NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 236, 17 April 1882, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

It is stated that Mr. Halss left liabilities to the amount of

It is gazetted that travellers' annual tickets, available over the whole of the New Zealand Eailways for one year from the date of issae, will be in future charged £50.

A splendid new pearl shell bed lias been found in the neighborhood of Roebuck Bay, Western Australia, about twelve miles off the shore. It is supposed to be fifteen miles long and seven broad.

As the periodical statements about the railway from Manutahi passing by Hawera and going somewhere further up the line, have again appeared in the New Plymouth and Patea papers, it may be as well to mention that there is no foundation for them. The survey work is not yet complete, and there is no data on which to form any estimate, so that reports about a cheaper line having teen discovered are simply guesses.

A late edition of the New Zealand Wesleyan bad the following : — " One of the examiners in Church reports having given the question, ' What with the nature of the Pragmatic Sanction ?' and having received the comprehensive reply, ' The Lord knows.' The examiner does not dispute the statement of the examinee, but fancies the young gentleman will know better next time.

On the first day of the Exhibition, upwards of 8000 people visited Christchurch by train from country districts, 15,000 travelling on the tram cars to and from the Exhibition. The total estimated number of visitors to the Exhibition was about 24,000. All the places of amusement were crowded at night. Considerably over _2000 was taken by the Williamson's at the Theatre Royal, and it is estimated that quite 1000 were refused admission.

A correspondent writes — At the general meeting of the Hawera Rifle Corps on Friday evauing last, Captain Bayly read a letter from Messrs. Hallenstein Bros., the contractors for uniform, notifying that the first instalment of them should arrive at New Plymouth on the following day (Saturday). Such being the case, no doubt the corps will parade at an early date with them, and probably the attendance of uie.-nbers will be much better than of late." A parade is notified for at which the uniform is to be served out.

The contractors tire ranking a start with Mr. Freeman Jackson's new preaiues, near the Town Hall.

The Bank of New Zealand is about to build in Normanby : and, as will be seen by advertisement m another column, invite tenders for the work.

It is said tbat the case Qnin v. Prosser is coming on at the R.M. Court in auother form, defendant being proceeded agaiust for having failed to keep in his possession a copy of the Impounding Ordinance.

The operators at the Bleuheim telegraph station came out with honors from the recent examination for classification. Some of them transmitted at the rate of 46 words per minute.

There is a weekly sale in Paris of toads, which are brought in ca<o:s filled with damp moss. One hundred good toads are worth from sixty to seventy shillings. These are bought for gardens.

W. Odgers, botelkeeper, of Patea, pleaded gniky to allowing billiards to be played in his house on Good Friday. lie said he was not aware that it is against the law. Fined ss. and costs ; the penalty to be endorsed on license.

A Mr. Thomas Harland, of Castle Point has advertised in a Wairarapa paper notifying that any publican trusting him with drink will do so at his own risk, as he absolutely refuses to pay any more grog scores.

The annual meeting of the Hawera Building and Investment Society is called for Monday evening. We hear that the amount carried to the credit of shareholders this year equals 25 per cent, per annum upon the subscribed capital.

As a strange coincidence, it may be mentioned that no sooner hnd the settlers of Ormondville, Hawke's Bay, decided that a medical man should be invited to that place than the Cerneterv Committee ordered a 'further portion of tfiie, cemetery to be cleared, and also drew up a petition to the Minister of Lands asking for an extension of their boundaries.

The Oarnaru Mail of the 6th instant publishes the following :—": — " It was rumored in town to-day that his Honor Judge Ward had sold the whole of bis wheat from his Hakateramea Station at ss. per bushel. 'As his crop yielded 40 bushels to the acre, he has, if the rumor be correct, realised a gross return of £10 per acre, or £3 more than he has been asking for his land, crop included.

