COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10424, 23 April 1897, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM OUB OWN CORREBFONDENTS.] Hamilton, Thursday. Mr. (Jassels, of the Post and Telegraphic Department, has received word of his removal to Timarn. Whilst in Hamilton Mr. Caasells has enjoyed very poor health, and it it hoped that the change may be of benefit to him.

Captain Reid, of the Hamilton Volunteers, is busy at present canvassing the district with the object of raising a mounted infantry corps. It is expected that a company 100 strong will be formed. The Waikato hounds will hold their first meet of the season at Mr. W. M. Douglas's, Tamahere, on May 5. ~ „, T „ , ° HAUp Oi Thursday. Mr. W. J. Hunter s sale on Tuesday was well attended, but there was not a large quantity of stocks offered, and prices remained about the same as at late sales. About 6000 sheep have been entered for the sale for 4th May. About 2000 of these are sheep from the Kin? Country. The organ lately purchased from Mr. Calver, of Tβ Awamutu, was used in the Church for the first time on Sunday last, and gave great satisfaction. Sufficient funds have already been raited to pay for the new instrument.

An Easter offering of £5 wu presented to Archdeacon Willie by the members of Christ's Church here, and I am informed that a similar offering of £7 was presented by St. Andrew 8, Cambridge. Coromandm,, Thursday. The opening services in connection with the Wesleyan Church at Ruaotunu were held on Sunday last, the preacher for the day being the Rev. G. Frost, superintendent of the circuit. Special anthems »nd hymns were ""ft by the chair, the soloists being Ml « Goldaworthy. Mrs. Horn, and Mr Griffiths. Collections were made for the bmlduiK fund, and amiiunted to £7 13s Bd. On Monday evening a soiree was held ic Cowan 11 Hall. About 200 were present. Daring the evening the treasurer, Mr. G. W. Horn, read the financial statement, which showed that the total expenditure on the church would be £376 1U lid, and the amount raited was above £230. The edifice is pronounced to be the best building of its character in the Kuaotunu district. Its dimensions are 40 feet long by 30 feet wide. The seating capacity is 175, but over 200 can be comfortably accommodated in it. The "j lu** f* Mr, E - B *"y. of Auckland, •nd the contractor Mr. Logan, of Ruaotnnu! a « ha . reh }» ten lane Gothic windows, ana the front is finished with corner towers »nd a large belfry in the centre, which with whor' *"** fil " »PPe«ance ,0 ,D, . [■I TBLMRiP".— OWS CORRKSPONDEKTS.J . •' Cahbbidoe, Thuriday. ■At a meeting of the Cambridge East School tommittee, the following resolution wu passed:-" In view of Miss Carnachan's departure, after upwards of Iβ years connection with the school, and for the last 10 years as teacher, the committee, while sorry to lose her services, unanimously approve of her well-deserved promotion, and testify to their high appreciation of her abilities as feucker, i*4 to the n*»f»«tery oiaaei Id j

which ihe has discharged herdutieTrhtr' ;^: the wh.le term, and the re.pect entoSS'- '■ for herexcellent personal character T - " The committee of the Chrv«»'nfi, >'*' " Societj here are busy completing S? rnentejor the show, which opealS?" * The are numerous in most as the season has been a good one twT , i?"$11 of theexhibite i. expectfdTα s ft orrcei shows. v IDW *-||| • A °' u f iry , mtot t e circamst»nceiSis# •ns the 'ate fire at Karangahake wa Shimbeen keld this afternoon, W in comS?! with * request made by the North G.™ *% and Commercial Insurance CoSe3-« jonrninent was made to Monday n e «i, ■>• order to allow both companies to be «JJ - ; eented. *v» ;j3;,\ A fire occurred at W»itekauri last evenin. I and resulted iu the total destruction oft il whare belonging to the foreman of work,-r! the v7aitekauri Road. The owner wm? sent it the time, and us a consequent W9 toSi! 8 therpriVMeprer^SM PAPARATA. -\:- On April 12th the annual soiree in conn*, tion with the Panama Wesleyan SB wasi held in the church. There was &»2 good attendance. Mejdames W. LinrW P oke, ,J Lbawyer > Worsley, and }S ,' Long (2), French, and Lindsay presided?! the tables. The after meeting was nSS over by the Rev. F. B. Oldhara KI Lindsay read the annual report. Short *»'v> dresses were given by the chairman nT : Mr. Findley, and Mr. PenrnaT- solo, 1, , - 1 - ' Mrs. Oldham and Miss Usher;' dft J Mr. and ,T M Worsley and Mrs Oldhw and Miss Usher; quartette by Mrs. Wo«U Miss Long, and Messrs. R. and A. French' A number of anthems were given b?tfi|| choir, Mr. Worsley presiding at the hap i monium. The enstomary votes of think'S were pasaed.-[Bombay Own Correspondta'' ' |

ARATAPU. Mr. J. Henriksos has started on hie cos. tract of metalling the AraUpu-Darn«j]U Road, and the ratepayers are fortnnate ia having received a supply of stone and ihiul. as ballast in several of the vessels that iu» arrived recently. Mr. Henriksou's contrscl is, I believe, for 250 yards of metalling. (J since be started work the barque Coin* Ayr has arrived and discharged some 2U tons of splendid email shingle, which thi Council will, no doubt, be only too glad u have spread on the main road. The barque County Ayr has a crew composed chiefly of coloured gentlemen, and daring the first days after their arrival the* made the township, resound with theic ditties as they heaved at the winch. (Jo Saturday evening they (assisted by othei sailors in port) held a, well-organised and orderly open-air concert. They appointed i capable chairman, and he introduced tilt various items. Captain Diion lua gone to Aucklind U confer with the staff officers re the erectioi of a Salvation Army barracks in this towa ship, m well as on other matters. Lieutenant Webber is to carry on the work in ha absence.

