The Star.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IV, Issue 633, 25 October 1883, Page 2

The Star.

(published dailt.)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1883. NEWS AND NOTES. «. The Governor promises to visit Wanganui in the summer. A telephone station has been opened at Otakeho. The office hours are 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. The Ngaire people are getting up a grand dance for the evening of the 9th November. A challenge has been issued by D. McEwan, of Dunedin, to walk Scott 12 hoars, for £25 or or £50. Large quantities of fungus have lately been sent from Inglewood to Waitara and New Plymouth for shipment. Another boat will soon be laid on between Waitara and Auckland. There is also some talk of the Oreti again running on this line. One hundred and twenty head of fine cattle passed through from Hawera to Waitara yesterday, for shipment to Auckland. A large triumphal arch is being erected in Devon-street, New Plymouth, and other great preparations are being made for the reception of the Governor on Saturday. Mr. Justice Gillies has decided that (he money held by Superintendent Thompson, taken from Aguste Andre Baffin, the Auckland absconder, shall be paid to the trustee in bankruptcy. The lights in the railway carriages again proved defective last night, they going out and leaving the carnages in dai*knesß, before half the journey was completed. A large quantity of sheep and cattle were at Waitara yesterday, awaiting shipment, and it was expected they would get away by the Lalla Rookb, which came in yesterday afternoon. The pretty little bush township of Lepperton is advancing. Several of the settlers have greatly improved their holdings. As seen from the railway line, the township has an exceedingly picturesque appearance. A German wedding took place at Inglewood yesterday. The "best man" made himself rather conspicious by riding through the town decked out in long ribbons and many colors. The Wellington City Council have been petitioned by fifty-six public school teachers of the city to erect public baths, on the ground that these are a pressing necessity for the health and vigour of the pupils attending the schools. The contractors for Mr. J. Prosser's new hotel at Waitara are making great progress with the building. The whole of the frame work is now up, and gives a good idea of how roomy and substantial the bouse will be when completed. Extensive additions have been made by Messrs. Alexander Brown and Co. to their mills at Ngaire. They have also built a handsome and substantial residence on their land. The siding from the railway to the mills is completed, and is an excellent piece of work. ' At a land nationalisation meeting at Wanganui, Mr. Ballance said that the time was coming when, under manhood suffrage, the towns would rule the colony, and take care that the selfishness of owners of land did not control the Government. The Land Commissioner heard an application yesterday for the transfer of 61 Block I. Oeo, from G. Buckingham to A. Allen. The evidence showed that the selector had neither occupied, improved, nor paid the instalments in terms of the Act. The application was therefore refused. At the Wellington City Council last night one of the members suggested that the Inspector of Weights and Measures should be instructed to occasionally seize 1 a load of coal and wood and test its weight. His information he knew to be correct, and he was certain that ths ratepayers were being defrauded by short weight being given them by coal merchants. On Sunday-week (says Truth) the inhabitants of a parish in West Berkshire were considerably startled, about five o'clock, by the loud and rapid tolling of the church bell, which continued for about twenty minutes, by which time a large proportion of tbe inhabitants had rushed to find out tbe cause of the alarm, most people , supposing that a fire was raging somewhere in tbe vicinity. It appeared, however, that * the worthy rector, while engaged in a fastoral .visitation, had been scandalised by the sight of .a lawn-tennis party in the grounds of one of the principal houses in the parish, and had taken this means to remind the erring members of his. flock of the injunctions of^bs Fourth Commandment.

