NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1668, 6 July 1887, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

For to clay's leading nrticle our readers will please turn to a lettter repubhshed iv another column, bearing the signature of Mr. J. B. Whyte, M.H.R. for Waikato district, which was originally ad dressed to the Auckland Herald. It is the best " leader " we have read fo.- a long time, and we invite men of all shndes of pnrty thought to read it and carefully ponder over it. It will be seen that the leltf-r expresses in happier language than we can command, the thoughts and aigum^nts that we have been pressing upon public attention for pever.il ypars past.

At Me«prs. Budge aud McCutchan's ordinary monthly ttock sale at Manaia on Tuesday, there was a good entry of stock, and bidding was somewhat brisker than of lale. At the hammer, 2^-year-old steers fetched £3 5s ; fat cows, £3 Gs to £3 9s; yeai lings to 18-months-old cattle, 335; weanera, 225. Shorn lambs were withdrawn at 4s Ud. Theie was a large attendance.

The following pliyers have been selected to represent the Manaia Junior Football Club in the match against Patea juniors, to be played at Patea on Saturday next : — V\ Rogers, M. Bolger, A. Good, J. Glenn, W. Christie, D. Hughes, F. Keeley, H. LI. Belts, Ernest Vine, \V. Pollock, Lucena (2), Divp, E. Hastie, W. Young ; waiting man, T. Power. Players will leave Hawera by the 1.5 p.m. traiu.

"We have been requested by the Secretaiy of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association (Mr. W. J. Caverhill) to say that the meeting of the association fixed for tomorrow (Thursday) for the purpose of receiving a report of commitlee appointed to enquire into the feasibility of holding t'.io show on the racecourse will not be held. The committee would not be able to make a report to-morrow, and, therefore, no advantage would lesult fioni holding the meeting to morrow. Due notice will be given of the date of the meeting.

We are sorry to hear that interest iv the Hawera Cadet corps is not what it should be. The attendance at parade has fallen off so much that Colonel Stapp, the other evening, said that if there was not an improvement, there would be no capitation. Iv winter time it is not so easy for those members of the corps who reside at a distauce from town to turn up at all parades ; but they should make an effort to be present whenever it is Eossible, and their town confrees should c particularly careful not to be absent just now. If the capitation is withdrawn the corps cannot continue to exist, and certainly we should be very sorry to see the company disbanded. Interest in the

Hawfera Rifle corps continues to be fairly well maintained, but a better attendance at parades would be more satisfactory.

Hon. Mr. Tole, Minister of Justice, passed through Hawera on Tuesday evening on his way to Auckland.

We are requested to remind members ot the Acclimatisation Society of the meeting to be held to-morrow, at 3 p in.

Almost the only subject discussed at Messrs. Budge and McCutchan's Manniii saleyards on Tuesday was the New Plymouth harbor rate. It was said that a strong combination of ratepayers has been formed around Pihama, each and all of whom have determined to resist the rate and refuse payment, and to force the Harbor Board to levy under a distress warrant and seize stock or furniture. Others t*ilk of getting up a monster meet ing to protest against the injustice of the Plains people being rated to pi ovide cheaper freights for New Plymouth merchants. All are agreed that the tax is a very heavy one, and far too much to be pleasant at a time when profits from farming are more often talked of than pocketed. A very decided opiuion was expressed that the least the Hnrbor Board can do is either to appoint a harbor rate collector at Manaia, or for the Harbor Board clerk to visit Manaia once or twice for the express purpose of collecting harbor rates. Ratepayer-, object to sending rates to New Plymouth, when, if any money should go astray or a receipt not be forwarded to them, they mi«ht be called upon to pay up a second time. This contention that the harbor rate ought to be locally collected seems to us to be thoroughly sound, and the Harbor Board would do well to make the concession asked for. [News has just reached us that a public meeting has been called to consider the whole question on Saturday next.]

from wealthy members of both Houses who now preferred to sacrifice the education system, and to do away with property tax exemption, in orler to relieve themselves of onp-sixteenih of a penny taxation. He received a vote of confidence.

The Taranaki Herald understands that a settler at Rihotu will be a probable candidate for ihe New Plymouth electorate.