COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10278, 2 November 1896, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

v • [from our own correspondent.] I Kihikiei, Saturday. The school children were examined and the school inspected by Inspector Dickenson, on Saturday last. Of the 60 pupils examined, 57 passed. The Domain Board, at their meeting on Friday, resolved to call for tenders for the erection of a grand stand and refreshment booth on the Public Domain here. Rotorua, Friday. The usual monthly meeting of the Town Board was held yesterday afternoon, when Mr. C. Malfroy presided, and there wete present: Messrs. Demsey and Brent, and Dr. Ginders. The manager of the Grand Hotel wrote in reference to the disposal of sewage water from the Palace Hotel, owned by his firm, and asked that he might be allowed to dispose of it in the same war as the proprietor of Bathg\te House, treated his. This was agreed to. In regard to the drainage of the Grand Hotel he stated that his firm would supply- 1500 feet of 6-inch drain pipes in order to lead the water into the same channel as was used by Bathgate House. This would settle the: question of drainage, so far as that particular house was concerned. He also asked that the dense tea-tree in certain sections of town should be cut down, as it served as a shield for the committal of all sorts of nuisances. In regard to the offer of pipes, it was resolved that while thanking the _ firm for the offer, the • Board was not justified in spending any money on drainage work which might conflict with the system to be introduced by the sanitary eneiueer, whose arrival was daily looked for. In regard to the removal of tea-tree, Dr. Ginders advocated that it should bo done at once, as, from a sanitary point of view, it was most necessary. It was resolved that the owners of certain sections should be notified that if thescrub was not cleared withinaweek,itwouldbedone by order of the Board of Health at their expense. With reference to a letter from the Catholic clergyman, it was decided that the cemetery be divided into denominational areas as soon as possible. The chairman stated that several natives had approached him iu reference to the proposed monument to VVi Maihi te Rangikuheke, who died here receutly. The Government had granted £25, and the natives were prepared with another £25 if the Board would grant them permission to erect an obelisk at the intersection of Arawa and Fenton streets. The Board consented to the request. Matters of minor importance occupied the remainder of the sitting. The financial statement showed the credit balance as £68 15s lid. Constable Berriman. of Taupo, against whom ex-Postmaster Park preferred certain charges, has resigned from the Force. Mr. Kelly states that he has Mr. McKenzie's assurance that a sum of £9000 is being reserved out of the £50,000 vote for the drainage of Rotorua. Mr. Robert Hay, Civil and Sanitary Engineer of Dunedin, arrived last night, and as he is already possessed of the levels of the town (taken by Mr. J. I. Philips last year) he expects to be able to gain sufficient information to enable him to advise on a general scheme of drainage iu the course of a few days. z. * Paeroa, Saturday. The county election is creating a good deal of interest, and a lively contest is promised in the Paeroa riding, the following nominations liavipg been received : - Nathaniel Dickey, Frederick Cock, Joseph Nathan, John Phillips, jnn„ James McAndrew, Chas. F, Mitchell, Asher Cassrells (sitting member), Robert Walker, and John Edwards.. Only th ree members are'requircd. In the Katangahake riding there are two seats but four nominations, namely George ft. McGruer, Carroll Naish (sitting members) John S. White, and James Marsland. The election takes place on lltli November. For the Waitoa riding Mr. A. A. Bowler was returned unopposed. PORT ALBERT. The quarterly Wesleyan Home Mission meeting was held in their chapel on Monday evening. Some interesting addresses and suitable music were contributed. The attendance was scarcely as large as usual. The October Band of Hope meeting took place on Tuesday evening in the Wesle»un Church. The president (Mr. . G. B. Reid) conducted the meeting. The performers, with one or two exceptions, were children under 16 years. A rather long programme was gone through, on the whole very creditably. The attendance of members and friends was exceptionally large, aud all seemed satisfied and gratified. We appear to be living under a local dispensation of accidents. More seem to have happened during the past three or four months than the previous liko number of years, aud, still more oddly, all within half a mile, and several within a few chains, of each other. Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Turner, with a married daughter, were driving home from service on Sunday afternoon, when near the foot of a short hill the horse stumbled and fell, throwing two of its occupants from the trap. One (Mrs. Tinnin) is still confined to her bed with painful injuries about the ankle and elsewhere. The others suffered sligut injuries only.-i Own Correspondent.) MANGAPAI. Oor ever-zealous member has not forgot our priucipal thoroughfare, £250 being secured for the road from MangapaPto Waikiekie, aud the. largest sum for, roads and bridges ever granted for these purposes. Time was when all the roast beef had to go South, and we miserable settlers in the poor North had to be coatenc with a small portion of the dripping, that too often befog intercepted for such jobs as the Mangere Bridge. ■ Mrs. Blackburn 'has commenced to enlarge her : well-patronised boarding-house, as she has found that for some time back the accommodation was too limited to suit the requirements 'of increasing business. When the contemplated enlargement is finished travellers will find a comfortable; resting-place, so that even 'A. Tramp, Esq;,' will have nothing to complain, of if he chooses to visit Mangapai. f. - ..' A ; most successful soiree, concert, and dance was held in the Publio Hall on the '22nd inst.; the proceeds to go towards fencing in the hall ground, and otherwise improving the >aleyard«, etc. A sum ot iia was realised, which is to be applied to the above

