WAIROA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3031, 14 March 1881, Page 3

WAIROA.

(fbom our own correspondent.j March 12, 1881.

Notwithstanding the notice of adjournment post outside the Assessment Court House, the Judge (P. F. Ormond, Esq.,) held a sort of sitting and adjourned for a •week. Before calling on the cases the Judge smiled in his usual affable manner, and suggested to the clerk of the Assessment Court. That they should strike a a rate. The Clerk who appeared dumbfoundered, whispered that they had not met for that purpose. Mr John Thomson, manager for Mr Kinross' Kauhauroa property, appeared and objected to the valuation of £80 per annum. He said the property was not worth £60 a year, and only carried 350 sheep. He stated that Mr H. R. Duff had advised him not to pay any rates at all, as he was overvalued. The County Clerk swore the property to be worth £80 a year, and produced the rolls, signed by Mr Duff, as one of the sworn valuators who had fixed the valuation at that amount. He called Mr George Mayo, commission agent, who swore he considered the property, as improved, well worth a rental of £2 an acre per annum, which •would amount to a valuation of £.85 per annum, without the houses, &c. The Judge said he would reduce the valuation to £65 per annum. Exit County Clerk, muttering solto voce, " What's the use of bringing evidence." The Court then adjourned.

It ia generally considered that Mr Light has enacted the part of a public benefactor in drawing the attention of the council to the unsightly obstruction caused by the Clyde Hotel, cottage, and fence (if such a patched-up structure ©an be called a fence) being on the public road, and completely overshadowing and consequently depreciating neighbouring property. Really it ia indeed high time this ancient edifice was numbered among the things that were, and feelings of fasle delicacy and squeamishness should not prevent people saying so. Public bodies should treat obstructions on main roads in a public spirit, and not allow private interest to weigh with them. The late Provincial Government could never have meant that any one person should have a permanent lease of a public thoroughfare free of rent. The inhabitants of this peaceful village were much alarmed about grey dawn tbe other morning by bearing three or four shots fired in rapid succession. It appears that the Coroner, tired of a dolce far niente existence, endeavored to provide the one thing needful to hold an inquest on. He had fired at suppoistious native burglars, but fortunately without efFect.

A rather sharp shock of an earthquake was felt about 11 p.m. on Thureday night.