LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1250, 18 February 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Complaints reach us of the continued state of badness of the upper Gladstone voad. But what can the Council do more than it has done ? The sum of £10,000 was borrowed for the metalling and formation of this main thoroughfare, and the money, BO far as we can ascertain, is being honestly expended. The road is of sand, upon which is being placed stone of an inferior quality ; but it is the best stone it is in the power of the Municipal authorities to procuve ; and as for the sand, tho Council surely cannot be held auswerable for that. To obtain a hard road on a sandy soil must necessarily be a work of time ; not only of time, but of money. Wheu the metal has been Bpread in accordance with the contract eutered into, aud it has become embedded iv the soil the road will then be better thau it now is. Teamsters, and those driving vehicles between the lower part of the town and Read's Gate, will better appreciate what has been done wheu [ the winter rains have set iv. For a time | the metal will make the road heavy for 1 vehicle traffic ; but so it is, and always will be, with all other roads under formation. We do not care to publish complaints coming from those, who feeling inconvenienced, thiuk some one ought to be blamed. We repeat that the Council is doing all that is in its power for the benefit of the Municipality. We have no doubt that if a tidal wav« were to sweep over the town and inundate it, the Borough Councillors would have a censure passed upon them for not having prevented such a catastrophe. The same possibly would be said if an earthquake did damage. We havo good reason for believing that within the next eighteen months thero will be an excellent tramway between Read's Quay and the Ormond township; but if grumblers will but bear in mind that " Borne was not built in a day," they will make due allowance for what they consider present shortcomings. The property tax assessments by Government officials are (says the North Otago Times) causing much dissatisfaction, and bringing out innumerable protests in all parts of the Colony, Such protests have been anticipated by the authorities beforehand, for they have printed replies of an accommodating nature ready for transmission when needed. A gentleman who owns a small section in Otepopo, which he I would be glad to Bell for £50, was assessed in respect of it under the property tax at £300. A protest was sent, and a printed reply duly received intimating that ou reconsideration it had been determined to reduce the assessment by £100, aud asking if the holder would agree to that. The term "£100" was written in a blank [ space left for the purpose. The kolder ! was not pacified by this cool rx-jxirtc settlement, aud wrote back saying he would decidedly not consent to bo taxed treble the value of the .sectiou, and challenged them to enfore the penal clauses with regard to him. At the Native Lands Court this morning, re the Pouawa Block arrangement, Mi. W. L. Rees applied for an adjournment for one week, which was granted. The only business in the R.M.s Court this morning was the hearing of two unimportant debt cases. Just now the legal profession have to confine themselves to chamber business, but of this we are told they have abundance— so much so, that there is a large amount of work to the rear. The upsetting of a kerosene lamp, on the parlor floor of Mr. Wilkiusou's house, in the Pahnerston Road, last night placed the building for a time in great jeopardy. Mr. and Mra. Wilkinson were out at the time but the girl in charge had the presence of mind to throw somo blankets over tho spreading flames, and so extinguished them before they extended to the walls. The method adopted by the girl is in such casualties infinitely better than the employment of water. The montly inspection parades are appointed to be held as follows -.—Cadets on Monday, the 21st inst., at 7 p.m. ; and J Battery, Town Detachment, on Thursday, 24th inst., at 7.30. p.m. A meeting of creditors in the eatate of John Alfred Jury, i» convened for Monday next, to be held in the Masonic Hotel at 3 p.m. There was much burning off of scrub today on the hills and in the valleys, the smoke and heated air from which has caused the temperature to feel very oppressive. The bulk of the grass seed has now reached town. The harvest has been a prolific one, and the quality exceptionally good. The Rev. S. Griffiths, who is appointed to officiate in the absence of the Bey. J. Dellow, will conduct Divine service on Sunday next, at Ormoud, 11 a.m. ; Patutahi, at 3p.m. ; aud Giaborne at 7 p.m.

Our member, Mr. Allan McDonald, who is likely to be informed ou the subject, is of opinion that the Assembly will not meet before the middle or the end of June. There is already being an attempt made for the formation of a strong opposition, but what portion of the Ministerial policy is likely to be attacked we do not learn. When a Ministry that is "out" wishes to become the Ministry that is "in," it is not hard to fiud a weak place in the joints of the armour of their opponents. We understand a cricket match will take place to-morrow week : Gisborne Surveyors ?>. Gisborne Legal Practitioners. A game of lawn tennis will be played tomorrow afternoon between Mr. Allan McDonald and Mr. Stewart v. W. L Rees and V. G. Day. The Taranaki Htrald says:— "Some days ago a party of six Natives came down to the White Clifts from the King country, the object of their visit being to secure a trophy which was buried under a rock near the camp. Five of the Natives went to the camp, but the sixth, a young man who was tabooed, went to the rock and found the concealed treasure, where it had been buried during the war in 1861. It appears the king desired to possess himself of the buried hatchet, or mere, but for what purpose it is not easy to imagine. After having been buried so many years, surely the digging of the mere portends something."