TOWN EDITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10727, 26 June 1906, Page 3

TOWN EDITION

Our Napier correspondent telegraphs confirming the statement wired by our Dunedin correspondent aneut the transfers in the Lauds and Survey Department, which includes the promotion of Air F. Stephenson Smith to Blenheim. The 'Hntuma Estate, acquired by the Government for closer settlement, is now subdivided into 62 properties, has 59 houses oh .it, and. « population of 250 people. There are 47,587 sheep on it and 1880 cattle.^ All rents have ibeen paid, and iinprovehiente to the value of £33,629 have been made, whereas the value re. quired by the Aot would only be £8690. The dwelling-houses alone are valued at. £10,800. It is a~ mixed 1 farming district, not a, dairying, one.- There are 22,670 acres under grass, out of which 2000 acres, have been, ploughed and "cropped, and laid down subsequently in permanent English grasses; 1887 are under white or green crops. That is a pretty good story of progress 6ince 1900, when the property was compulsorily acquired by the Govern, ment for £141,000,, " Tlie Cliuii-man of the. Harbor Board, accompanied by members Sievwright andl Harding, and Air W. G. Fraser, made a little excursion down tho river channel at low-water this afternoon to verify the soundings given in the reports to the Board, yesterday. The old tide gauge was at zero when the soundings Mere taken, andasthereadin-gsarenow reckoned from the Penguin's mark Ift 6iu has to be deducted from the actual soundings made, and whioh are given below. A yard ar two within tlie end of the breakwater 12ft was found, whilst on the line between the end of the breakwater und end of groyne actual soundings were 12ft 4h. to 16ft. Outside tho ends of the walls depths of 16ft to 18ft were j>ot. Cuming up diaiwiel the Mater shallowed to Bft 6in at the sixth«bollurd and 7ft 6iu at the first lifebelt from tho end. The shallowest portion) of tho river is opposite the site of the big crane recently removed, where the lowest depth was 6ft 6in, the channel narrowing at this point, and having a rocky bottom. Up from the beacon towards tho wharf soundings of from Bft to 9ft wore obtaiued, and along the line of wharf the depths ran from 7ft 6in to 9ft. Dr. Anderson, of Christchurch, who is re-visiting Blenheim, is taking a prominent part in « controversy that has arisen among the medical profession of Blenheim and Pictum as to tho cause of an outbreak of typhoid fever. There are eleven cases, and Dr. Bennett, tho present, health officer, "in a recent interview, said that it had been established that all the cases originated within a certain period of time, and it was obvious all had a common cause. Inquiry elicited that nine patients attended the Alarlborough Racing Club's meet. '< ing, und further investigation showed that I it w<is desirable to test the M-ater supplant the racecourse. That test ia lloW beili<; curried out. . In the meantime, however, Dr. Anderson joins iu tlie discussion with a vigorous expression of opinion that the trouble is duo to the defective method of storing oysters at Piclon, his allegations being that the oysteis aro kept in sea water exposed to contamination by sewer*.age. Tins was the cause of an outbreak i a few years ago, and he behoved that tbo > sjuue practice was followed now, and all i the patients ate oysters. The Pictou peo. pie arc irate at what they consider a slur, and Dr. Redman, of that' town, replies to Dr. Anderson in tlio press in vigorous style. Dr. Bennett, in another interview, says tluut the sanitary officer lias ascertained that the oysters eaten by the nuijority of llio patients came direct from Port" Underwood, and that Pictou must ; not be adjudged guilty. It is believed L that Dr- Anderson has a few more dhots j in his locker,

The Stock Office is (says the Woiiu. | rapa Daily News) meeting with great j tltuicultv ni gathering samples of cereals grown in the Wairurnpa, to be shown- at l.uio New Zealand International Exhibition. In many caee6 where sheaves and gram have been put aside rats have got at tliem, and otlierwilse the work of collection has been strewn with obstacles. Wairurapa does not seem to care whether or not its existence is made known to the world at the Exposition. If young Tom Seddon stands for Westland he will have as hollow a victory «s his father so often liadi before him (says Ciiristchurch Truth). The manu of his father's name would win him tho scat at any time, and just now no candidate could hope to see tbe way he went. But young Tom Seddon is reported to have virtues of his own, which will appeal to Westland. The fact that he avos the Prime Minister's son was probably a reason why he wits uot chosen a» a. Rhodes scholar a year or two ago. He is as popular with til* younger generation as Mas has fatlier with the older. Also, he is said to be a debater and a young man with brains. Westland might make a far worse choice than the 6on of its patron and friend. Anyhow, it is Westland'® own affair who it elects. Its new member will represent Westland and be responsible to Westland only. If it has set its heart on young Seddon, it lies in no one's mouth to make remarks about an excels of sentiment and loyalty run mad. Indeed, we imagine Westlaud's loyalty and sentiment will not lead it far astray. There 16 room for young men with brains and the responsibility of a great name in the political arena. '