Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 61, 8 February 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

♦ Larceny.—A native named Rewaho was brought before the R.M. yesterday afternoon charged with the above offence. The charge having been read over to the accused, he was formally remanded.

Earthquake.—A very severe earthquake was felt at 2'20 this morning, causing considerable alarm to many, who were awoke from their slumbers.

Hthuck telegram in another column “ confirms the report as to oil coming up the pipes of the South Pacific Springs freely.”

Valuation Roll.—All objections to the same must be in by this day week.

Imports and Exports.—The value of imports for Poverty Bay, from all sources, for the quarter ended December 31* 1883, amounts to £6,615, whilst the exports are given at £62. The exports and imports for the corresponding quarter for the year 1882 were £8,590 and £262, respectively, Wairoa.—The applications for the appointment of Clerk and Collector to the Wairoa County Council were laid before the Board last night, and resulted in the re-appoint-ment of Mr. H. J. Williams, at his own request, by four votes to three.

Aquatics.—The selection of crews for trial fours will be made to-morrow, with the intention of having another contest, to be rowed at an early date. Licensing District. —By a notification in the current Gazette, we are informed that the Patutahi Licensing District comprises all that area known as the Ridings of Te Aral and Waikohu, as described by special order in the Gazette Qi June 22, .1883.

A Grand Example.—One of the most generous acts we have heard of for some time is reported in our telegrams, the trustees of the Dunedin Savings’ Bank having agreed to pay out of the accrued profits the sum of £1,500 to the trustees of the Benevolent Institution.

Bank Returns.—By an official return, the liabilities and assets of the undermentioned Banks in the Colony of New Zealand are as follows Bank of New Zealand—lnabilities, £4,903,279 7s. 3d.: assets, £8,406,335 os. 2d.; dividend declared at 15 per cent., £75,000. Union Bank of Australia —« Liabilities, £1,602,782 7s. Id.; assets, £2,185,717 19s. 7d.; dividend declared at 18 per cent., £135,000. Bank of New South Wales— Liabilities, £867,065 45.; assets, £2,009,711 ss. 9d.; dividend declared at 17| per cent., £87,500. Bank of Australia—Liabilities, £592,451 10s.; assets, £1,753,049 6s. Id.; dividend declared at 14 per cent., £84,000. National Bank of New Zealand, Limited— Liabilities, £858,489 16s. 4d.; assets, £1,997,694 os. 7d.; dividend declared at 6 per cent., £10,500. Colonial Bank of New Zealand—Liabilities, £860,751 9s. 6d.; assets, £1,655,841 os. lOd.; dividend declared at 7 per cent., £14,000. Licensing Committee. — Nominations for the position of members of the Licensing Committee will be received at the Town Clerk’s office on Saturday, the 16th day of February, until 12 o’clock, noon. The election will take place on Saturday, Feb. 23. Southern Cross.—This steamer entered the Bay yesterday morning, about 8.30, and after discharging a large consignment of cargo, proceeded North late yesterday evening.

Bankruptcy.—At a meeting of the creditors in the estate of Mr. F. J. Piesse, yesterday afternoon, a resolution was passed to the effect that the debtor retain his furniture and have his immediate discharge. There was but one objector. A Startler. —•* The family of Mr. E. C. Brewer, of the Bank of New South Wales, residing at Bondi (N.S.W.), were considerably startled one morning recently, when the infant son, aged fifteen months, toddled into the house with a young whipsnake, 16in. long, and alive, in his hands. The little fellow had hold of the snake in the middle, and was shaking it about to his great enjoyment, but to the horror of the father, who at once seized the reptile and killed it. it was thought the boy had been bitten, as there was a small spot on his head, but no blood. Mr. Brewer opened the spot and sucked the wound, and afterwards took the child to Dr. Creek, but no symptoms of a poisonous snakebite could be noticed.” Wool Sales. —We are in receipt of the “ New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency’s” circular for the 31st of January, and extract the following ;—“ Mail advices down to Dec. 7th bring us within two days of the closing of the November-December series of Colonial wool sales in London. From the reports and priced catalogues to hand, it would appear that increased prices, which a good demand between sales had augured, had not resulted to the extent of expectations. Good combing Merino scoured, and fine shafty Merino in grease, displayed an advance of Jd. to Id, >per lb., but other descriptions did not exhibit any appreciable alteration in value. Prices, however, had been very even throughout the series, and competition had been well sustained. Only a small proportion of the offerings were withdrawn, hence the quantity held over for future disposal would be considerably less than that brought forward from the August-October series. The woollen industry both at Home and abroad was in a fairly satisfactory state, but with disturbing elements in the French trade it is by no means certain that this section will readily absorb the increased production of fine Merinos at the same level of prices as have ruled for the 1882-3 clip. Generosity of U. S. S. Co.—“ Regarding the Sarah W. Hunt’s crew, the Lyttelton Times of a late date contains the following letter:—“Dunedin, January 26. — Sir, —ln the Otago Daily Times of this day I observe a long reprint from your paper re the Sarah W. Hunt’s crew. The concluding paragraph states that their passage to Lyttelton was secured through the liberality of a private gentleman—a German, and his friends. As I am timid or confident enough to consider myself the German referred to, I beg to state that, upon my representation, the Union Steam Ship Company gave the five men their trip per Wanaka to Lyttelton free of all cost, and not myself, after the Government had refused to forward them by free passes per rail. I may mention that, a week after the above, free passes were granted to a team of cricketers from here per rail.—l am, &c., Palmam qui Meruit Ferat.”

Muddlers Again.—The Otago Daily Times of the 30th ult. reports that “ a rather serious and somewhat strange accident happened to Mr. J. H. Loudon whilst running at the Cyclists’ Sports on Saturday afternoon. It appears that the Committee, to avoid making the competitors in the final heat for the 100yards event run against a strong breeze that was blowing at the time, reversed the direction of the race, and in doing so omitted to have the chains removed so as to allow of sufficient room to finish. Mr. Loudon came violently into collision with the chain, giving one of his legs a very severe sprain. Much sympathy is felt for him by his fellow-mem-bers of the Club, as he is one of the most popular members, as well as one of the best sprint runners the Amateur Altletic Club has, and it is feared that the accident will considerably interfere with his future running.”

Westport Coal.—The O. D. Times is our authority for the following;—“ A Dunedin gentleman who last week visited Westport gives us some information concerning the operations of the Westport Coal Company. No less than 400 tons per day is being brought down from the mine; and last week the Company sent away 2,000 tons, six steamers laden with coal leaving in One day. These figures show a large increase on the previous output, it is an important fact, also, that the direct steamers are using the Westport coal when it is procurable. The British King was the first steamer to give it a trial on her homeward trip, andon his arrival the captain telegraphed out to the New Zealand Shipping Company recommending that their steamers should always use it.”

The Thin Edge of the Wedge,—From the Napier Telegraph we find that “ the Native chief Henarc Malua met the Porangahau Natives at Waipawa on the 4th inst., when it was unanimously agreed to resist any attempt that may be made to pass the Poiangahau country through the Native I-iands Court, An application that has been sent in to put the land through the Court was stigmatised as a forgery* and a proposition was made to prosecute the individual who signed other people’s names to the document. The Natives were unanimous in the expression of the opinion that to pass their lands through the Court was the thin end of the wedge of dispossession. We congratulate the Natives upon the determination they have arrived at.”