WAIROA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3644, 17 March 1883, Page 3

WAIROA.

fFRO_I our own correspondent.]

March 15, 1883

The Frasertown library committee have received their first consignment of books, numbering - about seventy volumes. Mr Fraser has agreed to act as librarian. One of the bats used at the late cricket match was of local manufacture, being made by Mr H. Sargent, of this town. It is made of willow, with an old cane handle let in, it is very neatly finished, and drives quite as well as many of Cobbett's make that we have here.

The School Committee held a special meeting on Tuesday last to consider the inspector's annual report. The chairman (Mr 11. J. Williams) proposed, " That in the opinion of tins Committee a master associated in the management of this school would be beneficial, but the Committee have no suggestions to offer as to how this should be carried out." Mr G. B. Flint proposed as an amendment, '' That in the opinion of this Committee it is not desirable to interfere with the teaching staff of this school until the results are seen of the next annual examination." After a long discussion the amendment was carried. The Committee were pretty hot on the inspector. Mr Flint thought the report was "foggy." Mr Williams thought the inspector should not be afraid to say openly what he meant, and not appeal to the Committee for an " effort.'"

The Board of Reviewers for the Wairoa County will sit at the Resident Magistrate's Court o_ the 30th instant, to hear objections to the valuation of the properties in the conutv.

Several tenderers for county Avork here pointed out to me that the deposits required by the Council with tenders for Avorks recently advertised are far too lugh. The deposits fixed in the case of the Opoiti bridge, 2.'. per cent, on tho contract price, is fair enough, ancl so for that matter is the deposit for the Waihua bridge, luthe caso

of the Mangatawa and Makapua works £10 is rather high, and it will, I fancy, tend to lessen competition, as many working men may not be able to pay this deposit, besides obtaining sureties and working appliances, etc. A much fairer plan, I fancy, would be to require a deposit of say five per cent, on the first £100, and 2i per cent, over that amount. It may be that special considerations have influenced the Council in the cases mentioned above.

Mrs J. J. Taylor, one of our oldest ancl most respected settlers, left with a portion of her family by the last trip of the s.s. Maori. Mrs Taylor has, with the exception of twelve months, resided in Wairoa for the last seventeen years, during which time she made many friends, and her departure is a loss to the district.

The Harbor Board met on Tuesday, and unanimously re-elected Mr Gemmell chairman for tho ensuing year. A letter was received from Mr Blackett, Colonial Marine Engineer, condemning Mr Stewart's harbor improvement plan on its fundamental points —the direction and shape of the entrance. A copy of the letter was ordered to bo sent to Mr'Stewort, so that he may fight the Colonial Engineer. Mr Blackett was requested, as he condemned Mr Stewart's scheme, to furnish one which in /us opinion xeould be practicable. It was decided to apply to the Government for an endowment of 10,000 acres in the Ruakiture block, and to have a bill drafted for that purpose, Government to be asked to reserve the land in the meanwhile.

One thousand sheep in fine order crossed at the ferry here on Sunday for Sir George Whitmoro's run, Tolago Bay.

The following is the result of the summer's whaling at Mahia, according to the Guardian: —In all about sixteen Scamperdown whales were caught, yielding some twenty tuns of oil. Of these Thomas Smith's party secured three, J. Smith's five, Peter Bartlctt's five, and French John's three. The oil is worth only a little over £30 a tun at the present time ; fortunately it sold readily for nearly double that figure, but sperm oil is worth between £40 and £50. The winter whaling season commences in May.