NEWS AND NOTES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IV, Issue 671, 10 December 1883, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

A Gazette extraordinary further prorogues Parliament until 14th February next.

Councillor Homer has been re-elected chairman of the Patea county for the eajiiimg year.

The feed in and arouud Hawera is looking splendid pow. One well-known farmer was heard to say on Saturday that it was too good, aud there wan 100 much of ifc.

There are said to be nearly 100 empty houses in Patea just now. Dr. Gibbes has returned to New Plymouth, after his trip home. The residents along Lake road complain bitterly of the manner in which they are neglected by the Eoad Board. A good sum in rates must be derived from the properties along there, and the board might very fairly spend a few pounds in I making the road better. " Point," in the Taranaki News, regrets that the ladies of New Plymouth do not take any interest in the noble game of cricket, and contrasts their conduct with tbat of Mrs. Goring, at Parihaka, who confers honor on the cricket club by taking the prominent part of scorer in their matches. For such distinguished assistance the club must feel grateful and proud. On Saturday afternoon a Maori woman, while under the influence of drink, smashed one of the squares of glass in Mr. G. Tail's shop front. She was handed over to Constable Tapp, aud caused considerable amusement by her frantic struggles to get away from the coustable. Eventually she was begged off by the chief of her hapu, but will be summoned for the amount of damage done. Mr. Jos. Chadwick has started for Auckland with a mob of 70 horses, most of them fine upstanding horses light and heavy draft stock, the former intended for tramway work. Many of them were bred by Messrs. Morton and Lupton, of Waverley. Part of the draft were bought, by Mr. Kidd, prior to sbijjtnent, for the Auckland tramway company. Those in charge consider the mob one of the best which has left this Coast for some yea i*B. A settler informs us (Wanganui Herald) that acouite is a certain remedy for milk fever in cows. A number ©t settlers have tried it, aud the result is immediate and satisfactory. A single dose of half an ounce of the strong tincture of aconite in half a pint of water is all that is required. The milk fever is a disease that attacks cows immediately after caiviug. The symptoms aye, they lose the use of their limbs and cannot stand. It is generally cows in high coudition that are liable to the attack. The ceremony of installing the officers of the Hawera Masonic Lodge, No. 052, S.C., will take, place at the temple on Thursday evening. The installation will be performed by the present E.W.M. of the lodge, Bro. Ferguson, assisted by the P.M.a. The lodge will be tyled at seven o'clock sharp, and the brethren aye requested to meet punctually at that hour. It is auticipated that there will be a large gathering of the members of the craft, who seem to take special interest in this pretty ceremony. On the labors of the evening being ended, the brethren will adjourn to the Egmont hotel, where the anuual banquet will be laid.

The other day at Peatherston, a settlor named Harris was proceeded against under the 10th section of the Rabbit Nuisance Act. 'Evidence -was given by Agent Harvey and Inspector Orbell, to the effect tbat there were still rabbits on the defendant's property at Hautotara, Defendant stated that ho had spent a large sum of money in poisoned grain, while for some four months his wages to men employed were at the rate of £16 a week. The Magistrate said tbat he must fine the defendant, but under the circumstances he would inflicfc only the minimum penalty of £5 and costs.

The Channel tunnel scheme is as dead as Queen Anne ; but another, and yet more amazing experiment is to be tried on the " streak of silver sea." The Straits of Dover are to be oiled ! The scheme bus been gravely worked out to its smallest detail. /l A gallon of oil, it is reckoned, would be sufficient, say, to co\er an acre, and a thousand gallons ample for a square mile. " A passage a mile broad," says the chief projector, " would cost roughly £250, and if done daily, £75,000 a year. Perhaps the oiling would not have to be done daily, aa probably after a few weeks the sea would be thoroughly becalmed, but even if it should cost that sum, it would not exceed the endless sums that are now spent in quackeries by intending passengers, and advertising the said quackeries, or the inestimable sums which passengers would give when half-way across. The Straits of Dover might, if necessary, be worked by a concession of the two Governments, and ordinary folk relegated to the Boulogne and Folkestone route." The next project will be to macadamise the straits.

