will superintend the work.

With reference to the road deviation at Normanby, it has been suggested that Mr. C. W. Hursthouse, Government road engineer, should be requested to examine the deviation, and report upon it. A request in the proper quarter would probably be favorably considered, as Mr. Hursthouse's impartiality could be thoroughly relied on, both by the department and by the persons interested. It is understood that he was expected to examine and pass the new biidge over the Waigongoro either yesterday or to-day, and the Norrnanby settlers might s.eize their opportunity, and telegraph, asking that Mr. Hursthouse be authorised to act as arbitrator in the matter, and have the whole matter arranged in the course of a few hours.

Messrs. Duffill Bros., and W. T. Watt, our local cabinet-makers, are kept busily at work. Those who have favored them with orders have invariably found that they can procure a better class of goods than by sending to a distance, whilst the cost of freight, and the breakages and risk, more than counterbalance any difference in the cost. We had the pleasure of inspecting a handsome telescope table at Mr. Watts' shop a few daya ago. It was made to the order of Mr. Isaac Bayly, and it is so constructed that a large number of persons can sit' down at one time, or the table can be screwed up so as to fit comfortably in a moderatelysized room. The ordinary length is four feet six inches, but by adjusting the screw it can be increased to either six or nine feet in a frw minutes. The wood is seasoned red pine, which, when polished, is really handsome.

The question of the be3t route for the railway between Hawera and Manutahi lias been often discussed and ventilated, nevertheless an impression prevails that a great saving in distance might be effected by taking the line inland, instead of to the seaward of the present line of road. Upon inquiry, we are assured that no such saving in distance could possibly be secured, the route to seaward being only a few, not more than 10 chains, longer than the proposed line through Mr. Lysaght's property. It is asserted that on the seaward line the steepest grades are nowhere less than 1 in 50, nor the curves sharper than of an eight or ten chains radius, whereas, on the inland line, the steepest grade could not, except at an unusual cost, be better than one in 40, nor the curves more than a five-chaiu radius. Although an inland line, if it could be obtained equally good, would be preferable to one near the coast, it might be bought too dear if it necessitated accepting a worse line on which only a very low rate of speed could be attained with safety. Most of the country a few miles inland of the main road being of a very broken character, the advantages of an inland route would be less than might afc first sight Appear.

Mr. Thompson, Collector of Customs, has resigned his seat on the New Plymouth Harbor Board.

Mr. Barker's monthly sale of stock at Normanby takes place to-day. There are about 120 head of cattle, and several horses, &c, already entered.

We regret to hear that Mr. B. Wells' case is considered to be hopeless, and that he was sinking fast. His son passed through Hawera yesterday, having left Dunedin last Friday.

A meeting of settlers will be held at Manaia, on Saturday, the 18th, to nominate members for the Waimate Road District, lately constituted by tUe County Council.

A large meeting is expected at Parihaka on the 17th. The natives are trying to sell horses, &c, with a view of raising money for entertaining the last of the prisoners on their return.

There was to be a dance in Waverley last night, and a meeting of Mr. Bradley's hounds thiß morning. Several gentlemen left Hawera yesterday in order to be present at the festivities.

The auditors of the Wanganui Borough balance-sheet suggest that all the bad and doubtful arrears oi rates should be struck off, and find fault with the system which has been pursued.

We understand that the first inspection of Waimate land by the Crown Lands Ranger, Mr. Robinson, will probably take place in July. Mr. Robinson has been travelling through the district during the last day or two.

Mr. Tomoana has expressed an opinion that it is high time Mr. W. L. Bees " should render up an account of his trusteeship " of the native lands placed in his charge. Mr. Rees may not agree with him; and though one man can lead a horse to the water, twenty cannot make him drink.

The result of the election for the Hawera Road Board has resulted in rather a surprise, as few expected that Mr. G. W. Gane would be the rejected of Whakamara. The members ibr the northern end of the district polled a large number of votes. Mr. W. Treweek beaded the poll with 109 votes.

