NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 364, 7 December 1882, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Borough Council Chambers are expected to be finished within a week. Mr. Bryce on his way down to Wan.Ranui from Taupo, will try to settle the Murimoto dispute. It is that there is £17,000 worth of wool stored away on one part of the run which the Maoris will not allow Messrs. Studbolmeand Co. to move. It is understood that the Library Committee will report against removing the library into the new borough building owing to the unsuitability of the buildiug and anticipated difficulty of getting a tenant for the present library building. In our notice of the railway line yesterday the word " Manutahi " was erroneously in one place printed instead of Mokoia. The deviation of the main road, owing to the nasty place near the Manawapou, is between Mokoia and that point, not between the crossing and " Manutahi " as printed. '•Robert the Devil," iv the Taranaki Herald, tips New Year for the Steeplechase; Fishwoman or Larry for the Spring Handicap, with St. Clair second ; Hippodamia for the Licensed Victuallers' Plate; Artist for the Nursery Stakes ; and Pollock's Selection for the Flying Handicap, with Hinemoa second. The transit of Venus which occurred this morning was very distinctly seen by many persons in Hawera, through the medium of smoked glass. When the planet was distinguished, its transit was almost accomplished, audit presented the appearance of a small black spot near the outer edge of the sun. It is to be hoped that the morning was clear in other parts of the colony, as it was here. The Auckland cricketers who are doing the West Coast arrived in Hawera by train last evening, stayed here all night, aud lett for Patea at 7 this morning. They commence a two days match at Pntea to-day ; on Saturday and Monday they play at Wangauui, and Wednesday aud Thursday they play here. The team is a man short, and Mr. Ranson is to play for them at Wanganui and New Plymouth. Our local men are going iv for a little steady practice now, and hope to make a good show against the visitors. It would appear from the followiug extract from the Lyttelton Times that the glass sands of the colony are attracting attention iv America: — "That New Zealand is rich in glass sands many among us know well, aud it is highly pleasing to learn that their reputation has attracted attention elsewhere. A Christchurch firm, acting uuder instructions receiver! from an American house, have forwarded to America samples of glass sand from various parts of this colonj\ There is little doubt but this has been done with ulterior views should the sample prove satisfactory." At the November meeting of the Taranaki County Council it was resolved to deviate the proposed road from Inglewood to Urenui aud take it through Mauutahi North ; but at Monday's meeting this decision was reversed. The chairman said he felt himself placed in a very unpleasant position. At the last meeting he had represented certain facts to the council, and the council had decided to adopt the deviation. Now councillors had altered their views, and by their action plainly said that he (the chairman) had misled them at the last meeting. After the vote that had been taken he did not feel himself in a position to retain the chairmanship of the council. At the request of the councillors Mr. Elliot consented to withhold his resignation until the next meeting of the council. Cablegrams from Melbourne recently have referred to long debates about the conversion of the Victorian loans. Nothing very intelligible could be gathered from the brief messages published, but from exchanges we learn the following : In October of the next three years Victorian debentures of the total value of £8,000,000 fall due, which were issued for loans contracted for railways and other public works a quarter of a century ago, when money was not so cheap as at present, or colonial securities did not rank so high as they do now on the London Stock Exchange. The money was borrowed at six per cent., and, instead of paying off the debentures alluded to, Sir Bryan O'Loghlen proposes to convert them into new ones at four per cent., and having 25 years' currency. An interesting experiment took place on board the ship Pleione the other day. The Post says that a number of gentlemen connected with the local insurance offices and others assembled on board, at the invitation of Captain Renaut, in order to witness a trial of the United Asbestos Company's fire proof paint. A small piece of wood coated with the paint was placed in the engine fire by Captain Benaut. After four minutes exposure to the intense heat it was taken out, and found quite intact, although just beginning to catch. It was then placed back again for another three minutes, and although it had been cracked in handling it with the tongs, it was still nearly intact when removed for the second time from the furnace. Auother piece of wood, partially coated with the paint, showed the protective powers of the latter in a striking manner, the unprotected part being consumed in an instant, while the paint withstood the action of the fire for a considerable time. In regard to the proposed direct steam service of N.Z. Shipping Company, the Post explains that as the New Zealand Shipping Company now send over fifty ships to New Zealand every year, of which many are chartered, they anticipate that there will still be ample work for their fleet of sailing vessels, in spite of the diversion effected by their new steamers, the only result or which they believe will be to reduce slightly the number of ships required to be chartered from other owners. They expect also to secure a large tvade in the class of goods which at present are sent out by Orient and P. and O. lines to Melbourne, and brought on thence by tbe Union boats, but which, would naturally be forwarded direct to New Zealand if a regular line of fast running steamers were running to New Zealand. The company are sanguine of establishing a most success* ful and profitable tiade under their new enterprise.