A meeting of the New Plymouth employers and employees has agreed — " That there be a holiday on tbe last Wednesday in each month when the following fixed holidays do not occur in it, viz., Ist January, Anniversary of the Province, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Queen's Birthday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day." A committee was appointed to canvas the town in support of the movement.

The Auckland Star has been taking a census of the Auckland church-goers. It chose Easter Sunday as the time, and the results came out as follows : — Church of England, 4930 ; Eoman Catholic, 4766 : Wesleyans, 1938 ; Presbyterians, 1442 ; Baptists, 936 ; Primitive Methodists, 629 ; United Methodists, 144 . The gross total including all those present at the places of some minor sects, was 15,550, or about 31 percent of the whole poplation of the city and suburbs. The English ratio is 29*5 per cent.

The Taranaki Herald relates that two members of a licensing committee, to lengthen a convivial evening they were enjoying in a public-house on a recent occasion, forthwith drew up a document in pencil purporting to be a conditional license, upon which authority the house was kept open till midnight. The matter is likely to be investigated by the police. The cream of the joke is that the committee referred to is the same tbat read the Act too literally, and warned a certain publican that he must close his house on the Thursday preceding Good Friday.

A meeting of the Waimate school commissioners was held on Saturday, at which Messrs. Glenn, Sutherland, and Yorke were present. Plans of seating were laid before the meeting ; and it was resolved that desks, to accommodate five children on either side of the rooms, be ordered, in preference to the larger seats, suggested by the secretary, the shorter desks being easier to clean and to shift, if required. The commissioners also agreed to urge the Board to appoint a teacher at its next meeting, as the building would probably be finished within four weeks ; one wing in which schooling could be given could certainly be got ready by that time if it was determined to open school without delay. _

The Maoris on the Plains are jubilant. They understand that Mr. Bryce has|been kicked out of office by the Governor, and that Sir George Grey is to be in power again. They hold that (as succeeding Ministries always deem it incumbent upon- them to undo as much of the work of their predecessors as possible) they are sure to have the 5000 acres last confiscated restored to them. Other good things in store are hoped for. They have a lively and pleasant recollection of tho way in which tho Grey Ministiy allowed the Maoris to cart the survoyors, bag and baggage, off the Plains, while Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehau looked on approvingly, and carefully avoided doing anything to prevent the outrage.

Visitors to Manaia who have not seen the young township during tho past few months, all express surprise at the rapid growth which it has made during the period. Dwelling-houses, either in or near the town have increased in number very fast. Three largo and ornamental cottages have been built to the order of Messrß. Langley ; Mr. C. Tait, Mr. G. Hurley, Mr. De G. Fraser, Mr. Elliott, and others, have recently taken their wives and families to live at Manaia. Mr. Power has completed a handsome and commodious two-storyed boarilinghouse within the past few weeks. All of the buildings referred to add materially to the appearance of the town. The new schoolhouse is now roofed in, and the chimneys having been built, it consequently already shows up as a large and imposing structure. It is quite the largest building in the township, and will be an ornament to the place when finished. The plans of tbe new Bank of Australasia show that the banks have confidence in the future of the town. It has a good elevation, ornate front, and will when completed compare favorably with any buildings of the class in the town.

" Pro Bono TuUico's " letter had to give place to a late telegram. It shall appear in our next.

The value of the rateable property in Nomianby Town District, according to tho 101 l now being exhibited, is £962.

Mr. Roper, gardener, was exhibiting some moDster rhubarb in Hawera on Saturday. It was of the kind known as Wyatt's Victoria, and its fineness drew forth approving comment

It is understood that the object of Messrs. Parris and Haclfield's visit to the Plains is to get the natives to agree to a division between tl^e Kanihi, Okahu, and Kopanga hapus, in order that their names may be put on the Crown grants about to be issued. The natives agreed.

We hear that upon examination the site of the upper Waingongoro bridge, on the Skeet road, has been found to now be a more expensive work than was thought. The span over the river Leu is 72 feet, and earthwork and approaches require some heavy work. The Waimate Road Board Engineer estimates that the work will cost from £'500 to .£6OO. If this estimate should be confirmed, the local bodies will be unable to undertake the job for some time to come.

