COUNT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8963, 30 January 1888, Page 6

COUNT NEWS.

[from our own correspondents.]

Hamilton, Saturday. Captain W. W. Powell has been elected a member of the Kirikinroa Highway Board in place of Mr. F. Thomas, whose seat became vacant through being absent at four consecutive meetings. A gentleman just returned from Raglan. Mr. Laurence Cussen, h;is demonstrated while at that place the possibility of a novel and enjoyable sport to old anglers in any coastal part of New Zealand, the catching of schnapper and kawhai with the fly. Mr. Cussen made some capital bags of both fish with fly rod and tackle, using an artificial fly. Both kinds of fish gave excellent sport. The Waipa, or Mountain Road as it is sometimes called, is in a very fair state, but considering the amount of wheeled traffic upon it something should be done towards rendering it more safe. The two narrow portions of it, the sidings on each side of the Hakaramata Range, where the road is wide enough only for a single vehicle, with little to spare the one side the wall of the mountain, on the other almost a precipice, a steep declivity of from one hundred to two hundred feet. Even if the road is not widened, poplars or willows should be planted closely along the edge of the road and some few yards down the incline. This, as the trees grow larger, would not only prevent accident but cause the road to widen naturally by the deposit of earth washing over the bank being retained there.

A considerable number of entries have been received for the Waikato Anniversary Sports held on the Lake on Monday. There are nine entries for the Waikato Championship Gold Medal (a half-mile race), in still water, amontrst which are the names of more than one Auckland man. They are Messrs. Brown, Nicholson, J. Morgan (Auckland), Sergeant (Cambridge), Johnson (Raglan), and P. Missen, Wilfred Von Sturmei*, Jamieson, and Eves. For the Scratch Race (100 yards), the second principal event, there are six entries. The ladies' and girls' races are tilling up fast, a ladies' committee to take charge of the dressing tents and assist Professor Pannell at these races having been formed. Hi'NTLY, Saturday. _ Application has been made to the \\ aikato County Council regarding the punt, and a considerable amount of correspondence passed between Mr. L. B. Harris, of Huntly, the member for Waikato (Mr. Whyte) and the Government on this matter. The Waikato County Council, having a lively recollection of the trouble that white elephant, the Churchill punt, has been and etill is to them, have refused to take the responsibility of the maintenance and control of the punt. The only hope for us is that the newly-constituted Raglan County Council will treat us with more consideration, as a punt at Huntly is much required, and, unlike that at Churchill, which was only of use to two or three settlers, will be constantly used by a large number of people. Tk Awamctu, Saturday.

All we want is a fine day to make Monday's meeting of the Waipa Racing Club a complete success. A large contingent of visitors by that day's excursion train from Auckland is looked for. The train stops and sets down its passengers close to the racecourse, picking them up again on its return in the evening. The annual meeting of the subscribers to the Te Awamutu Public Library shows a credit balance of £12 Gs 9d, the receipts for last year having been £45 10s Gd, and the expenditure £33 3s 9d. There is an excellent library of 700 volumes, and it is a pity that bo few avail themselves of its advantages by becoming members, of whom there were only 28 during the past year. A con-veniently-situated reading room, where the day's papers, light serial literature, &c., ■could be available of an evening would be & most useful adjunct to this institution. Messrs. Cox, Ford, Cunningham, Teasdale, Andrew, and Drill-instructor Carley, were appointed a committee for the ensuing year, and Messrs. Walton and Westley auditors. Sergeant-Major Carley was appointed secretary and librarian.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN* CORRESPONDENT.] Hamilton, Saturday. A serious loss occurred to Mr. D. R. 'Turner, the secretary of the Waikato Hospital Board, through the burning of his house, in which Mrs. Turner and the family Were residing, at the old redoubt, Pokeno, Mr. Turner himself living at Hamilton. The house and furniture were insured in the Union Office for £150, and the policy would have expired to-day. To-day was bright and fair, all that could Jiave been desired for the swimming matches in the Waikato River. A number ,f persons were gathered to witness the J aces from the river banks and the bridge. Mr. Lequesne acted as starter, and Mr. F. txaudi'n as judge. The following are the resultsßoys Race, under 16, half-a-mile: First/ prize, 30s, D. Gelling, 1 ; Neileon,2. Won easily. Lequesne, Sage, Cox, and Vincent also started. Mile race for men, prize £3 : Keilly, 1; Missen, 2 ; Neilson, 3. ■There were no other competitors. Boys 'Race, quarter of a mile, prize 30s: G. "Edwards, 1; G. Murray, 2; J. Pascoe, 3. This was a fine race throughout, Edwaras winning by about a yard. Long Dive : H. Tristram, 1; Dalton, 2. Consolation : Neileon, 1; Sage, 2 ; Elliott, 3. The keg of beer in the Greasy Boom competition was won by C. Dalton, the second prize being secured by Alfred Reid. Mr. John Knox sold the privileges to-day of a second refreshment booth at the Lake Waikato Anniversary Swimming Matches on Monday, to Mr. S. Foulsham.