COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9065, 28 May 1888, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[from our'own correspondents.] Hamilton, Saturday. The Hamilton Light Infantry Volunteers mustered in full force under Captain Reed on Sydney Square on Thursday in honour of the Queen's Birthday. A feu-de-joie was fired at noon, and the men were put through company's drill. The secretary of the Hamilton Football Club has received a letter from the " Thames Wanderers," offering to visit Waikato and play the local men, if a sum of los or 20s per head can be guaranteed to them to cover expenses. It is certain that no Waikato club could meet the Wanderers, but it is thought that from the various Waikato clubs a team could be chosen with a chance of success, but the match would have to be played on some central ground, where gate money could be enforced to recoup the expense.

An alarm of fire was raised yesterday in Victoria-street, about two p.m. The beating of the hotel gongs and the cry of fire soon brought a crowd into the street. It was found to be on premises adjacent to the Union Bank of Australia, and was soon put out. Mr. G. E. Alderton, Government insurance agent, lectures on Monday evening- in the Public Hall, when a full exposition of the working of the New Zealand Life Insurance scheme will be given. Mr. T. G. Sandes writes to the local paper ■with respect to the statement that the telegraphist at Ngaruawahia did not refuse to Forward his telegram to Hamilton on the evening of the railway accident. He says : Now this assertion is false, as such refusal was made to me before eight o'clock p.m. that evening by the said telegraphist, and this will be fully proved to Mr. Hudson, who h>is written to me on the subject. # Kihikihi, Saturday. A Compensation Court was held here on Wednesday to hear the claim of Margaret Northcroft, wife of the warden at the Thames, who claimed £250 from the Public Works Department for land taken for a road as an approach to the traffic bridge built by the Government qver the Puniu River. The Government had offered to settle the matter for £120, which had been declined. The case was heard before Captain Jackson. R.M., and Messrs. George Edgecumbe and R. C. Barstow, sitting as assessors. Mr. W. M. Hay appeared for the claimant, and Mr. Buddie for the respondent. Mr. Hay applied to have the claim reduced to £200 which was done. Messrs. Hadfield, John McNicol, IS orthcroft, and Captain VV. Steele were examined for claimant and variously estimated the damages at from £175 to £202. Messrs. Cheeseman, Hunter, and Mandeno, for the respondent, estimated the damage at from £92 to £125. On cross-exa-mination they admitted that in making an estimate they had not allowed for certain items of damage. The Court gave judgment for claimant for £140, each side to pay their own assessor and witnesses, the assessors' fees being fixed at £6 6s each. Had the award been £147 10s, or three-fourths of the claim, the judgment would have carried costs. The Court, before hearing the case, inspected the place, and the case, which commenced at eleven a.m., was not concluded until five p.m. Ngaruawahia, Saturday. The charges made against the telegraphist here that he refused to accept telegrams from Messrs. L. Cussen and T. G. Sandes on the evening of the railway accident, because it was after five p.m., although the Hamilton office, to which they were to be sent was still open, is to be made the subject of official inquiry. Mr. Hudson, who has control of this office, has written to Messrs. Laurence Cussen and T. G. Sandes, calling on them to retract the statements attributed to them. It appears that, in case of urgency the public can call upon a telegraphist to forward a message after hours if he can " get" the office to which it is to be sent.

Huntly, Saturday. It is satisfactory to find that the County Council have resolved to appoint dog registrars who will attend to their duties in this place. It is useless to employ persons who for fear of giving offence to neighbours, allow the country to be overrun with dogs of all kinds, as Huntly has been for some time with greyhounds and other dogs. The same complaint applies to Wairangi and Rangiriri, at the latter of which places a small flock of sheep was nearly destroyed, and though one of the dogs was killed, it was impossible to recognise it, as it had no collar. New dog registrars for these distri6ts are to be appointed, and a fee of Is 6d for ordinary, and 2s for sporting dogs registered, to be paid them. This will probably put an end to the nuisance, as the charge is 10s for greyhounds and sporting dogs, which are the worst upon sheep. Tuhikaramea, Saturday. The local Board has made a start to fascine the swamp on the road between here and Hamilton, but bids fair to cut us off from that town altogether. The contractor is carting the material to mend one-fourth of the road over the other three-fourths, which is being so cut up that by the time the one end is repaired the last state of that swamp road will be worse than the first. Either the road should have been fascined during the dry weather or left over altogether till next summer. What the Board should do .would be to at once replace Davis's bridge on the old road, which has now been down two years, and the want of which cuts off the nearest road to Hamilton and also to Alexandra, and which would accommodate some of the largest ratepayers in the district.