Hawking is once more becoming fashionable in France. England derived last year £450,000 from the duty on carriages. Mr. Baker, chief surveyor, Canterbury, is at present on a holiday trip to this district. The phylloxera has made its appearance in several places in Switzerland, also in vineyards iv lower Austria, in Southern Hungary, and in Servia. It is shown by statistics just issued that last year there were 17,251 known thieves at large in England, of whom 1260 were in tbe city of London. The sheds for the smelting works at Onehunga are now completed, and the workmen are now engaged in building the foundations for the furnaces. Mr. Larnach, of Dunedin, offers a special prize to be competed for this year at the Peninsula Show, to the most neatly dressed girl, whose dress has been made and hat trimmed by herself. It is stated that a block of land on the north side of the Mokau river, comprising some 50,000 acres, and owned by tbe Government, is to be surveyed and offered for sale shortly. A Bussian Pole, who was banished to Siberia, owing to participation in the Polish insurrection of 1832, has just returned home after nearly fifty years' imprisonment. The London World has statistics to prove that lawyers have less sickuess as a class than physicians, but as an offset physicians can get their medicines for about 50 per cent. off. An Egyptian has been arrested by the Malta police charged with throwing poisoned comfits about, which the children picked up and ate, death following. Searching inquiries are being instituted. Private Smith, of the A.C, who is said to have been stationed on the Waimate Plains last year, died in Wellington last week, and was buried with military honors. Plans of the additions to be made to Lewis' hotel, Manaia, have been prepared by Mr. Pinches. They show a design of carrying on the present building towards Langley's old store. On the ground floor there will be an additional sitting-room ; then comes an arched entrance to the yard ; then two shops, each with a room at rear. Upstairs the whole of the space is used in adding accommodation to the hotel, aud six bed-rooms and three sittingrooms, each with a fireplace, are obtained, matters being so arranged that there will be three separate suites of rooms. Upstairs, also, there is to be a large billiardroom, at one end of which is a bar, the room having an arched ceiling, and being lit by a lantern. The billiardroom will be approached by private passages in the hotel, and there is a separate entrance for the public from outside. All the rooms upstairs are to be two feet loftier than those now in the hotel, but this will be done so as not to interfere with the general appearance of the building. With these additions the hotel should be one of the best on the coast. At the last meeting of the Taranaki County Council, Mr. Syme moved, " That the toll-gates in the County be advertised as open to be let for six months from the Ist January, 1883." He did not see their way yet to abolish tolls, for if they abolished them, it simply meant that the ratepayers would have to pay 4Ad. in the £ extra as a rate. He thought the tolls would be preferable to that. — Mr. Brown proposed as an amendment, " That the tolls be let by auctiou for a period of three months from the Ist January next, and that after 31st March all tolls be abolished." — Colonel Trimble thought it would be advisable to let the tolls for six months, as that would give the Council time to see what revenue they might expect under the Crown aud Native Lands Rating Act. — The amendment was lost. — On the original motion being put, Colonel Trimble' moved, " That the followiug words be added : ' That after 30th June all toll-gates be abolished.' " The amendment was carried. — • Mr. Syme moved, " That the road from Inglewood by the Mountain Boad to the Devon Line be declared a County Boad."— Carried. "Wheu found, make a note of, Captain Cattle." Who is there that does not know the use of a Diary ? H. I. Jones and Son have just opened up their stock of Letts' Diaries, all sizes and prices. "By thy diligence so shalt thy success be.'" Our stock of School Prizes is now ready for inspection. Chatterbox, Little Folks, and all the serials are now ready. Why borrow a prayer book every Sunday when you can buy one for a mere trifle. A large stock of Prayer and Hymn Buoks of all denominations on sale by H. I. Jones and Son.— Ad. I understand there is a large area of land in this district under crop this season. I would, therefore, remind farmers that the cheapest and quickest way of harvesting them is by aDeering Twine Binder. I have still a few undisposed of, and the price is .£OS f.o.b. Wanganui. I have always a good stock of extras on hand. I hope the farmers of this district will pay me a visit, and inspect the largesb stock of agricultural implements on the coast, comprising Duncan's 2 and 3-furrow ploughs, which have taken first prize two years running at the Wanganui show, Reid and Gray's ploughs, horse hay rakes, hay makers, horse-powers with intermediate motion, winnowing machines, chaff cutters, turnip cutters, harrows, &c. My stock of turnip, swede, and clover seeds have just arrived, ex Mercia, and open up splendidly. They may be relied upon as being new, and true to name. Before purchasing anything for your farm, comjmre my prices. E. C. Holcroft, Victoria Avenue, Wanganui. — Advt.