November 11th has been fixed upon as charity Sunday in Christcburcb, when collections in aid of the Benevolent Association will be made at all the churches. The following are the team who will represent the P.C.C. in the match Hawera v. Patea to be played at Hawera next Saturday, viz., Messrs. Jacomb, Kitching, Read, Newton, Rose, C. Harden, Taplio, Gibbons, Norman, Tennent, and Eedgrave. Mr. Fulton has not joined the club this year. At the quarterly meeting of tbe Wesleyan body, held this week, the usual accounts were presented. It is understood that Messrs. Luxford and Mather have to work between them the whole of the district between Patea and Opnnake, and that, in consequence, it will be necessary for Mr. Mather to reside at Opunake. The scheme for a halfpenny newspaper, which has for some time been in contemplation by the proprietors of the Times, has undergone modification. The new journal called The Summary, contains a summary of the news of tbe day and other matter, likely to prove of general interest, and is published in time to appear on the breakfast table. In this abridgement of the great newspaper, leading articles are not included, but are briefly described. Lord Fortescne caused roars of laughter in tbe House of Lords by putting the following question :— " Whether they (the Government will consider the practicability of introducing into the Bill some provision for alleviating the great hardship now suffered by the clergyman if he dies while occupying his glebe, as many clergymen have latterly found themselves compelled to do." Lord Carlingford, j amid renewed laughter, said he was sorry he could not answer the question as it stood on the paper. At the Supreme Court at Wanganui, Mr. Babbage, manager of the Bank of Australasia, raised the question on behalf of himself and others, whether they could be required to give evidence unless their expenses were paid. The Chief Justice said that the witnesses who had been bound over must give evidence, and with regard to Mr. Babbage himself, he would remark that that gentleman was manager of the Bank of Australasia, for which he was no doubt paid a salary, and it did not matter to him (so far as payment was concerned) whether he was in the court or at the bank. The grand jury and the witnesses then retired to their rooms. The committe of the Manaia school met on Friday, the 19th inst. at 7 p.m. Present : Messrs. Sutherland (chairman) Mitchell and Hasfcie. The following accounts were passed for payment : — Meikle, £1 3s. for fencing ; J. Gilmour Bs. 6d. stationery. A letter was received from Mr. Browne, the secretary oi the Education Board, Wangauui, re a proposed alteration in the boundaries of the Manaia school district. It was resolved to write to Mr. Browne for further information, and on the receipt of his reply to call a fresh, meeting of the committee to consider the matter. The Bruce Herald says : — The bishops of New South Wales and the priests o the diocese of Sydney have requested Bishop Redwood, of Wellington, to allow himself to be nominated to the See rendered vacant by the death of the late Archbishop Vaughan. Judging from various sermons of Bishop Redwood's, we should imagine that there is no Catholic clergyman in the colonies so eminently fitted for such an important position. What his other qualifications may be we do not know, bat it is not likely he would have such an exalted position offered to him were he not fully capable of honorably and efficiently filling it. A little story from Egypt would be refreshing from its drollery if it were not so grim. An officer of the Regiment fell very dangerously ill, and it was felt by bis friends not merely that his end was at hand, but that it had come. The collapse stage bad arrived — all motion, and apparently all breathing was- at an end, and as tbe regiment had to march next day a hasty sale of his effects was made, and a coffin hurriedly ordered, made, and sent to his quarters. What was the surprise of his friends, and of himself also, when the supposed corpse woke up from his state of coma, and its owner found that his personal property was sold off, and that he was called on and expected to pay for bis own coffin ! An Australian exchange suggests that as it .is often the case that while Ministers are away at Bullockton or Tailiogsvillfe talking political flummery to their hospitable entertainers, and giving promises they have small intention of keeping, their proper departmental and national business suffers in their absence, the case is one to be met by the principle of division of labour. Every Government ought to include one peregrinatory Minister to undertake this work. He should be bland, effusive, fluent, generous in promises; not necessarily of strong memory, and with a digestion' like an ostrich. Mri Bent was good enough to discharge this function for the O'Loghlen Ministry, andsomeone framed as near as possible on the type of Mr. Bent would be an invaluable colleague in every Australian Ministry. We hear that there is trouble between the borough auditors and the mayor with reference to the half-yearly accounts. The story is that the auditors have attached a note to the accounts, calling attention to various items of expenditure, and commenting thereon. The principal point is in reference to the JBISOO of water and drainage loan. The auditors alleged that it was improperly removed from fixed deposit, and insisted on its being replaced at fixed deposit, which has been done. They say that accounts show an apparent loss- of interest of £37s 10s. The Mayor, on receipt of the auditors' report, objected to it and demanded that the auditors simply say whether the accounts were either correct or incorrect. The auditors say they were acting within their statutory powers, and decline to alter their report. So the matter stands at present.'