COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9013, 19 October 1892, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

» [FROM OCR OWN correspondents.] Kihikihi, Tuesday. An inquest was held at Orakau on Friday afternoon last, before Mr. Thomas Gresham, and a jury of six, of which Mr. John Hutchinson was chosen foreman, on the body of Mrs. Jane Baker, wife of T. Baker, a settler residing in the Block House. The evidence of Mr. Adam Wyld Pairman, a student of the University of Edinburgh, showed a clear and careful diagnosis of v"u6 symptoms treated during the four weeks of the deceased's illness, and it was his opinion, and that of Dr. John Kerr, of Hamilton, who was present at the inquiry at the instance of the coroner, that death was caused by the failure of the heart's action, which was in a feeble state for want of sufficient nourishment. The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence. Heads of families here are anything but satisfied at the discovery that the absence of legal qualifications in the medical practitioner, although reputed clever and painstaking, may, should death ensue, lead to a

coroner's inquest, as Mr. Pairman has neither diploma nor certificate, and consequently could not give the usual required document fortho interment of the body. t Dr. Bakewell, a short time ago, gave the district a fortnight's trial. He was kept pretty busy during that time. He found his practice paying, but he left for Auckland at the wrong time to " pack up," for while he was away Mr. Pairman arrived, and jumped his claim." It is presumed that this scared the Doctor, for he has not returned. Hamilton, Tuesday. The following are the vital statistics of the Hamilton district for the quarter ended the 30th September lastßirths : Boys, 20; girls, 15: total, 35. Deaths: 12; namely, 9 males and 3 females; of these, 7 occurred in the hospital. Marriages : 7 males and 7 females. ..„,,* «r , Mr. E, Lake, M.H.R. for Waipa, was a passenger for Ohaupo by the traiu en route from Wellington, on Saturday last People are generally satisfied with the list of new members of the Legislative Council, but fault is found that while other sections of the public are duly represented the country settlers as a class are wholly ignored. Three or four of the new men, it is thought, should have been chosen from the chairmen of important County Councils or public lwdies representing the settlers. This would have rendered the appointments far more popular and at the same time have secured the services of representative men of the people. A meeting of those interested in getting up Boxing Day sports is called tor Friday evening next. The racing mare Kate Darling has been withdrawn from sale under a distress warrant, the plaintiffs claim having been settled. Cambridge, Tuesday. The Oddfellows are about to build a new hall, having sold their old one to the Salvation Army. The trustees of the lodge have purchased a suitable site for the new hall in the centre of Victoria-street, near to the Colonial Bank building. Whatawhata, Tuesday. An attempt, but an inefficient one, has been made to repair the Raglan-VVaipu Road across the mountain, but it is in a most dangerous and impassable condition. Mr. Sutton's coach was again stuck up on Saturday. One bridge gave way bodily and the trap sunk down into the bed of the creek and was with difficulty got on terra firma again. The road is in a simply disgraceful state, and reflects most discreditably on those who have allowed it to fall into this condition. Ohaupo, Tuesday. At a meeting of the Pukekura Mutual Improvement Society, the following committee nave been appointed to manage the business for next session :—The president and secretary (the Rev. Mr. Simmonds and Mr. Hyatt respectively), Mrs. Cudworth and Miss Southgate, and Messrs. Anderson, J. Bridgeman, Hill, A. Hicks, Perkins, and Tuck. The ■ balance-sheet, which was adopted, showed an expenditure of £4 19s 6d, leaving a small balance in hand. The evening's entertainment consisted of a variety of songs, readings, and recitations, and was brought to a close by votes of thanks to the president and secretary, and by the singing of the National Anthem. Alexandra, Tuesday. At a meeting of the committee of the Waipa Amateur Athletic Club, the balancesheet of the late concert showing a balance of £s'2s 6d, was read and adopted. The trophies purchased from Mr. Howden, of Hamilton, amounting to £1510s, were ordered to be paid for. After these and some small accounts are paid, there will be a credit balance belonging to the club of about £4. It was resolved to plough up, level, and grass a quarter-mile track, which will be ready for the next athletic meeting in Easter week. ROTORUA. The fourth annual general meeting of the members of the Rotorua Library and Reading Room took place on Wednesday last, the 12th instant, in the library building. There