COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8289, 23 June 1890, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM our own correspondents.] Hamilton, Saturday. As notified in another page, Messrs. J. M C - Nicol and Co. will hold a large special horse sale at the Hamilton borough yards on Wednesday next. Two hundred horses have already been entered for sale. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday the ever-recurring case of Hinton v Forrest, now more than a year on hand, for wrongful conversion of stock, was brought on again and again adjourned to next court day, plaintiff paying costs of adjournment Bail has been procured in the case of Francis Crawford, accused of incendiarism, and the ease will probably be heard by Captain Jacksod, R.M., on Thursday. Kihikiili, Saturday Your correspondent has several times and quite recently, urged upon the authorities the desirableness of opening up the road between Waotu and Kihikihi by way 0 f Orakau, as a short cut for stock ami sheep driven from Hawke"s Bay and tinSouth. On Friday last the first mob of sheen that has come that way, even with the road the mere track it is, arrived at Orakau. Timwere in charge of Mr. Munro, part owner and consisted of .about 1000 sheep. They were drafted in Mr. Hutchinson's yards at Orakau, 200 going to Mr. Hughes, of Konii-i and 1000 to Mr. J. W. Ellis. The remainder were sent to the Ohaupo srleyards on Tuesday last. According to information furnished Lv Mr. Munro the road between Taupe- and Ohaupo, direct from Waotu into Ohaupo via Orakau and Kihikihi instead of via Cambridge, saves two days'journey. The feed too, is more plentiful on the new route, m the road needs further opening up in one or two places, especially in the small piece of bush through which it passes, so as to make it as easy to drive as on the old road. As, however, Mr. Munro brought his flock of sheep through with only one hand, it cannot be a very bad load now'. The sheep arrived in fine fresh condition, as was proved by one portion of them making the journey from Orakau through to Hetit's at Otorohanga, in one day. ' The concert in aid of the Public School prize fund will be held in the Kihikihi Public Hall on llmrsday evening .next. A farce will also be put on the stage after' the concert, and the whole will conclude with a dance. ~ . , . Alexandra, Saturday. Mr. Aubin Aider has been appointed a trustee of the Alexandra Cemetery in the place of R. T. Millar resigned. _. , , Ohaupo, Saturday. There would seem to be a possibility yet of carrying out the Tauranga meat free/inscheme of Messrs. Nelson Brothers, for though the Piako County Council in its' [.resent financial position cannot undertake to expend 4:600 in making the road tit for driving sheep, the offer made by Mr. Mich, of the Patetere Company, to give a right-of-wav along the north-west edge of their bush clearings, which would give a good road to within a mile and a-half of the Piako county boundary may be made available. Mr. Rich imposes certain conditions that persons driving sheep through the company's clearin-.s should give ia week's notice of their'intention to ■do so. This, of course, the county could not compel sheep owners to do, but it" is obvious that the sheepowners would take care to d i this themselves. Then, again, .Mr. liich ' requires that the county shall guarantee to expend a sum not exceeding £25, if necessary ; in clearing away any branches or timber, so I as to make the road absolutely free from obstruction, so that the sheep "might pass through the estate with ease in five or six hours. The county, of course, cannot expend money on private property, but Waikato sheep owners, if no more than that was required to open the road, would subscribe the ; amount in a day if called upon to do so. These i two difficulties got over, all thai remains to secure a good road to the Piako County's boundary is a small outlay for the connection between Dette's native clearing and Burnett's corner to the Thames Valley-Tarn anga [load. An alternative suggestion has also been made by Mr. S. Langford, of Greenhithe, neatAuckland, namely, that if .Messrs. Nelson Brothers would substitute the harbour of Maketu for that'of Tauranga as the site of their freezing operations, a good road via Rotorua from Waikato already exists. Mr. Langford's suggestion certainly point./ out ,'. more central freezing depot, and at the same time renders it not only easily available for Waikato, but also for the large estates ox the Bank of New Zealand, which carry halt the stock required in the yearly guarantee of supply. With a road opened bv way of Kihikihi and Orakau to central "Waikate, the road to Maketu would be shortened for driving sheep by two days as compared wit 1 the present route. [by- telegram,— correspondents.] ~ __ , „, Hamilton, Saturday. Mr. .Hudson \\ illiamson, Crown Prosecutor, and Mr. Hill, Collector of Customs, were here to-day to conduct the prosecution under the Brewery Act against certain lessees of Waikato breweries." In each case i judgment was confessed, and the minimum penalty of £50 and costs, £5 li!s, was inflicted. In the case of the Hamilton Brewery, in which the fine was not paid, the police have entered into possession. There was a frost last night, and snow was to be seen this morning on l'irongia. , , _ . , Rotokua, .Saturday. At tne Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, during the hearing of a ease for debt the Magistrate remarked that Court witnesses had the best paid occupation in the colony. In answer to a petition the Minister of Lands has sent instructions for road lines to be surveyed off at Hamiorana and at Waio hewa, thus preventing in the future any attempt to levy blackmail at these places. % The new Roman Catholic Church is nearly finished. The bell, weighing s'cwt, has been safely placed in the steeple, and from several trials that have been made to test its tone it has given general satisfaction.