We have a good supply of shipping at out wharves, and work is brisk. There are • great man; new faces amongst our mill employees. Football is catching on again, and f<n some months, 1 suppose, it will become tbl principal topic with many of our young men, KATIKATI. We are having a most delightful autumn. The few days' rain lately came just in thi nick of time to benefit turnips and grass. There has been a change on the personnel of the No. 2 school staff lately, the assistant teacher (Miss Maxwell) having taken ier< vice under the Taranaki Board. Her euc< cessor is not vet known. I see that Mr. M. J. Stewart, Athenree, by correspondence with the Commissioner of Grown Lands, has reason to believe that the Katikati Beadi will be gazetted as a publil reserve and recreation ground. Thanks to the £ 51)0 grant from the Government, our roads to Waibi will be passabli this winter. More agricultural machinery continues to enter the district, a sure «ign af prosperity. In a few years, at the present rate ot progress, ; farmers owning reapers und binders, Champion seed-drills, waggons, etc., will be the rule, and not the exception, as in most other j farming districts. One local property has changed hands, tnd another is for sale, if not already sold.—[Own Correspondent. J

WAITAKEREI. A FEW took advantage of che spell of fiot weather we had awhile back to light their fallen bush, but good burns could not be expected this season. Though the nights are getting somewhik cold, this latter part nf the autumn aeasm hasjjeen Tery favourable for getting, in crbpi. Owing to the growth of grass, cattle, sht«p, and stock generally will have good feed n commence the winter, and should be in cot* responding condition. On the 19th the Swanson Sunday-school annual picnic was held in the now-favourite picnic resort, Mr. Spencer'a paddocks. The day was all that could be desired, and tht children and their friends had a very enjoyable time. It seems curious that though tlie quantity of gum obtained is very much less than formerly, and likely to be on the decrease, prices are easier rather than firmer. Gundigging, in the longer-settled districts e>p» ' cially, is becoming a very precarious mean of replenishing the larder, and this lou| resort to the small farmers in the pool lands for the "ready" to purchase there* quired bouedust or manures, or to do » little more fencing or otherwise, or add ti the extension and convenience of the homestead, will soon be a thing of the past,—[On Correspondent.]

TOKO (TARANAKI). This little town is progressing in a moil marvellous manner, aud presents a grul contrast to the Toko of four years igo, . Then it was onlv a bush place, but now it ii a little town of much elegance. The East Road is being opened, and new places an springing up quickly. A new school has been opened at Huiroa, twelve miles from Toko, aud a highlycertificated young lady teacher (Miss Mai- . well), from Katikati, Auckland, has been appointed. Toka boasts of a very good choir, under. the superintendence of a Mr. Park bouse. T« artistic tourists Toko offers great attraction! in the way of scenery. The skies are oftei a magic blue, and the sunrises and budhU are glorioas.-[Own Correspondent.) AWITU. .( Last Sunday public worship was conducted in the church by the Rev. R. Barr, at th« close of which the Lord's Supper was dispensed. The Road Board is haying several smell jobs of formation done on the main rotd, also some day work where the roads h«« got rutty. I fear most of it will be waihed away, but the Board say they can't help >l as they have only just got the rates in. Mr. Charles Short is now getting materiu on the ground for completing his contract »t the wharf. The excursion from Onehunga to Wainto via this and other way ports was very •'" patronised on Good Friday. About 200peopl» visited the various districts on the ocoaaion, conveyed to and from by the s.s.Welia. ■ At a meeting of the church committee !«• Monday evening the treasurer (Mr. J«m e Hamilton) read the accounts, which wen passed, and proved to be very satisfactory. The matter of destroying several large piwjt insignus trees in the church grounds was left in the hands of Mr. W. G. Hamilton and Mr, James Cruickshank. The sportsman's gun is now frequently heard. Birds are not so plentiful as last, year. The broods do not appear to contain more than two or three young birds, and til old birds are scarce and wild. The monthly meeting of the Awitu Mutual Improvement aud Debating Society was hew in the Central school on the evening of tni 15th instant. Mr. A. Morrison occupied tht chair. Mr. Brine gave a ihort and huraoroui reading. Miss Chapman followed f with • recitation, "Death Doomed," which wU rendered in good style. Mr. George J. Garland read » paper, entitled "l/itf Terms of Imprisonment of the Crimiw . Classes." In his paper Mr. Garland thought many of the grayer offences were committw under extenuating circumstances, aud w advocated kindness and forbearance, and the practice of individual effort on the p»rt of the blameless, so that the criminal orsenu- • criminal classes would be won over to a better and nobler life. Mr. George Irivin follow*! with h comic temperance recitation, and MM ■■ Garland a reading (" Ravens"). The ch»u" man also gave a short reading. Impromptu speeches were then given on " Horses, W ' Mr. E. Garland; "Bicycles," by Mr. f.,".-: Morriion; "Paper," by Mr. G. Garland! "Rings," by Mr. G. Invin; "Gloves, , bj Miss Girland; " Horsebreaking," by Mr. James Short: "Boots," by Mr. U. »• ! Hamilton; " Fruit," by Mr. Brine; " Lam , j kins. ,, by Mr. Crawford; " Rats," by Mr. ;j -Hogh Hamilton. A pleasant evening w» ■ ipent.-f.Own Correspondent]