was a large attendance, including several ladies. The president, Mr. C. Malfroy, occupied the chair. The annual report and balance-sheet was read, and its adoption moved by Mr. W. Seddon, and seconded by Dr. Cinders. The report made reference to the increasing popularity of the institution, and that a complete set of new rules and regulations, for its more efficient management, iu view of the great development of the district, was drawn up by the committee and sanctioned by a special general meeting,- called for the purpose. One of these rules provides that the annual general meeting shall take place in the second week in each October, therefore the period over which the present report extends is but nine months. The receipts from all sources'amount to £56 Gs 7d, and the expenditure to £42 9s Bd, leaving an actual cash balance in hand of £13 16s lid, and with overdue subscriptions amounting to £14 ss, shows a credit balance of £28 Is lid on the working during the past nine months. The number of subscribers on the books is now 49, as against 47 last year. The ceremony of unveiling the pictures of the late Mr. J. C. Blyth and Mr. C. M. Wilson, which were hung on the wall, was performed by the president in a suitable manner, and they were ■ much admired, and reflect creditably on the artistic workmanship of Mr. Hanna, of Auckland. The retiring committee, including the several officebearers, were, on the motion of Mr. J. H. Taylor, seconded by Dr. Cinders, re-elected for the ensuing year. A hearty vote of thanks was voted to Mr. B. S. Corlett for the energetic manner in which he had collected the subscriptions for the portraits. Votes of thanks were also given to Messrs. W. A. Williams aud H. L. McFadyen, secretary and librarian respectively, for the services they had rendered. On the motion of Mr. W. Seddon, seconded by Mr. W. K. Purcell, Mr. H. L. McFadyen was elected a life member of the institution. Mr. McFadyen replied, thanking those present for the honour they had conferred on him, and stated that from the first he had always the best interests of the institution at heart. At the sitting of the Native Land Court on Saturday a curious state of affairs in connection with the application for the rehearing of the Whakapaungakau Block was elicited—namely, the application for the rehearing had been forwarded to the Registrar before the final order of the Count under the original hearing had been made, and therefore was informal. When the final order of the Court was made, the dissentients took no further steps, relying on the application that had already been sent; so that no legal application for a rehearing having been received within the three months after the final order, as specified by the Act. the Chief Judge could not entertain the subject at all, and informed the parties accordingly. The block in question contains the Tikitere Wonderland, and which the Government have contemplated the purchase of for some time past. Whether the present decision will remove the obstacles to the purchase, or prolong the same, remains to be seen. The application for the rehearing of the Heraiwi Block, situate near Galatea, occupied the Court nearly two days, and was dismissed. It is gratifying to find that there is some prospect that the large deposits of pumice in our neighbourhood are to be turned to profitable use, and may lead to some permanent staple industry being established in our midst. Messrs. Firth Brothers who were here recently on a visit were surprised to learn from Mr. Warbrick that an unlimited supply of pumice was to be found at Tikitapu. They at once visited the spot, and were much pleased with what they saw, and it is their intention to make arrangements with the Government to secure a lease of the ground for the purpose of taking away the pumice. The question of fixing up the Te Wairoa Road is now likely to be dealt with in a practical manner. I have the authority of Mr. James Stewart, C.E., for stating that it is an absurdity to suggest, as was done a few days ago, the making of a coach road to the railway line so that the journey by coach from Oxford could be avoided during next summer. There are many obstacles in the way; first, the road could not be made for anything like £100; secondly, it would be contrary to the conditions of contract for passengers to travel over the line before it is finished, so that neither the Messrs, McLeau and Sons, contractors, nor the Commissioners are likely to break the conditions of contract. '■'. Besides, there is no water for the engine near where the road was proposed to be made, nor are there any station uuildings. The whole affair is so absurd that it is difficult to conceive how any reasonable-minded person could have suggested it. Mr. G. Gilmer, part owner of the steam launch Alice, and formerly skipper of her, was here on Saturday last on a flying visit, having arrived by the Tauranga coach, and left the following morning for Cambridge en route for Auckland, where he is now located. [Own Correspondent.] [by TELEGRAPH.