A correspondent signing himself "Shareholder," writes to the Patea Mail complaining that the directors of the Meat Freezing Company are not pushing matters with sufficient speed. He suggests that an early start should be made in this fashion. " Let the Waverley or other suitable boat be fitted with a small refrigerator, ' Haslani's,' as suggested by Mr. Coxon ; let arrangements be made with the Gear Company to receive periodical consignments of cooled, or say half-frozen carcases, to be transhipped into their hulk for completion of refrigerating process and ultimate despatch Home. This could surely be brought about in say three or four months, and would answer the purpose until the shore works are completed here. Of course care would have to be taken to kill as near as possible before the departure of the local stsnmer so as to preclude the keeping ou hand fresh meat for too loug a period before placing on board, but in the winter months this evil would hardly present itself. I should like at all events to see the Directors making some more practical results from their deliberations. In fact Sir, there ought to be a Managing Director or Manager, or more power given to the Secretary, ior where there is such a divided responsibility it has always been my experience that each one is willing to let the burden fall on his neighbor as much as possible, and the old saying comes in, what is everybody's business is nobody's business."

In an article laudatory of Mr. Bryce and his recent success at Kihikihi, the Waikato Times says .—The great chiefs who signed the application for the " external survey " represent everybody whose interest is worth considering in this regard. There cannot now be any drawing back ; the surveys, so soon as the necessary arrangements can be effected, will proceed out of hand, and it may reasonably be expected tbat before long the whole of the fine country on the south-western border of the Auckland province will be thrown open for settlement, with convenient roadb and. let us hope, a railway, connecting our railway system with that of Taranaki and the Waimate Plains. The survey to be immediately undertaken is for the purpose of determining the " external boundaries" of the lands held by the tribes of the applicants, but there is no doubt that ' this will be quickly followed by an " internal" survey, to determine the limits of the possessions of tho different hapus. With the native difficulty, we ehall probably lose the Native Office as well, »pd Mr Bryee will not, in all probability, have a successor. We belieye it is his earnest desire to be the last of his race, to leave no legacy of native intrigues, such as were bequeathed to him, after he has gone. He has almost cut through the limb upon which his forerunners have Bat for so many years, and when it falls he goes witb it. To be the last Native Mimister were a distinction more to be coveted than knighthood, and Mr. Bryce bids feirt* /jclueve it.

Mr. Mackay, Reserves Trustee, returned to Hawera on Saturday. The Taranaki Agricultural Show takes place on Wednesday, and the Railway Department announce special arrangements. The Now Plymouth cricketers were expected here on Thursday to play a match with Hawera, bub a letter has been received stating that they will not be able to come. The match is postponed sine die. A meeting of the creditors of George Hall, plumber, late of Hawera, was held this morning at Messrs. Nolau, Touks, and Co.'s office. A dividend of 2s 4d in the £ was declared, and as debtor had failed to meet certain promissory notes | it was resolved that proceedings be taken against him. Waimato Eoad Board report will appear to-morrow. Remarkably close tenderiug was the rule for all gravelling contracts. The prices for delivery of gravel at Otakeho are unusually low. In the chairman's report, the works to be let were estimated at ;£597. They were actually let for about £555. Seeing that nine tenders were dealt with, the estimate for the whole was «i very close one, considering the unusually low prices tendered for gravelling.

We remind settlers of the sale of Mr. Gibson's stock at Normanby to-morrow. Mr. H. E. Gappcr, of Mauaia, notifies his removal to premises adjoining Lewis' hotel. Mr. Newton King sells stock at Waiwakaiho on Thursday. Messrs. Nolan, Tonks, <t Co. invite tenders for lease of 335 acres at Oeo. The people of Manaia are to have an opportunity of purchasing Christmas and New Tear gifts at prices that are bound to give satisfaction, Mr. James Nicoll of that town having decided on laying his already low priced stock of Fancy Goods, Ironmongery, boots and shoes, etc., under tribute to their ready money with ten per cent off, during the month of December. — A dvt. A sure sign of tho approaching end of the year is the arrival of of Fred I. Jones' stock of Xmas cards and Letts' Diaries. Fancy goods and toys are still being cleared off to make room for the Xmas stock. Family Reader 50 and Young Ladies Journal for November just in. — Advt. We would call the attention of the public to the new advertisement, in this issue, of C. C. Fleming, aud at the same time we would advise the public to give a call and see the beautiful stock that this firm is now offering for sale ; and as C. C. Fleming works on the cash principle, the public can depend on getting much better value for their ready cash than under the old credit system. We see this firm is also turning out some very nice goods in their measured department. — Advt. i Doring the month of December Mr. James Nicoll, of Manaia, will allow ten per cent on all cash purchases of Ironmongery, Crockeryware, brushware, boots and shoes, and all Fancy goods. — Advt.