The Patea Mail. Established 1875. Be Just, and Fear Not. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Patea Mail, Volume XII, Issue 85, 8 November 1886, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. Be Just, and Fear Not. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hand eye ewerlyttel reuth. The s,s. Wavorley will leave Wellington forPatea to-morrow if weather moderates. The watch smuggling business at New Plymouth has gcorne to end by the ‘‘ wily immigrant ” being fined £25. Our readers are reminded of Miss Emily Elliott’s complimentary benefit concert this evening in the Harmonic Hall. It is unnecessary to again refer to the unquestionable merit of the professional performers, while the amateurs are locally too well known to require comment. The acceptances for the race meeting on Frhny next will be found in another column. Those for tin Patea and District Handicaps are not quite so numerous as those for last year, and the hurdle race has one more acceptor. To-morrow being the anniversary of the Prince of Wales’ natal day will be observed as a public holiday. There is a Volunteer review at Hawera, and sports at Waverley, with a concert and dance in the evening, and races at Wanganui, so there is no dearth of amusement. The Patea Rifles will parade for inspection by the Captain at St James’ Hall tomorrow morning at half-past eleven, prior to leaving for Hawera by the midday train. Absentees will do well to recollect that this being a Government Parade all not present will be fined. The Wanganui Herald says :—“ Mr T—, of a prominent banking house, reached home at 3 o’clock one morning this week. “William, is that you ?” asked his wife. “ W-w-why ?” said William, with profound surprise, “ W-w-who else d-d-did you expect?” [knowing wife that; see if William dosa’t go home earlier for a little while.] The Hawera Star says ;—“ The Publi ■ Trustee visited this district on Friday. He was seen at Normanby, but disappeard like a flash, though many people wished to see him on public business.” He has not yet turned up hero, so has probably returned to New Plymouth to complete his inspection there prior to leaving for Wellington, when he can “ do ” the intermediate towns on his way down. The School Inspector’s examination is once more a thing of the past, and the results are in the hands of the Committee As, however, the Inspector’s repott is not yet to hand, our readers must “ wait yet a little while” to learn the Inspector s opinion of the work. Our own opinion, based on the results forwarded, we have no hesitation in giving in two words—infernally disgraceful ; the Inspector’s shall be given as soon as possible, A Russian choir has recently been giv ing concerts in London, singing their own national songs. Their concerts were of an exceptional nature, many of their songs being confined within the limit of a fifth. They, were attired in their national garb, and during the singing of choruses, went through different movements cn the stage. Several of the performers, men with deep bass voices, came in on the finishing phrases, and their songs being of a pastoral character, and generally in a minor key, gave the entertainment a most weird and extraordinary effect. Their concerts created a great sensation, as it is forty years since Russia has sent a number of trained musicians to England. The entries for the Hawera Show must have been disappointing to the general public, for although the number of entries went up to 323, the number of exhibitors did not bear a fair proportion to the exhibits, thereby robbing the competition of all interest. Thus with nine entries in Lincoln sheep only one exhibitor is represented, Mr Fantham supplying all the entries; in Romney Marsh, with ten entries, there were two exhibitors, Mr Brauhwaite’s two rams and the rest were supplied by Mr Yorke, while the thirteen entries in Shropshire Downs were all supplied. by Messrs Wilson Bros. The same exhibitor also supplied five out of the seven exhibits in fat sheep, so that forty entries only represented five paddocks. This, of course, speaks volunv's for the class of sheep owned by these exhibitors, but does not say ranch for the rest of the (li-i'ric, nor for outside competition.