— own correspondent.] Rotorua, Tuesday. It is understood that instructions have been received by wire from the SurveyorGeneral in Wellington to the effect that suitable town and suburban sections are to be selected and valued for the purpose of being offered for sale at an early date under the Land Act of 1892. The annual general meeting for the election of stewards for the Rotorua Jockey Club for the ensuing year took place in the Rotorua Hotel last night. There was a large attendance. Mr. Malfroy occupied the chair. The following gentlemen were elected, with power to add to their number:—Messrs. Dansey, Mcßae, Mcllroy, Carr, Wake, Thorn, Webb, Warbrick, Lorigan, King. A public meeting takes place in the Pukeroa Hall on Friday next re the Rev. F. H. Spencer's pamphlet, The meeting is con-

vened by the Town Board in response to & ' requisition. Considerable interest is being evinced in the affair. PAPAROA. An early alteration in the time-table of the N.U.S. Co., in the Otamatea branch of the service, is decided on by the management, TJhe early boat in the week will leave Helensville on Monday morning, after the arrival of the first train, reaching Pahi in the evening, and will return at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, running to Matakohe in the meantime. This will prove the best passenger boat for those who can. without inconvenience, go on board at Matakohe or Pahi. The second boat will leave Helensville on Thursday evening, the tender to run to the Paparoa landing on Friday's tide, returning to Helensville on Saturday. This is direct from town, with no loss of time for passenger traffic, and is, of course, the only available boat for goods. Mr. Simpson is getting forward with his contract, and judging from the portion which he has finished, the work will leave his hands in a very satisfactory manner. When one or two links are joined, there will be, what has long been desired, a good cart road to Mata-. kohe. The main road leading towards Maungaturoto needs similar treatment as early as possible, the hindrance being want of funds. If there is any district in need of outside help, ours comes near the top of the list, it having been necessary to alter nearly the whole of our roads. Much time and money have to be expended on impracticable routes, only to be discarded, and newer ones adopted.—[Own Correspondent.] PAPAKURA. The Mystic Tie Lodge, 1.0. G.T., held an open meeting in the Papakura Library on the 13th October. The Rev. T. Nome presided, and the following varied and attractive programme was well rendered to a large and appreciative audience : —Overture (piano), Miss N. McKnight; ode 47; chairman's remarks; song, Brother Scoffield; song, Brother Rhind; recitation, Sister S. McLeod ; song, Brother Fulton recitation, Sister C. Croskery; recitation. Brother D. McKay; piano solo, Miss Maud McKnight; ode 73; song, Brother Brown; recitation, Brother Carr; reading, by the chairman; song, Misses McLeod (2); ode 213: song, Mr. F. McClymont; recitation, Miss M. Angus; song Mr. J. Lowe (encored); recitation. Miss H. Tomlinson; song, Brother J. Hill; recitation, Miss E. Wilson; reading. Brother Scoffield. The singing of ode 42 brought an interesting meeting to a close. Miss N. McKnight presided at the piano.[Own Correspondent.] MAHURAMGI. That irresponsible gentleman, the clerk of the weather, is still making himself obnoxious to church-goers, or would-be church-goers, for on Sunday last the rain kept up an incessant pour from about nine a.m. till evening, making travelling for ever so short a distance an inco lvenience, that few folks in the country districts cared to face. The Warkworth Hotel has, during the past week, changed hands, Mr. Deakon having sold out to Mr. F. Dibble, who has for some time kept a boardinghouse in the township, and he will no doubt, in his new venture, obtain the custom of his former patrons, the building being large enough and so arranged that the hotel proper is quite distinct from the bar. Mr. and Mrs. Dibble are both now well-known in the district, and the hotel will be conducted on honourable principles, and will no doubt secure a fair share of the patronage of the travelling public. Grass is now plentiful in the district, a result of the showery weather, and cattle, sheep, and horses are now improving in appearance, but alas, the bogs in our roads do not mend, but get deeper with every rainy day. Local politics are having a good share of attention just now, and the result of the enquiry to be held by Mr. Bishop, Resident Magistrate, instituted on the petition by a disappointed candidate for " Council honours," is looked forward to with varied feelings. Apropos of the Council, I was asked the other day by what right the Council had interfered (as per resolution at last meeting) with the carrying and delivery of mails at Warkworth by coach, this being of a retrograde character, and the Council ought to be of a progressive character. My questioner stated that the ratepayers should have been asked the question before the Council took ; upon itself the responsibility of making the statement it did.