NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1153, 26 February 1886, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Mr. John Gibson has been unanimously elected chairman of the newly-constituted Patea Harbor Board.

There are seven Maori lads in regular attendance at the Boj's' School, AVangamii.

"Flaneur," in the Wanganui Herald, says that the Egmont meeting was a right down success in every way.

The Rev. Father Mulvihill requests us to say that mass will be celebrated at Opunake on Sunday next at 10.80 a.m.

The Marquis of Normanby, late Governor of New Zealand, is suffering trom illness of such a nature that recovery is considered doubtful.

The present length of the Timaru breakwater is 1917 feet ; the area of shelter is 61 acres, and of partial shelter 54 acres.

The Australian Mutual Provident Society are opening an office in London. Mr. Black, the actuary, has already proceeded home, and Mr. R. Teece proceeds in April to take charge of the London branch. Mr. Bradlaugh intends to leave England on a visit to Australia at the end of the approaching session of Parliament, if at that time there should be no reason to fear an early dissolution of the House of Coniinons. The treasurer to the Stratford Relief Fund (Haweraj lias received the following subscriptions :— Waitotara— T. Kells, Fisher, 10s; J. Stent, 10s; W. Parsons, 10s ; T. Clark, 5s ; D. Crowley, ss ; W. Taylor, ss. We understand that it is the intention of the Union Insurance Company to rebuild Mr 3 Webby's house, which was destroyed by fire in the early part of January. It will be remembered that the house was insured in that oiHce for .£•oo. Our Stratford correspondent telegraphs : --Word has been received here that the iron and wire for the sufferers, by the bush lire leave Wellington by the Hauraki via Waitara on Saturday or Monday. There are well founded complaints about the delay, but the committee say they lost no time in forwarding the order to Wanganui. Mr. Meikle, who succeeds Mr. Pulford as mine host of the Commercial Hotel, haR taken possession, and is duly installed in his new quarters. Mr. Meikle, who was for seven years proprietor of the Grosvenor hotel in Timaru, brings with him a reputation ior geniality and good business qualities which should secure for him a fair share of public support. Mr. Meikle is a well known sporting man, and has the reputation of being one of the best starters in the colony. The Government sale of small grazing runs in the Wanganui up-river district, comprising some 84,000 acres, which took place at Wanganui on Wednesday, must (says the Chronicle) be pronounced a failure. Mr. Marchant, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, came up from Wellington to couduct the sale, but all the response he could get from the persons in attendance at the sale was two bids — one for a bection of 214 acres in the Parapara block-, and the other for a 900 acre seei'ion , in the Tokomaru. Both were taken at the upset price of sixpence per acre.

The terrible earnestness of the Auckland Licensed Victuallers Committee in connection with the recent election is borne testimony to by the following fact (says the Star). On Monday it was found that the nomination paper of Mr. P. Comiskey was informal, as it did not bear his signature, and worst of all Mr. Comiskey had gone to the Thames. The nomination paper had to be lodged at noon next day. The committee at once chartered the s.s. Kose Casey, and an hour after the discovery she was steaming to the Thames with several members of the committee on boaad. Mr. Comiakey's signature was obtained, and the steamer reached Auckland at 6 o'clock the next morning.

The licensing election is passing off very quietly to-day. The " bee" at Manaia Ischool, to erect swings, &c, is reported, to have been a great success. - | Mr. Clarson is the successful contractor for removing the building at Fort Mauaia to the township. The Taranaki Herald relates that at an inquest held the other day at York road, -the police had to search the district for two hours before they could find a bible on which to gwear the jurymen and the witnesses. We understand that Kemp and some of the other influential natives about Wanganui have issued a circular inviting the natives to a meeting to be held at Wanganui between 18th and 22nd March, to confer with the Native Minister. From Chicago to New York, 1500 miles, wheat can now be sent by lakes and canal for 3 Jd per bushel, and maize 3d, or about 1 cent per ton for every seven miles. "Wheat has been recently booked through from Chicago to Liverpool at a fraction over (Hd per bushel. AYe are sorry to hear that the injuries to Satoria are more serious than were anticipated, and that there is small chance, according to the opinion of good judges, of her recovering. Sporting men will all sympathise with Mr. Stanley, who, by this accident, lost a very promising prospect of a good thing, independently of the present danger of losing the maie. There are complaints of the catering arrangements at the recent races. For instance we notice that the New Plymouth visitors have complained to the Herald that there was the greatest difficulty in getting anything to eat, and that what was procurable was by no mean 9 first-class. Visitors would notice this more than local people, but it is in the interests of visitors that the catering should be well looked after. It is the desire of the club to make the meeting attractive to people at a distance, and we have no doubt that the stewards, if they find that there was any ground for complaint will prevent a recurrence of it in another year. Borough Council invite tenders for sinking wells. Messrs. Adams Bros., gardeners, have dissolved partnership.

T. Ecclesfield, the well-known grocer and dealer, has an announcement elsewhere.

Mr. Pulford has a notice to those to whom he is indebted and to those who owe him nionev.

Messrs. MeVicar and Heskett have dissolved partnership, the partnership having come to a conclusion by effluxion of time.

Messrs. Palmer and York, timber merchants, hdve dissolved partnership, and Mr. Palmer will in future carry on the business at Manaia.

It will be seen from advertisement in anothei column that Mr. A. H. Duff has been appoint xl Hawera agent for the Union Insurance Company, in place of Messrs. Robbing and Pierard. Mr. Duff should receive a fair share of support in the insurance \vaj'.