A man named Jas. Conway was arrested by Detective Doolan at Oxford the other evening, on a charge of horse-stealing at Hawke's Bay. While bringing prisoner to Cambridge, near the pah farm, the detective's mare became restive ; and the prisoner took the opportunity to bolt. Doolan gave chase, and gained upon him. Conway abandoned his horse, and took to the bush. Several civilians assisted to search for him, but failed to recapture him.

On Saturday, in pursuance of a resolution passed by the corps on the previous evening, a deputation from the Hawera Rifle Corps waited on Mr. McGuire, requesting him to allow himself to be nominated to the captaincy of the corps. Mr. McGuire expressed himself as being ready to forward the interests of the corps in auy way possible, and though it was a long time since he had done any drill, nevertheless if it was the wish of the corps he would be most happy to take the position offered him.

Th» Wairarapa Daily says the " review" which took place at Greytown on Eaßter Monday was remarkable for the large attendance — of spectators and officers. About 500 of the former assembled to witness the martial evolutions of 52 volunteers, who had at considerable risk and inconvenience nobly responded to the call of duty. The men were officered and maneuvered by two Captains, four Lieutenants, " the" Serjeant- Major, two Color-Serjeants, three Serjeants, a very martial Staff-Surgeon, an honorary Chaplain, and Corporals ad lib.

Heavy rains and extensive floods have occurred in Central Queensland, causing serious damages. At Clermont there fell 14£ inches of rain fell in one week. Mails delayed, and two lives lost. In Northern Queensland there haß been a great demand for sugar country. All the good land is being taken up rapidly. Sugar, coffee, cocoa-nuts, and other tropical productions can be grown there as easily as in the Indian provinces, and it must eventually become a flourishing and prosperous country, and will doubtless be formed into a separate colony. Sugar lands recently taken up realise as much as i>4 and £5 per acre. The Normanby Town Board met on Saturday for the first time. Mr. C. E. Gibson was elected chairman ; and a quantity of preliminary business was brought forward and dealt with. The Board gave an earnest of its intention to spare neither time nor pains to carry out its duties, for when it was discovered that it was necessary to make up a valuationroll that day, a committee was appointed to do it at once, business proceedings being hi the meantime suspended. The Chairman and Mr. Quin at once rode to Hawera, took out a roll for the town from the Road District roll, and had everything done to meet the requirements of the Act. At 8 p.m. the Board again met and sat till 10 o'clock. Members of the Board and townspeople feel very sore owing to its being reported that it is the intention of the County Council or Eoad Board not to spend money on the road from the railway crossing, near Mr. Wink's, to Brett's corner. It is to be hoped that some amicable arrangement will be come to. Undoubtedly, it is a main road, and the Act distinctly declares that a Town Board shall have no control over main roads. On the other hand, there is no power to compel the county to spend money on the road ; and therefore the position is somewhat difficult.

Tenders are invited for the erection, of the Hawera Drill-hall. Messrs. Jemison and Nixon, of the Waihi Brickworks, notify the terms on which they are prepared to supply bricks. Mr. Newton King will sell stock at Waiwakniho, on Thursday, sale at 1 o'clock. Waimate Rifle's parade for inspection on Saturday; if wet, on following Saturday. Normanby Town Board advertise for olerk and treasurer ; also for foreman of works. Mr. Freeman R. Jackson sells stock at Mannia on Friday. A lady wishes to give music lessons. (See advertisement.) Tenders for supply of gravel will be received by Hawera Road Board till Saturday next. £1 reward offered for recovesy of a lost brown gelding. Mr. O. Wakelin has commenced business as commission agent in Hawera, and solicits patronage. Mr. Charles Tnit announces that he has transferred his Hawera business to Mr. John Brown; and Mr. Brown announces that he will comm ence business to-morrow.