improvements. „ The ability shown in the baking art, as seen in the display of various I sorts of currant, sponge, frosted, and other I cakes, was moat creditable to local hand! work, and fully appreciated by the assembly' ■ All went off well, and : everyone seemed pleased with the programme; of eatinr speechifying, songs, and daucing.—TOwn Correspondent] ,y . v .. 7', I *' = WAINGARO. . While the Banking inquiry occupied such a large space in the columns of your valuable paper I refrained from sending you much uews of our district. As lam aware that many people are ignorant with regard to the name and whereabouts of Waingaro, it might b: as well to state here that 'the Wai-nga-ro stream rises a short distance from the rise of the Firewood Creek (about seven miles fromNgaruawahia), which flo» into the Waipa at Nga-rua-wa-hia, and I .cannot account for it any other way than this fact, that the two uames are reverse by/a (treat many, and Ngaruawahia is r, O nounced Naro-wai, and Waingaro Wai-na The VYauigaro (which flows into the Whii n '. garoa, or Raglan harbour) means hidden waters, or hard to find. As you sail up the Raglan harbour it is most difficult to find the passage, as the headland and background with its varied and yet samelike folii^' appear as if there was no opening, ami not till you get very close can you Bee the «a|| outlet in the banks. The scenery in and around as you pass through is well worth the inspection. Then you come to Kerikeri stream, which leads off to the left, whert the pioneer settlers, Messrs. S. and T. Wilson made their home twenty-two years ago, and where they have been engaged in sheep and cattle-rearing ever since. Mr. S. Wilson removed to Waingaro Hot Springs about (even years ago. Up the Kerikeri there are settlers ofmoro recent date. Mr. 0. Matthew has a folding which he has very materially impr>ved ; laying the most part of it down in grass,' building a substantial residence and large wool and shearing-sheds quite up to hij requirements. 'Messrs. C. Coate, Richard Brothers, and Wheeler are steadily Lnprot. ing their places, and & little lower dcwn the harbour is Mr. Burgess' homestead, vho has been for many years making himself i home. Mr. T. Wilson has a verycomfortaileresU deuce, which is in a very commandug pr, 3 tion, and a landmark for a considerable distance. He has been using the for & score of years, growing turnips, aid laying down in grass, besides large areas of bush which he has felled and put in grass. Altogether the Kerikeri has a loot about it that gives you the idea that the tiers are here to stay. Continuing up the Vfaingaro, and turning to the right, you cone to two iron stores—the first built bj Messrs, Wilsons, Pick>!n, and others, and % larger one, built about five years ago, br the later settlers at a cost of about £40. Our good* are all broafght here from Aucklmd by the Northern S.S. Company and ddvereti in stora at 22s 6d per ton. We save been promised a steam launch for the euvenience of this and the surrounding parts if the liarbour, but it is a long time in comi:g. Taking the road, then, we proceed up the Waingaro, the road being cut out of the solic and very steep banks, we come to the Ehori settlement, where the natives are en;aged cultivating their crops when not forking for the Europeans. Napier Mather, our mail contractor, lives here, and mua respected by both natives and Europeans. Proceeding a little further brings us to Mr.3. Pickens, and even before we come in tight of the residence, which was erected three years ago, the new substantial fencing and cultivations, besides the grass paddocks around the honse, mark progress. It is in one of Mr, Picken's paddocks, on the link of the stream, where football and polo matches are often played, being a perfect level with Its natural gallery rising on one sile capable of holding thousands of spectators. A little above this, at the Falls, whitebait are now very numerous, natives and otters securing quantities of this luxury. Mr. Picken was here years before the later settlers, and when going to Auckland had to travel over the ranges (before there were any toads made) to Huntly, his then nearest railway station, and there cooee for someone to take him over the river. Often would he see the train go on its way before he could induce anyone to fetch him, and so have to wait till next day. Happily all these conditions are of the past. Mr. J. K. McDonald's is the next place we come to on the road. He is also busily engaged with his sons makijg the valley brighter. He has a splendid orchard and garden, and having decided to erect a new residence, men are now sawjig timber fur that purpose. Mr. S. WiltWs is the next property on the bank of the stream, His house is built on the bank ii the midst of a very fruitful orchard. A wod and shearingshed are erected at the back, and convenient paddocks and yards, substattial fences and large clearings, a large healthy flock of sheep, good-conditioned cade and sleek horses, mark the young setter of the right stamp. The roads have-beet in a frightfully bad state through the witter, but, with better weather, are steadily improving, - [Own Correspondent.]