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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 175, 22 March 1878, Page 2

Owing to an unusual press of matter we are relunctantly compelled to hold over our report of the annual tea meeting in connection with the Presbyterian Church, as also some letters, and interesting matter, which however, will appear in our next.

A meeting of the Le Bon's Bay School Committee took place on Saturday, all tie members being present. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A list of names was sent from the Board for the purpose of selecting nine who should serve on the Board of Education for North Canterbury. A letter from the Board was read granting £15 for repairs to the school-house, and the Clerk was instructed to see them carried out. A letter was read from the schoolmaster relative to some interference with him, by Mrs H. Barnett, sen., and Mrs H. Barnett, jun., in the execution of his duty as teacher, the latter having upbraided him before the children while assembled in school. The Committee were of opinion that they had both made themselves liable to the Act, and if such interference occured again it would have to be enforced, but, in the present instance, it would be passed over. A letter warning them not to repeat the offence was ordered to be forwarded to them. The Chairman drew the reporter's attention to the last account of the school Committee's meeting. He said it read as if the committee disapproved of the auditor's report, whereas it was quite the opposite, as it was the only one he couid make under the circumstances, and that it was the auditor who did not approve of the way in which the books had been kept up to the 4th July, 1877, at which date he (Mr Hall) entered into office as Chairman. He therefore must request for the credit of Mr Wright and himself that the mistake be rectified without delay. Mr Thomas Oldridge was asked to countersign the cheques as Mr Elliot lived too far away to be convenient. The tender of Mrs Fairbrass for £8 for cleaning the school was accepted conditionally.

We were visited on Sun Jay last by the most severe north-westerly gale that has been experienced in Akaroa for a considerable period. On the evening and night of Saturday the heat was intense, and the atmosphere extremely oppressive, the barometer at the same time being very low. During the whole of Sunday a stiff north-westerly gale was blowing, and our usually placid and lake-like harbour was flecked with foam. Tlie weather was trying in the extreme, especially to invalids of whom there are generally a few sojourning amongst us. At about ten P. M* the wind shifted round to the southward and a refreshingly cool niglit was the result. A blacksmith shop at tbe Head of the Bay, owned by Mr B. Shadbolt, was blown down. This is all the damage that has been effected, as far as we can learn. It was too late in the fruit season for the gardens to suffer much: a few thousand walnuts were blown off the trees, thus saving the grower the trouble of gathering them. Our neighbors in tlie

plains however did not escape so cheaply as we understand that in Christchurch considerable damage was clone, and the Southern Railway fine-between Rakaia and Ashburton was injured so much as to neceessitate the trains travelling at halfspeed till the damages inflicted could be repaired. At the Licensing Court held on Tuesday last, the only applicant was Mr Thacker* who obtained a license for his newlybuilt hotel in Okain's Bay. For some time past the two-gallon system has been productive of much evil in this Bay, the drunken orgies, at times, we are informed being almost beyond description. We are of opinion that the granting of the hotel license, thus enabling men to get their " nobbier" when they want it, without being compelled to purchase so large a quantity of liquor an one time, may be the lesser of two evils. Moreover, there is no doubt an accommodation house will be of the greatest convenience to travellers, and those visiting the bay, and will do away with that most disagreeable of all things, the intruding into private family circles for a night's lodging. Altogether we heartily endorse the action of the commissioners. Mr C. W. Bridge has been appointed clerk to the Assessment Courts at Okain's Bay, Port Levy, Pigeon Ba}', and Little River. We have to remind our readers of the sale of Mr G. H. Saxton's household furniture and effects which is. advertised to come off at. his residence, Robinsons Bay, at 11 oclock to-day. Mr C. W. Bridge wields the hammer, and, doubtless, there will be a large attendance of buyers.

There is on view in Mr Daly's Store a gigantic specimen of vegetable monstrosities, those ineffable boons to journalists, in the shape of an immense pumpkin, of the species known as the ''Orange pumpkin." This monster is no less than five feet in circumference, proportionately thick, and weighs eightyeight pounds. This huge vegetable was grown by Mr F. Lelievre, who states that he has another even larger than this one in bis garden. At a meeting of ratepayers, held at Okain's Bay, on the 18th ult., for the purpose of electing a committee to make application to the Chairman of the Akaroa County Council for a portion of the grant to domains, lately allocated to that body, the following gentlemen were elected :— Messrs Harris (Chairman), R. [Gilbert, J. Moore, G. N. Sefton, G. Sefton, W. Moore, and J. Wells. The Committee resolved to meet again on Saturday, the 23rd instant, to make arrangements for procuring a suitable site.

The new Maori Church at the Kainga was opened yesterday the Revs. P. C. Anderson, Stack, Mutu, and Te Koti assisting at the ceremony. A large number of European visitors were present. Want of space compels us to hold over a fuller report of the proceedings till our next issue.

That the youth of rural New Zealand delights in horse-flesh may be taken as a self-evident proposition, and Akaroa is no exception to the rule. But owning a horse necessitates keeping him. Our friend Jones experienced an example of young New Zealand's ingenuity in this respect. Jones has a garden in which he delights. The other night he was aroused by a noise therein, and, issuing forth, discovered a horse disporting himself to the no small detrimeut of his "clearing" He ejected the intruder, wondering at the same time greatly how he had effected an entrance, as all the fastenings were secure. In the morning, being about early he discovered young Stock-whip in tbe garden when the following dialogue ensued—■" Hallo! What are you doing there ?" " What am I a-doing here ? why looking for my horse ! The mystery was solved.