NEWS FROM COUNTRY DISTRICTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11746, 30 August 1901, Page 7

NEWS FROM COUNTRY DISTRICTS.

[from our OWN correspondents.] -< TE AWAMUTTJ. At the Magistrate's Court, before Mr. H. W. Northcroft, S.M., the civil case, Tini Hitiri v. Houston, was l&ard. This was a claim of £10, balance alleged to be due on the . purchase of 10 head of cattle. Mr. Swarbriclc appeared for defendent, and pleaded not indebted. The plaintiff and four other natives deposed that the cattle were sold for £36 15s. The defence was that the bargain was for £26 15s. After hearing further evidence, the Magistrate said he would give judgment next Court day. He was inclined to think that the interpreter had made a mistake in the numbers. TE AROHA. A sitting of the Police Court was held on Tuesday, Messrs. P. Pavitt and W. H. Wright being the presiding justices. The whole day was occupied .in hearing a charge of cattlestealing against a native, Nepe Patehau. J-Jie cattle were the property of Mr. G. G'ven. Walton, and the accused was charged with having stolen them about July 15 last. Detective Manning appeared on behalf of the police, and conducted tile prosecution, Mr. Auckland, of Cambridge, appearing for the accused. Nine witnesses were examined. ! 16 ,^ ccuse d was committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court, aUfc November 18 next The work of erecting, and fitting up the new creamery at M ami war for the Co-operative ifU'y Association is proceeding apace under Mr. Frith, builder, of Te Arolia. It is expected that everything will be ready tc start operations some time in October. DARGAVILLE. AT a meeting of the vestry of Holy Trinity Church, held on August 21, it was decided to terminate til", present system of holding services on alternate Sundays. Services will bo conducted every Sunday evening, and alternately on Sunday mornings. The new departure will commence in November. It was also decided to hold a bazaar some time early in the summer to raise funds to roof the church building, renovate the furniture, and beautify the church grounds. The date of the bazaar has been fixed for November 16 next, and the following ladies have been elected a committee, with power to add to their number, to carry out the bazaar:— Mesdames P. J. Dargaville, Iloaking, lijer, R. Mitchelson, McLeod, and Purchas. Mr. V. J. Dargaville was elected secretary. The annual meeting of the subscribers to our public library and readingroom was held oil August 21. Mr. P. P. Day presided. The librarian's report showed the institution to be in a flourishing condition. There are over 1600 volumes in* the library, with an average circulation amongst members of 200. The receipts for the term were £42 odd, and the expenditure £40, leaving a credit balance of £2 in hand. The Government grant amounted to £13 5s Bd, and has been expended in purchasing some sixty new books, half of which are already on the shelves. All those holding office last year were reelected, and the librarian's salary was raised to £20. At a meeting of prominent residents it was decided to tender a citizen's ball to the members of Lodge St. Georgo and members of the Northern Wairoa Mounted Rifles, to be held here on the 27th September next. A splendid site has been picked for a rifle range for the local division of the Northern Wairoa Mounted Rifles, a few minutes' walk from the township. A thousand-yard range can easily be got. As the wet weather takes up operations will again commence in the bushes. Contractors tell me that good men will command higher wages this summer than for many, years past. A large number of Austrians from the gumfields are leaving this district, en route for New Caledonia. The French authorities are, I understand, finding employment for them there at roadniaking, the wage being six shillings a day and quarters. The body of the man James Gorman, who was supposed to have been drowned a fortnight ago, has not yet been recovered. The scow Ngaru arrived here on August 20 from Wellington, with new rolling stock for the Kaihu Railway, included, in which is a large passenger carrieage. BAY OF ISLANDS. RAILWAY matters havo been causing some amount of excitement lately, so much I so that two delegates have been to [ Wellington. Part - ■<£ the explanation.

is that the old Kamo-Kawakawa project has been devloped into the "Cra-hamtown-Kawakav/a," or rather *' Graham-town-Opua" railway. Tills • means tliat any money voted may be spent either on the present works now being extended from Kawakawa, or tile work to to extended from Hukerenui northward, or on the extension from Wliangarei to Graham town. This last undertaking, involving the bridging of the Whangarei River, and, consequently, the final cutting off of that 'township from oversea traffic, has met with considerable opposition, but it seems that the Government have decided to go on with it, as well as to hasten the filling in of the fifteen-mile gap, thus making the two sections into one. The work of ballasting and plate-laying from Kavvakawa will shortly be in full swing, so that the first portion may be opened for traffic some time during the coming summer. The first station west of Kawakawa— Papatalii— will be about three miles from that township. The new school for Maori children lately opened at Oromafioe (mar Pakaraka) lias turned out a. grand success. Mr. Maxwell, the teacher, is doing his best to grapple with the difficulty of want of room. Forty-six youngsters are trying to find accommodation in a room built for thirty. Part of the trouble has come about because some youns: folkmale and female—who have bad no good school so far are determined now to get a chance. If anyone is wishing to see a good disnlay of happy brown faces they can be seen in that school.