Power is given under the Rating Act Amendment Act of 1879 to any local body to cause any property to be let by public auction, unless the rates and costs are paid. Six months notice must be given to the owner, as required by the Act of 1876. The question cropped up at the Town Board meeting, but no one seemed to know how the law at present stood.

Althongh all the local bodies of the district have to work under the Taranaki Ordinances, and are bound by those fearfully and wonderfully made laws, yet there are three or four of such bodies who can neither buy, beg, nor borrow a copy of them, and it is doubtful whether they would consider themselves justified even in the interests of the public, in stealing one.

It is reported from Patea that the sum of £343 was collected in the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday last in aid of the building of the new church. This sum, with the amount already in hand, would cover the whole cost of construction, viz., about £1000. Bishop Redwood preached an eloquent sermon, and his appeal for subscriptions was very successful.

A somewhat serious charge was preferred against the Clerk of the Town Board on Monday by Mr. McCutcban. The latter gentleman stated that he believed a letter had been withheld, and moved a resolution for the clerk to produce it. He adduced no proof of any sort that the letter had ever been posted, and the clerk naturally felt aggrieved that he should be publicly charged with doing a dishonorable action, without any evidence beiug brought forward against him.

News from the Parihaka Block from some of the first settlers on that land is to the effect that the earlier sown grasses are up, and looking really well and strong. They are waging a war against the wild pigs. They have to submit to much delay and inconvenience in respect to the delivery of goods ordered, which, in addition to being a long time on the road, ran a great risk of being miscarried. The Maoris are considered to be unable to resist the temptation of stealing little things left unguarded.

At the Town Board meeting on Monday last, a letter was read from one of the lessees of the sections of the town reserve at the corner of High and Albion streets. The lessee declined to pay his rent until Albion-street had been opened, to give him access to his back sections, as promised at the sale by auction. A letter in reply to one from the Town Clerk was read from the postmaster, Mr. Chancy, pointing out that the title of the Board to Albion-street would not be complete until the recent Gazette proclamation had been confirmed by the House of Representatives. The consideration of the question was postponed. p

The Bight Rev. Dr. Redwood, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Wellington Diocese, in company with the R v. Father Count Le Menant, paid a visit to Hawera on Monday, where they were welcomed by several members of their congregation. On Tuesday the Rev. Father Grogan drove them through the Plains, and we understand they were much impressed with the progress of the recently-settled district. To-morrow they will leave for Now Plymouth, where thoy will remain until the following Wednesday, after which they will revisit Hawera, and on Suuday, the 19th inst., his Lordship Bishop Redwood will preach at the Roman Catbolio Church here. As the Rev. Father Grogan has returned from Wanganui, Mass will be celebrated as usual on Sunday next.

The Timaru Herald remarks: — "Wellington, it ia true, is depressed just now, and is likely to fluctuate if not to languish so long, as it is practically cut off from communication with all the most fertile and cultivable parts oi the province. Though there has been an enormous expenditure on public works in that quarter, it has bee*n in a great measure wasted. One well-made line carried through to the West Coast would have done Wellington more good, and done the whole province more good, ten times over, than the two existing lines in their present state. This will no doubt be done whenever a fresh start is made in railway construction, and then we shall see Wellington go ahead as the rest of the North Island is doing."

Speaking at Adelaide, the other evening (says the Sydney Bulletin), the Eev. J. Watsford related that the late Eev. Mr. Waterhouse, who perished in the Tararaa, had a warning of his fate by a dream, in which he saw himself and his son going down in a sinking ship ; and also mentioned that just at the time of the wreck a young woman, who was dying in Melbourne, suddenly exclaimed to her mother, " Mother, yonder is Mr. Waterhouse : he is standing on the shore, beckoning to me." The Eev. Mr. Morley also intended to'sail by the Tararaa, but his wife had a presentiment of evil, and prevailed on him not to go. The Eev. Mr. Leonard Eeid had actually taken his passage in the Tararua, but was sent as a delegate to San Francisco instead. Other members declined to sail in the ill-fated vessel.