COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9238, 28 June 1893, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[from our own correspondents. I Rotoroa, Tuesday. The Native Land Court now _ in session here is still engaged on the Whirinaki case. The two contesting parties are employing solicitors. Mr. Moss, of Tauranga, is representing Harehare'a party, and Mr. Humphries, also of Taurauga, is watching the interest of Parakira Hammana's followers. It is expected that the deeds to complete the purchase of the Heriwiwi Block, Galatea, will arrive from Wellington this week, when the money will be paid to the owners. A navvy named George Coyle, charged with a breach of the peace before Messrs. Wrigley and Taylor, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in Auckland Gaol. The measles have put in an appearance here. There are one or two native cases. It is feared that the bad means which the natives have of looking after a disease of this kind will cause great havoc amongst them. Dr. Ginders fully recognises this, and has impressed on the chiefs the best means to be adopted in nursing the patients. The Government have also decided to publish a leaflet giving directions in the Maori language how to cope with the malady, but it is feared these instructions will not reach the Maoris before the rase has had a good footing and probably carried off a number of lives. A strange coincidence arising out of the notes contributed by " Musico-Dramatious" in the columns of the Weekly News of June 17th, has just come under my observation, anent the good fortune that is likely to fall to the lot of Mr. George Leitch, the wellknown comedian and dramatist. Whilst reading his Weekly News by the camp fire , of the above date a Mr. McPherson, timeI keeper on Messrs. McLean and Sons' railway

lontract, was surprised beyond measure to earn for the first time that Mr. G. Leitch, like .. limself, was amongst the list of heirs to the . wealthy estate in Washington city. Alhough Messrs. McPherson and Leitch nave ' >een in each other's company more thaui ] mce, neither of them appear to have had the (lightest conception of their near relationship ,0 one another, and the prompt action of Mr. ueitch in following up his claim has stirred ip Mr. McPherson, who will do likewise vithout further; delay, as the document rehiring his signature has been in hut posses- < lion since 1889. . ; . . ... . . ~ • There is still a scarcity *of tourists. very , :ew appear to be travelling. J The weather has again taken up beautifully ane, and should prove favourable for visitors j bo move about.. ",V ',',',;■'■<■■ _ . ] '.'• Taubanga, Tuesday. Mr. Tennyson Smith has finished the campaign in Tauranga. "The Trial of the : s ptorious Criminal, Alcohol," led to a heated Ipussion and the exchange of some very un- j mplimcntary remarks. Mr. Smith stated *$& Prohibitionist candidate would be run , SFltnext election and would carry the day. f %Smith is a sample of the article they 1 *TK> supply Mr. Kelly won't have mu^jx to feJK vv rs *u life WHANGAREI. ■ ° u*i ? "itiioon of June 21, about four p.m., a child ablt^j x yeat . 0 a ge Bon of Mr. F. H. .l ip Pn etfc **identally fell into the river, at the Towdjiiw . and would have been drowned onlytou the timely assistance of Charles Johnsofcjj 0 happened to be on the wharf at the jKj an( f j um d into the water and pulled "Wphild out, who was none the worse of the di%(?. Paddy Doran's JaTj|u ese troupe have been performing here for l[i aßt three nights, and has been fairly succeSfcj juggling of the young Japs was ni|L' admired. The Philharmonic SOW held a social on Tuesday evening for the% e 0 f bringing the members together and to^ Botne new members, as the Society has be\ somewhat disorganised of late. The 800% waa a grand success, dancing being keptLp un til midnight ; about fifty couples we\ preßen fc | and they all went home well w ith the evening's amusement. — [TowrVrj orreßon . dent.j * \ The Whangarei County Counh has Ben away a petition, asking for votesV a number of the roads, and another nuK rOUS iy. signed petition is going round, ask\g that the Hikurangi railway be extended tlWhakapara Bridge, to get at tho PuWhi timber. \ There is a considerable amount of infceW shown in politics at the present time. This country ia passing through' a time of great unrest and worry generally, and to be a member of Parliament in these times is no sinicure. In old times, the people in the North kept quiet, and cave no trouble to anybody. Now they are all alive, holding meetings and getting up petitions, which they ought to have got up twenty years ago. However, any want of activity shown in the past, is likely to be made up for now. The cause is not far to seek. The settlers find their roads cut up by traffic, which adds largely to the revenue of the colony, but pays nothing whatever to the local bodies. All the rates that tho settlers can raise is the merest bagatelle, and still, perhaps, it is as much as they can afford. The Town Board are making some good improvements this year. The Fire-bell Hill and the Great North Road have been reduced from a grade of 1 in 11 to 1 in 22, and the kerbing and channelling of the streets go on apace, but the weather has seriously interfered with them, causing also a landslip in one of their new works. The Puhipuhi prospectors are beginning to take fresh interest in the field now, and a new find of ruby silver is a good deal spoken of.—[Country Correspondent, June 24.] KAIWAKA. I think your own correspondent is making a mistake in reference to the child's funeral at Hakaru cemetery. I know for a fact that Mr. S. Tutin received a letter from the child's father, stating that he belonged to the Anglican Church, and desiring Mr. Tutin to arrange for the funeral, etc. Mr. Tutin's authority for reading the service was received from the father, and the Bishop's name was not even mentioned. Mr. Davidson, on hearing that Mr. Tutin had been asked to read the service, withdrew, merely speaking a few words to the mourners at the conclusion of the service.— Correspondent.] WAIPU. The canvassers with the petition in favour of granting the electoral franchise to women have been very successful as far as they have gone, but the weather has been unfavourable For house-to-house visitation, and the roads so uninviting that they have decided to forward the petition to Parliament as it is without completing the canvass. 128 signatures were freely given. Only. four people refused ; to sign the petition of those who were ftßked, one of those taking a neutral stand towards the question and the other three being decidedly opposed to granting the desired privilege. At a time when so much attention is being given to the question of staying the ravages of the codlin moth and other insect pests of like nature what is known as the moth-catch-ing plant is perhaps worthy of some notice. Mr. A. Douglas has had two or three of the plants growing in his garden for several seasons and it seems to thrive well and bears numerous clusters of small white flowers v which perform their office of entraping moths in a most remarkable and effective manner. In the interior of the flower cups pinching organs are arranged so that when moths, prompted by inquisitiveneß3 or in search of nectar, insert their feelers into these flowers, the pinching organs close upon the feelers, and hold the insects prisoners till death ensues from starvation. When the plant is in flower (and it continues to flower for a considerable length of time), it is literally covered with imprisoned moths, so that as a curiosity the plant is worth growing. The plants are obtained from the Whangarei nursery. A few more cases of measles are reported, and one case has terminated fatally.— Correspondent.] j