Te Awamutu, Saturday. The Pirates of Penzance will be played by the Alexandra Amateur Dramatic Company in the Te Awamutu public hall on Wednesday night. Those who witnessed the performance at Alexandra on Thursday night describe it as being most excellent, both as regards the acting and general get-up of the company. Otorohanga, Saturday. Inspector Goodall, visited this place and Te Kuiti last week, and was evidently much pleased with the very orderly conduct of the large mixed population of Europeans and natives assembled here during the sitting of the Native Lands Court.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Paeroa. Saturday. A meeting re the Upper Thames River Board was held at Te Arona yesterday, delegates from Ohinemuri, Piako, and Aroha being present. The Aroha and Piako delegates expressed willingness to assist Ohinemuri in their separation from the Thainrs Harbour Board, but would not consent to join Ohinemuri in any new Conservancy Board. They simply wanted their rivers let alone. MANGAWAI. A meeting yras held some days back relative to a change in the employment of a steamer plying between here and Auckland. A Mr. Fleming, from the South, offers to put a steamer on, he to own hall the vessel and the settlers to own the other half. A suitable vessel could be found and fitted up at a total coat of £800. The whole affair is in stain quo. Whether anything will be done in the future from this move ia * doubtful. Mr. Leslie Moir is most sanguine and energetic, and considers that the trade is sufficient to warrant a steamer running at the usual coastal rates, viz., 6s a ton, and 7s 6d passage, 10s return. At present the cost is 15s a ton, and over £1 return passage, and 12s 6d passage one way. Mr. Moir produced a letter to himself from Mr. Fleming opening out the whole question, and giving a full description of the vessel, which was a paddle steamer, paddles being preferable to a screw, in the opinion of Messrs. Fleming and Moir, for this port. There is likely to be another meeting shortly, when something more to the purpose is likely to be the result. Some settlers are of opinion that a wharf at the heads, where the Whangarei steamers could come up, would solve the whole difficulty of high freight and passage. Less than £100 would ouild a wharf in a good place that can be selected, having deep water close to the river's edge, and in a snug sheltered spot.

The cost to the settlers in propping up an attempt to start a township on private property is assuming a disastrous appearance. Without mentioning the high freights, &c, the cost to form the road along the beach flat, which must be increased, is getting a serious matter, as the work is not put out with a view to making substantial work, but merely to patch up, so as to get along for a time, which means a continuous drain on the ratepayers' pockets, without the slightest hope of any cessation whatever. Fascines are now being put on the road, and covered over with sand. The telephone line to Pukekaroro is surveyed, and the sites of the poles pegged out. There has also been a survey party pegging out roads and private property. Owing to the easterly wind, the steamer puts in no appearance this week. Mr. Arthur Worker conducted the usual Wesleyan service at the Hakaru last Sunday. There was a fair attendance. Mr. Worker is the youngest son of the Rev. William Worker, who officiated so successfully for so many years in these districts. Inspector McGovern has been here, and, with Constable Sturch, inspected the Courthouse and lock-up at Hakaru. He expressed himself in a most satisfactory manner as to the state of the buildings, and, as regards their position—which is central and convenient —a better position for them could not have been selected. Nothing startling in agricultural matters has occurred; sowing oats for early feed, and grass on clearings, is about all. In gardens a few early vegetables are going in.—[Own Correspondent.]