NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1399, 14 August 1886, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Although heavy rains have fallen elsewhere throughout tho colony, in this district the weather during the past week • has been, for the most part, warm though wet. It has been decidedly favorable for spring grass, and not unfavorable for early lambs. It is reported that between torfcy and fifty names have been enrolled for the new eovjw of Mounted Rifles. This is sufficient to entitle the corps to its full J strength of officers, captain, two heuten- ; ants, and the usual complement of non- < commissioned officers. Yesterday, when the fish-pond at Mr. ; Hastie'a was being cleared out preparatory to its being let off to-day, one trout about ] ten inches long was taken out dead. It i had been dead a few days, but was 6ound, j and, on being examined, was found to be j full of ripe ova. This shows that the i water and other surroundings are suitable. • A meeting of creditors in the estate of Dr. Cbilton was held on Fi-idaj', ihe j Deputy Official Assignee (Mr. Wanklyn) ia the chair. Mr. Barton appeared for j the debtor, and there were only five or six ! creditors present. The assignee reported ' that he did not consider that there was j more than .£'.lo worth of debts collectable • in the estate. The debtor, however, put 1 the amount at fully i'loo, and the credij tors resolved to place the collection of ! it in the doctor's hands. No other action was taken in the estate, and the meeting acJjourced. An amendment to the Sheep Act has been introdced to the effect that sheep need not be dipped during lambing time and the period is extended for keeping sheep without dipping where intended for slaughter. When adjoining districts are clean the Governor may authorise removal from one district to another without notice to the inspector. Owners of sheep infected with lice are to be liable to a penalty from five to fifty pounds should they fail to comply with inspector's notice to dip. The amendment will be a great improvement and will remove the tlifficwltv so often conaplaineil &f in removing sheep from one district to another. Commercial travellers complain strongly of the action of Government in not issuing season tickets for them for specified lines. A " drummer" can take out a season ticket available over the whole colony tor £50, but if his beat lies in the North Island only, he will not get any reduction. I The remit is that they pay as they go, and get off much more easily than by paying their £'50 down. It is felt, however, that they are entitled to some concession, and a short timo ago Mr. Samuel brought the matter under the notice of Government, and obtained a promise that season-tickets at reduced rates should be issued for commercials over limited areas. But what will Mr. Maxwell say? Word has come from Rotorua that a section of the Tuhohurangi proceeded to stop the Formation of a bnble track to Rotomanana. They also attempted to stop Mr. Smith, Assistant-Surveyor-Gen-eral, from laying off the new road to Rotomahana, but Mr. Smith refused to comply. They then proceeded to Pakaraka, and by force of overwhelming numbers drove the Ngatitu iroin their plantations which they hod cultivated for the last 20 years, the object being to be in possession when the rehearing of the Rotomahana-Parekarangi block comes on. The kind treatment the Tuhohurangi have been receiving at the hands of the Government ever eince the ei-nplion has inflated them with arrogance and bounoe for which they were always renowned. A strange occurence happened in Hawera on Thursday. Mr. J. Duffill had imported a very large case of furniture direct from England, and was in the act of unpacking it, when a rat was observed moving about in the straw. A terrier was put in to investigate matters, and he quickly brought op.t his natural enemy who was in capital order. A close examination of the case was made but there was no hole by which the rat could possibly have entered during the voyage, nor had Mr. Dufull and his assistants left the case from tlie time of opening it. It in therefore certain that the rat tnust have entered the case while J it was being packed in London, and have a made the journey out in it without water j or much lood. The time of the passag* t was, after all, within two months, f

A wrestling match take place at New Plymouth this (Saturday) evening, between Hudson, the champion of New Zealand, and Dunn, the champion of Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland. The former is an Englishman and the latt°r a native of Timaru. News has been received from the Commissioner of Customs, in Wellington, by the Chairman of the Hawera Acclimatisation Society, to the effect that the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society have been requested to hand over one-eighteenth part of the salmon fry hatched from the salmon ova ex s.e. lonic to the order of the Hawera Acclimatisation Society. Mr. F. Gush, whose name came before tho public here a few montliß ago, was sent up to New Plymouth gaol ou Tuesday, 10th August, from Waverley. He had been charged with making, at Waverley, a false declaration under the Marriage Act, and was remanded to New Plymouth for a week. He will appear to answer the charge at Patea on the 17th. The Ef»mont Hotel will be re-opened this afternoon. There waa uncertainty as to the Waverley arriving at Patea to-day with stock for the hotel, so that Mr. Cloggie was not sure as to the exact date when he would be able to open. He wires from Patea to say that the boat has arrived, and the old. established house, thoroughly renovated, will be once more ready to receive visitors this afternoon. An impounding notice ia given. Seed oats for sale. Tenders are invited for a bridge over the Manganui river. Junction road.