COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8930, 20 December 1887, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.]

Hamilton, Monday. A DOUBLE information has been laid against Patrick Smith, a sub contractor employed on the Waiteti section of the railway, for taking and using a trolly, the property of the Railway department. The case comes on for hearing here on Wednesday.

The member for Waikato has, ft seems, wisely refrained from using hie influence in the House to get an amendment to the Slaughterhouse Act compelling farmers killing cattle for sale to take out a butchering license, as urged to do so by the Waikato Council. To make farmers pay a license fee of £5 5s would Bimply be to shut up the dead meat markets at Cambridge and Hamilton, and would not be tolerated by the general consumer, who shares with the farmer the profit hitherto enjoyed by the butcher to the lots of both.

Mr. John Knox stated publicly at Saturn day's dead meat anotion sale that he had been offered a bonus to discontinue selling beef and mutton by auction. Cambridge, Monday, Contraots for road forming and gravelling from Allwill's corner to Tamahere Creek, the former at 3* 6<i per chain and the latter for B£d per yard, and for gravelling a portion of No. 1 cross-road at 9Jd per yard, have been let to Mr. T. Wattam. The clerk of the Cambridge Highway Board has also been instructed to write to the Tamahere Board, pointing out the necessity of gravelling a portion of the tramway road near Mr. W. M. Douglas' property. The matter, it Is stated, would have been attended to some ten days ago, but that the meeting of the Tamahere Board lapsed for want of a quorum.

The offer of the Auckland Freezing Cornpuny 10 receive green gooseberries for preserving at the Auckland works at the rate of 2d per lb has been very generally availed of by growers of that fruit in this part of Waikato. Indeed, it is stated, that nearly fifty tons of fruit from Waikato and Waipa must have been sent down In response to the offer. At the monthly meeting of the Cambridge Highway Board on Saturday there was a fall attendance of members. Mr. Arnold wrote informing the Board that he had purchased the Frogmore property, through which the drainage of lands on the opposite side the road is carried by way of a culvert made by the Board. He invited the Board to out a drain soma thirty-five chains in length through his land to the river bank. The clerk was instructed to inform Mr. Arnold that the drainage was flowing through the natural ohanuel, where it went before any road was made, and that as Mr Arnold knew this when he purchased the land, the Board could not aooede to his suggestion. Yielding to the retrenchment roar, members of the Board, it was staffed, are personally supervising works in progress, thus saving the expense of an engineer's services. Accounts to the amount of £31 15s were passed for payment, and Mr. Forrest was authorised to expend a sum of £5 in cleaning out the public drain.

Th Awamctu, Monday. Daring the session now drawing to a close the Waipa Council wrote to Major Jackson, asking him to endeavour to get the boundaries of the oounty extended, so as to include the lands lying between the present boundary and the Puniu l»i»er, including the Maungatautari Block, now passed through the Native Laud Court. Thsy also requested Major Jackson to get the road to Waotu constituted a colonial road, and a sum of money placed on the Estimates for its construction. Recently Major Jackson interviewed the Minister re the county boun* daries, and as a result writes recommending the County to approach the House on the matter by petition.

Tamaherh, Monday. It appear* that Mr. J. M. Gelling, of Hamilton, acting aa agent for Mr. W. A. Graham, baa affixed a notice on the public pound on the Narrows road, close to the Taraaher« store, cautioning the public against using it, and at the same time baa put a look on the gate. The local body has requested > Mr. Gelling to remove his notice and lock at once. The pound is not at present used as such, but by permission of the local Board settlers taking cattle to or from the Obaapo sales are allowed to draft their cattle there, each taking his own from the mob as they leave the yard, and this has been a great convenience to farmers. Mr, Graham took the same coarse in dispossessing the local Board of a former site. Ihe Board at that time, thinking that it would be an advantage to Mr. Graham, at his suggestion bought from him the present site. That it has not been conveyed is no fault of the Board's, which has informed Mr. Graham that the purchase money would be paid the moment a title to the small piece of ground was forthcoming. |BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Hamilton, Monday. Mrs. Carr was sufficiently recovered from the late buggy accident to return in company with Mr. Carr to-day to Auckland by the four o'clock train. Mrs. Gwynne is steadily improving, though not yet able to get about. Alexandra, Monday. Tawhiao, who has beeu on a visit to the Kawhia for nome little time past, returned to Whatiwhatihoe yesterday. His object in visiting the Kawhia natives was to induce them neither to lease nor sell their land, and to place it under his control as trustee, in this he has, it is said, been to a very great extent successful. He intends to visit the natives near the Waikato Heads in a day or two.

Cambridge, Monday. An adjourned m«etiug of the Borough Council will be held to»morrow (Wednesday), at three p.m., to instal Mr James Hally, the Mayor elect. Mr. Hally has lateiy been admitted as a barrister.

The vestry of St. Andrew's have refused the offer of the band to play at the fete for £15, and have placed the matter in Mr. Lamb's hand*, who will provide what music he thinks necessary. He intends taking legal steps to recover some property that was borrowed by the band for the purpose of assisting at the fete, which they now decline to return.

The hay harvest is in full swing, and the mowing machine o*u be heard in all directions. The crops will be heavy, especially the oats. Some that I have seen vrill average throe tons to the acre.

The weather- seems settled at last, with very Lot days,