— Correspondent] 1 KAMO. Tins portion of the district has in common with the rest of Whangarei, mourned over the untimely fate of poor genial Jack Tucker and his fellow-excursionists, who, while on pleasure bent, were so sud- , denly ushered into the presence of their Maker. We who are left behind will have to ; face the pleasing duty of giving from the I store we are possessed of, contributions according to our ability to the fund that is now in hand for the relief of the widows ' and orphans. It has somehow or other got abroad that there is no actual case of destitution amongst the bereaved ones, but when it is known that Mrs. Wilson with three young children, Mrs. Tucker with five young children, will only get one-third of the insurance on their respective husbands' lives, and that poor Gallie was the only support of his old mother, it will be at once seen that if there is no actual destitution (of course none of us would allow of that), yet there is ample and deserving room for the exercise ot that charity to the helpless that'is one of the most brilliant characteristics of our Anglo-Saxon race. There has been a slight infusion of new blood on the Town Board just elected. Mr. F. F.. Day, headed the poll, and very deservedly has been re-appointed chairman. The hardest nut the new Board will have to crack is the maintenance of that portion of the main north road that passes through the township. The County Council have hitherto looked after it, but for the future this track is to have new keepers. I regret to have to chronicle that the local coal mine has got on fire in one or two placet, so it is said, and in consequence the miners have with one or two exceptions been " shut out" of work. This is a most serious outlook for Kamo, and what the upshot will be no one at present can say. Kauri gum seems to be the old resource left, and little, if any, of this highly useful form of natural wealth is now procurable at any easy distance from the township; yet a large quantity is periodically shipped from Whangarei by Mr. James Wnitelaw, of this township, the most of which is obtained, however, from a considerable distance out in the country. Coal-carting has been resumed again from the Messrs. McLeod Brothers' mine, Hikurangi, to Kamo, and 20 odd teams are being employed between both places daily. It is in no way wise to decry the smallest efforts put forward to develop either natural wealth or local industry, nevertheless the matter of this coal carting, etc., is a sore point of contention with us Hikuraugi ratepayers in this wise. It is quite safe to say that at least three-fifths of the entire traffic of the whole county is carried over that portion of the Great North Road from Whangarei to Hikurangi, and up to the Wh&kapara bridge at Edwards, and the whole of the road between these three points is within the Hikurangi riding, yet not one-fifth of the owners of the timber, coal, or gum waggons, not to speak of mail coaches or 'buses, that daily traverse and cut up this section of road are ratepapers within the Hikurangi Riding. They belong to either the ridings of Maunu, Mangapai, or Waiupu, and to make the feeling of soreness more acute the County Council has only allocated the sum of £50 per annum to be spent on the whole riding, which besides the aforesaid twenty miles of arterial road, has hundreds of miles of by-roads to attend to. The weather this past fortnight has been very capricious, but highly beneficial to all grassed lands.—[Own Correspondent.] HIKURANGI. The prospects of northern settlers are brighter than they have been for many years past. Southern graziers are turning their attention to the north as a place whence they may draw their store cattle in the spring to fatten them in the rich pastures of the south. The country north of Auckland, owing to its mild climate, sheltered valleys, and wooded hills, is specially suitable for wintering cattle. During the last two seasons large numbers of cattle have either been driven or shipped to the south, and grown cattle are 20s per head higher than they were a year or two ago. This, together with the opening up of the Hikurangi coalfield, and also the Ngunguru mine, where it is expected large numbers of consumers will be located, seems to open up a brighter vista for the northern settlers. Coal carting has begun again in earnest. Several teams are already on the road, and many others are preparing. This will have the effect of making the roads worse, than they are already, which is certainly bad enough. The railway works here are going on slowly. The earthwork on several of the sections is nearly completed. Other sections are, I believe, to be put in hand shortly, and the work pushed on vigourously to completion. A detachment of the Salvation Army, with Captain Renshaw in command, opened the campaign here on Monday last in the Hiku- [ rangi Hall. There were a good number preI sent, and the Salvationists were well received.— Correspondent). ONEWHERO. We are this week reminded by the receipt of certain missives of some of the obligations that property-owners owe towards- the general welfare of their country. For, along with I the notice of demand for general County |

