The Star. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1887. NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1605, 21 April 1887, Page 2

The Star. (PUBLISH ED DAILY.) THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1887. NEWS AND NOTES.

A full verbatim report of Major Atkinson's speech last night will be published as a special supplement to the Hawera Star and also to the Egjiont Star on Saturday next. Those electois who do

not happen to be subscribers lo either journal will have a special supplement forwarded to them direct.

It is reported that the Union Steamship Company have decided to return to a fortnightly service between Sydney and Auckland, and continue the same during the winter. The next departurs will be the Muraroa, on 3rd May. If sufficient inducement offers, no doubt these steami rs will call afc Taranaki Harbor and take fat direct. Melbourne prices have recently been about double New Zealand prices ior fafc bullocks.

At a meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board on 'Wednesday, the engineer reported as follows on the work in hand during the past mouth : — Two sections have been completed, the whole contaming 1324 cubic yards, the co'-t of which has been .£IOO2 ss. I have receive.! per Go-ahead anil Macsvegor 10Q0 casks of cement in good order ami condition. The contractor, Mr. Philp, is making good and steady progress with the construction ot the cattle whaif. I have in hand 1279 casks cement, and 115 blockf in yard and on parajiet.

On Saturday last, several members of the newly formed football c'.ub of Pihama met together for the first time for practice. The result was most satisfactory, as, besides having a very enjoj'aMe game, the proceedings were honored by tlie presence of several ladies. There were nearly two dozen players on the ground, and teams were chosen by Messrs. H. E. and W. Good. Mr. W. Good was unanimously elected captain of the club, Mr. Welch secretary, and Mz\ Wagshiff hj-easm % ei\ Players are respectfully requested lo attend the piactice at Piharna ou Saturday next, at 2.30 p.m.

In the course of Wednseday's meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board. Mr. Bayly said that Mr. Dingle and himself were arranging to get a large steamer to to call a 6 the breakwater to take several shipments of cattle to Sj'dney. He therefore desired to know what depth of water was to be had at low tide. Mr. Rhind said that more dredging would have to be

done to accommodate a vessel larger than the Wakatipu. Mr. Bayly said that the steamer, he understood, would be much lai'ger than the Wakatipu, and would give better accommodation for cattle, drinking troughs, etc., being provided. The Union Company preferred sending a larger boat in order that none of the ordinary general cargo might be shut out by calling here.

Out of the ;£SOO required to make a fair trial of the Taranaki ironsand, on Friday evening (15th) it was found that .£322 had been promised. The executive nae^t again to-morrow, when they hope that by then the subscriptions will hi sufficiently advanced to justify the committee in summoning Mr. David Hipkins to return from Auckland, in order to make all arrangements for the trial smelting. It wns decided that every possible advantage should be taken of Mr. Ilipkin's offer, in. smwcli as Ijp tendered his experienced services gvatuHonsly. When Mr. Hipkins left Auckland on (ho i)ih instant, he said that he needed only an intimation that the money was raised to come down and make the experiment.

A very remarkable feat was performed on Tuesday evening last by one of the large tender-engines (Class V) of the Wellington and Mnnaw&bu Railway. It drew from Lonnbnrn to Pflikakaviki the following enormous train :—5: — 5 long bogie carriages, 6 high-side waggons of goods, 9 trucks of sheep. C trucks of horse?, 7 long bogie trucks of cattle, 1 horse box, 1 mail van, 1 lu»gage van, 1 brake van, in all 34 vehicles, of which, however, 12 were of the long double bogie class, each being equal to two ordinary vehicles, thus making the train equivalent to one of 46 loaded vehicles. The total weight was 325 tons, exclusive ot engine and tender. This heavy load was drawn, unassisted, by the one engine fioni Longburn to Paihakarilci in three hours, or nt (he average rate of 1!) mile-; an hour, including stoppagec. although an a'lverpe grade of 1 in 100 ha i lo be encountered for 'lh miles. It took ilnee of the tank engines to bring the tiaiu on to Wellington.

On the 31st March last there were 2137 electors on the Egmont electoral roll ; 815 on the New Plymouth ; and 999 on the Taranaki rolls.

After tlie puMication of yesfei day's Star, we received a telegram from Mr. Cummins regretting that he would be unable to attend at Messis Nolan, TonUs, and Co.'s stock sa'e to d-iy. to «lio\v the Laval haudpower milk sepiivtor.

In our report of tlie "Wesleyan Church tea meeting on Wednesday, we omitted to mention that Mr. S. Dixon ably presided at. the organ, arid we are informed that the excellent lendering of the hymus was largplv due to the careful practices conducted by him with gr. at regularity during the past two or three weeks.

From Wellington, it is reported that the inventor ot the pitent rabbit exterminating trap, Mr. G. "Williams, of Auckland, who proposed giving a public exkihifcioD of the apparatus, has not received that amount of support from the Government that he expected. He went up to Wairarapa some time ngo with the object of practically demonstrating the utility of the invention, but was not able to give a public test on account of the difficulty in forming a company to purchase sufficient wire netting. The Colonial Secretary Ins is. formed him that if the invention coim s up to expectations it will be worth i' 30,000. The honor.ible gentleman has promised, on behalf of the Government, to give him a gold medal if the apparatus performs its work satislactorily. Mr. "Williamson, Mr. Buck-ley's adviser, leaves for the south next Friday for the purpose of inducing some southern runholders to assist him in carrying out a public trial.