LOCAL .AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1327, 21 May 1881, Page 2

LOCAL .AND GENERAL.

«3* Tuesday, the 24th instant, being the Queen's Birthday, will be observed generally as a holiday. There will be no publication of the Herald on that date. A supplementary mail for the United Kingdom, Continent of Europe and via 'Frisco will close this (Saturday) evening, at 7 p.m, The first meeting of the Provisional Directors of the Qisborne Gas Company, will take place on Monday evening, at the office of the Southern Cross Petroleum Compauy Limited, at eight o'clock p.m. Mr. J. Bailey notifies in our columns, the prices of admission to the Grand Stand aud Enclosure on the occasion of the Queen's Birthday Eaces. On Monday, the 23rd instant, Messrs Pitt & Bennett will sell without reserve at their mart, ladies' -work baskets and boxes, dressing cases, pearl, leather, and shell albums, and a variety of other ornamental goods. The anniversary and reopening services in connection with the Gisborne Wesleyan Church, will be held to-morrow (Sunday). The morning service will be conducted by ! Eev. J. McAra ; evening, Rev. J. Dellow. It is understood that the RegistrarG»»oral has received instructions to furnish the population of the various electoral districts under the new census as soon as possible as the Government require the returns for preparation of the Representation Bill

A special meeting of the Cook County Council was held last night, when the annual balance-sheet was signed, and the estimates of the proposed expenditure on miblic works for the ensuing year were submitted and agreed to, the amount placed down for expenditure being about £6,000. Besides the above business the terms and conditions to be imposed re the accommodation house at Waihau were settled. It was also decided that the Engineer, accompanied by Councillor McKay should proceed to Whakaongaonga on Thursday next, to select the 5000 acre block, set apart for occupation under the Homestead system by the Waste Lands Board, and at the same time to pick out a site for an accommodation-house. Persons interested are invited to join the party which will leave Mr. McKay's residence Te Arai, at 9 a.m. on the above date.

A meeting of the promoters of the proposed landing stage, to be erected near the Recreation Ground, was held last night at the Settlers Hotel. A letter from the Secretary of the Marine Department, granting permission for the erection of the same, was read 5 and it was resolverl that the works be at once com. menced, the stage to be called the Carnarvon Jetty. Messrs J. Tutchen, T. J. Dickson, J. East, J. Lawrence, and A. Croft agreed to act as trustees, so as to look after the interests of subscribers, and to take any steps that may be necessary to keep the jetty in repair, The subscriptions received being only £20 \Qa, Mr. C. D. Berry has handsomely come forward and agreed to erect the jetty at cost price —about £35. There will then be a deficit of aome £15. As the jetty will be a great boon to all persons boating, it is to be hoped that the required deficiency will bo collected, bo aa not to fall on the promoters, who have already taken so much pains in forwarding what has bean so much needed. Subscription lists are opened at the Argyll and Settlers* Hotels,

An Adelaide telegram givea the following account of the fatal accident to Mrs Newton: — "A passenger on board the Potosi was accidentally killed this morning. Her name was W. Margaret Newton, a passenger for New Zealand, where where she was- to meet her husband, who is in practice as au architect in New Zealand. She was struck dead by the breaking of a derrick, having her skull fractured and neck dislocated. The wood of the derrick was to a great extent decayed. The deceased was standing on deck looking over the railing into the hold when the accident happened. There was only a ton or one and a half on the derrick, and if sound, it would have carried three or four tons. Mrs. Newton was accompanied by two children, one 4 years, the other 7 years old. An inquest was held this afternoon, and a verdict returned that death was caused by the breaking of a derrick, no biame being attached to any- ! one."

Among the items of information concerning the passengers of the Tararua, says the Melbourne Age, is only to the effect that life assurance policies to the number of 16, and amounting to £5600, are payable to surviviug friends by the Australian Mutual Provident Society, aud that on one life the sum of £1500 is payable by oue of the younger iestitutions. By its last report the Australian Mutual is shown to have assured iv 1880 no fewer than 6551 new members, while its deaths among 43,000 members for the same year were but 235. Considering how many of its members Bre insured for large sums— up to £4000 in many instances — the society may bo congratulated on the smallness of the demand upon its three millions of accumulated funds by this disaster.

A good story is told of a great chief who resides not over one hundred miles from Punui. He suffered from " hakihaki" and bronchitis. A sympathising pakeha friend sent him remedies for both these complaints ; some ointment to be applied externally and a bottle of Cod Liver oil to be taken internally. Somehow the directions got mixed up, aud the chief in his untutored iuuoceuce reversed the order of things, eating the ointment aud rubbing on the Cod Liver oil. The distinguished "Kaugatira" has since been troubled with serious misgiviugs as to the efficacy of pakeha "rongaa," and has decided to let nature take its course. — Waikato Mail. i A deputation of licensed victuallers waited ou the Premier and Colonial Secretary in Wellington on Saturday in reference to the Licensing Bill, to be introduced next session. They generally approved of the bill, but condemned the clauses referring to Working Men's Clubs, which they did not think sufficiently stringent, and family hotele. They also urged that the fees proposed to be charged for licenses were too high, The Government promised to consider the representations made by the deputation.

The Municipal Council of the most important city iv New Zealand, Dunediu, is in financial difficulties, and has reduced its staff to a surveyor, inspector of works, and four workmen. A ratepayer aaya : — "Tho policy of dismissing wholesale the ordinary working hands (carpenters, asphalters, &c.,) is question able, and will be found false economy. Everyone knows the necessity for keeping such a stafl" as can meet the exigencies of an occasion. Not only is no provision made for the performance of small jobs of repairs and improvements, but the ridiculously low number of four men are only available iv case of floods or heavy rainfall to contend with all the sewer-openings, gratings &c. As a result, the north of the Octagon might be submerged before the south part of the city had been attended to." The salary of the Town Clerk was reduced to £550 per annum, and the Surreyor to £500. Ihe Mayor receives £400 per annum.