COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10408, 5 April 1897, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

♦ I FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) Hamilton, Saturday. The monthly meeting of the Kirikiriroa Road Board was held yesterday afternoon. There were present: Messrs. John Gordon (chairman), Chitty, and Primrose. The Board's financial position was shown to be as follows:—Receipts for year, £764 ; expenditure, £543; credit balance, £221; amount due for rates, etc., £89; total assets, £310. The position was considered very satisfactory. L. B. wen's tender for gravelling the road from Libean's to Tamahere was accepted, the price being lid per square yard, It was dcci to have several gravel pits on the Tramway Road railed in, as they had become dangerous. Accounts amounting to £93 were passed for payment. The Board went into committee to discuss Mr. Alexander Smith's application to have the Tramway Road opened through Mr. S. T. Seddon's farm. The matter was deferred till next meeting to allow of further information being obtained. The cost of administering the Licensing Act in the borough of Hamilton for the three years ending March 31, 1897, amounted to £72 odd, whilst for the three years ending March, 1893, it amounted to £13 13s only. At a meeting of the vestry of St. Peter's Church held yesterday it was decided to issue a circular remindiug parishioners ot the special effort being made to wipe off the parish debt of £85, and asking for their cooperation and support. Special offertories will be held on Easter Sunday for the purpose, It is expected that one or two of the Auckland Tennis Clubs will send teams to Hamilton at Easter. The local club are busy making preparations to receive them. [BY TELEGRAPH.— correspondents.] Kaikoiie, Saturday. Four natives, PenePakakohi, PaoraPeene, Haehao Taui, aud Harewhiri, have been indicted under the Cemeteries Act, 1882, for exhuming the bones of a departed relative without a license from the Colonial Secretary. The Maoris here are much incensed at European interference with old-established custom of" hahunga." Paeroa, Saturday. Quitea numberof applications were received by the County Council, at their monthly meeting, from managers of mining companies, asking that the roads to various properties may be placed in good repair before the winter seta in. As a result of these applications, it was decided that £50 be spent on the Marototo Road, £30 on the road to the Royal Standard mine at Wharekeraupunga, whilst it was also decided to complete about 20 chains of road leading to the Waitekauri Union mines. The fate of a water supply tor Paeroa is to be determined on Monday, and Paeroaites who are residents in the water supply district will have the'option of deciding whether or not a loan of £7000 shall be secured for providing Paeroa with water for domestic purposes. It is 1 .0 be hoped, therefore, that there will bo a large majority in favour of the loan. The County Council at its monthly meeting decided that a letter of condolence should be sent to Mr. Corbett on his recent bereavement, and that his son (assistant engineer) be granted one month's leave of absence owing to illpess. The Te Puke Road is at last to be metalled this happy state of affairs being t in a large measure due to the enterprise displayed by Mr. McGregor and owners of the new steamer Kia Ora. They offered the Council £300 if the work was proceeded with immediately, whilst Mr. Wight wrote to the effect that he was willing to dedicate a new road from the Puke, which would be more convenient than the one already contemplated. The Council could hardly refuse such good offers so it was decided that the metalling of the road be proceeded with, and as this road is to connect with a new road from Paeroa to Netherton, a large tract of valuable country will be opened up, in addition to the fact that traffic to and from the Kia Ora will be considerably facilitated, VICTORIA VALLEY. The Government is having a considerable sum of money spent in repairs on what they call the Great North Road. The work is done co-operatively under a local inspector. Political matters do not affect us much but one thing we are interested in, and that is whether King Richard is going to come back Sir Richard or not. However, one thing is most certain, and that is he ought to go to London.—[Own Correspondent.)