NEWS AND NOTES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 245, 8 May 1882, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

A supplement, full of interesting matter, is issued with this edition of tlie Star. Jt contains a report of ease brought against I\ T gaire Road Board by their late clerk ; report of Saturday's Haweva Road Board meeting; an opinion by Mr. Travers on the subject of town districts and the license fees ; the son,'< " Hands all Round," copies of which have been sent out to the Government, with a request that it may be sung on Pier Majesty's next birthday ; the engagements of the Australian cricketers in England; mail items ; &c., &c.

A meeting of the Hawera Rifles is called for this evening, after parade. It is understood that several important matters will come up for discussion, including proposals with reference to the election of sergeants and corporals, and a grant of £25 in aid of the drill-shed.

We have to complain of the delaying of telegrams from New Plymouth. A message put in at the New Plymouth office at noon to-day, did not reach us until 3 o'clock, and of course after the edition for the railway line had gone to press.

A bill has passed the House of Commons for the introduction of " reply post-cards," one half of which may be used for sending an inquiry, and the second half for the reply, without additional postage. &±

There is some talk of an effort to get a fire engine for Hawera. It is estimated by a competent authority that for £200 a fire engine, together with all necessary gear, stand pipes, hose, &c, could be obtained, and that with such a plant it would be quite possible, even with nothing better than wells to draw upon for a water supply, to arrest the progress of a tolerably big fire. It is a matter, however, in which the fire insurance companies are intimately concerned, and if anything were done they would be expected to find their share of the cost. The matter will probably be brought up at the Council meeting on Wednesday.

Scab has broken out at Urenui. The correspondent of the Tavanaki Herald says that some fourteen sheep, the remains ol a score that Mr. C. M. Kyngdon purchased from Mr. F. Bayly, of Pukearnhe, from which place they were brought last Tuesday, were discovered, by Messrs. Wilson and Irvine, to be scabby. They were at once yarded in the slaughter-yard here, and the inspector was immediately communicated with. Mr. Hately arrived here from New Plymouth, and after a minnte inspection, declared the sheep to be scabby. He at once ordered them to be slaughtered and buried, skins and all. The various sheep owners here are exceedingly annoyed over it, as their flocks are clean. The inspector proceeded on to Pukearuhe to inspect Mr. P. Bayly's flock there. ,\

The proposal of the Waimate Eoad Board to put a bridge over the Waingongoro at Skeet-road, has led to a pretty free expression of opinion, that if the bridge were situated higher up, say nearer Eltham, it would prove useful to a much larger number of settlers. The fact of the matter is that bridges are wanted at both places, but there is not much probability of their being secured at either, for the reason that estimates of cost show that even one bridge is beyond the ability of the Road Boards. An estimate of the cost of a biidge over the river near Skeetroad, has just been secured, and reaches £'800 or £900. This puts the matter out of the powers of the local bodies at present. It is very hard upon the settlers to the west of the river that proper provision has not been made for giving them access to the railway line, and is another instance of the necessity of something being done either in the way of giving the local bodies more funds or of the Government doing such works as theso beforo the land is sold. Bridges costing .£BOO or £900, together with approaches and roads, can never be constructed out of rates.

The Yen. Archdeacon Thorpe has been on a visit to Hawera during the past few days on church business. There have been two meetings of the vestry for making arrangements in reference to the appointment of a clergyman, but nothing very defiuite was done. The Archdeacon preached both morning and evening on Sunday, and at the latter service, before commencing his sermon, made a few remarks in reference to the delay which has occurred in connection with tho appointment of a clergyman to Hawera. Eecognising the great efforts made by tho people of Hawora to do their part by erecting a church and furnishing it, he did not wonder that they should be a little impatient at apparent delay on the part of the Bishop in doing his share, but he assured them that they had not been forgotten. There was a greater demand for clergymen than could be supplied, and quite lately the Bishop had been in communication with four gentlemen, but without avail. It was essentially important that the right man should be obtained for the right place, and a little delay at first would be as nothing compared with the convenience of eventually getting a minister who would be worthy of their confidence. He asked them to bear with tho Bishop, and give him credit for acting for the best. In the meantime he hoped they would assist one another, and not flag in their hitherto noble efforts to keep the congregation together.

The New Zealand Times writing on the subject of the native meeting says : The request for this small extension of the railway is, in fact, the " beginning of the end" of opening up the whole of the King Country. It is prohetic of, and will, in fact, prove the first instalment of the extension of railway communication to Taranaki, and the opening up for trade and settlement of the country adjacent to Kawhia and Mokau. If this meeting should lead to the issues thus forecast, a railroad between Auckland and Taranaki may easily be finished by the time the Wellington and Manawatu railway has reached completion, and thus the two principal centres of population and of business in the North Island will be brought into closer and more advantageous intercourse. The Maori difficulty, which is now disappearing, will then have been interred among the records of history.

The resignation of Captain Bayly, of t!'° Hawera Rifles, uud the acceptance thereof, is gazetted.

The Native Land Court [re Mokaix land, &c.) sits at Waitara on the 25th of this month.

Mr. Ballance is now sole proprietor of the Wanganui Herald, Mr. Notman having retired.

Inspector Gerse's services have been dispensed with, and Inspector McKenzie is to be removed to Wellington at reduced salary.

Building operations are proceeding as briskly as ever at Opunake. Middleton's and the other hotel are fast approaching completion. The school just finished is quite an ornamental and substantial building, although considered inadequate for the requirements of Opunake.

The Normanby Town Board are striking a rate of Is. in the £. It will be seen by our report in another column that Friday evening's meeting was rather stormy. On Saturday, there was talk of Mr. Quin resigning, to test the feeling of the public on the action of the Board.

In Ngaire, where there are at present no public-houses, and where there are not likely to be any licenses applied for, the Bench has been compelled by law to order a poll- as to whether the number of houses maybe " increased." Mr. Cheyne has been appointed presiding officer, and the poll will be taken on 23rd inst.

On Friday evening, an entertainment was given at the Normanby Town Hall, a number of Australian and New Zealand views being shown. There was a fair attendance, and the audience, especially the j'ouuger part was greatly pleased with the views. On Saturday evening, the views were shown at Hawera to a tolerably good audience. The Hawera Masonic Lodge meets on Thursday evening. The Oddfellows' Lodge meets this evening. Notices under the Licensing Act appear in another column. John Eead, carpenter, of Hawera, has filed a declaration of insolvency. A hotel property is for lease at Patea. Tenders for farriery for A.C. force at Opunake are called for by Colonel Eoberts. J. S. Adams desires to inform the ladies of Hawera and surrounding district that he has opened up two cases of French millinery, which will be on view in the show room. Also, a large assortment of ladies' jackets and ulsters in German and English makes. J. S. Adams making this department, his special study, an early inspection will oblige. — Advt.