rates, is also a demand for three-sixteenths el a penny in the pound on the assessed value or our respective properties—being a separate rate struck to pay Hospital and Charitable Aid fees. The whole tenor of the Government policy in framing the local government Acts is to throw as much aa possible of the weight of taxation off the shoulders of the General Government on to the backs of the local authorities, and are gradually but surely withdrawing their aid from these local governing bodies, to make them as selfreliant and independent as possible, under the plea of bringing taxation home direct to the people, in the hope that thereby th« abuses in the working of such social institutions might be the sooner detected and remedied. The County Council seem re solved to push this matter as far home as possible, and, to this end, have struck separate rate for Hospital and Charitable Aid purpose*. On closer consideration however, this tax may not press as heavily on all in our cmhsjt wfao are liable to pay 'poor rates, a* wmU as first tight appear For considerably over * hundred thousand acres of the north-eastern portion of this county is held tinder th« perpetual lease system, under th« Land Act, from the Government, and in the assessment rolls supplied to the Council by the Commissioner of Taxes, these lands are therein described as being owned by the Government, and the tenant as occupier. _ Now, section 26 of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act 1885, after giving power and authority to all contributory local authorities liable or will, ing to pay any contribution in aid or for the support of such institutions, or for charitable aid purposes, to pay the same out of the ordinary funds at its disposal, or out of any moneys received by way of subsidy, or may, if it thinks fit, raise the required amount by a rate struck for that purpose; also, says " That half of such rate may and can be deducted by the occupier from any rent payable by him to the owner of the land and premises occupied by him and so rated." From this, I would interpret that as the Government is the owner, and the tenant is the occupier of these perpetual lease lands above referred to, that the occupier can legally deduct half the amount of the hospital and charitable aid rate paid by him in respect of such lands from the rent payable by him to the Government. This, now, brings us again face to face with the native question. Large areas in this counts' belong to the Maoris, and are leased from them by Europeans, who pay rent to the natives for the right to occupy the same. The question, therefore, is, can the tenants or lessees deduct the amount proscribed and allowed by law from the rent due by them to the Maori landowner ; or is the law to be that, while the Europeans must conform to it, the Maoris can break it when and how they choose, as they do the Fencing Act in the matter of boundary fences between the Maori lands and that held by settlers; also in the matter of the rating of native lands, the Dog Registration Act, and many other laws that are not strictly enforced on the natives ? The sooner the natives are taught to recognise and acknowledge the fact that there 13 but one law for white and black, which they must obey, the better it will be for the colony. While everybody should rejoice to know that there is such an institution provided in the social economy of our civilisation for those who need it, for which all who own property must contribute their quota, yet the question of charitable aid is rather a vexatious one. The recipients of private charity seldom or never have shown the gratitude the act deserves. The point the taxpayers will object to, when made to pay the tax direct, is that those for whom the provision becomes most necessary are those who, through drunkenness and riotous living are reduced to want, consequently have to obtain charitable aid, and from the same cause and recklessness, as often as anything else, become inmates of the hospitals, therefore the cost of maintaining these institutions should be a charge against the Customs revenue, as the Customs are most benefited by this class of people.— Correspondent.] I^^mmmmmm mim^m^mmmm — mmmmmmm^mmim^