WAIROA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3804, 24 September 1883, Page 3

WAIROA.

rifKOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] September 1-1, 1833. Another attempt is being made by the licensed victuallers to have tho ofucc ol Native Assesor for the Clyde licensing dis ■ trict wiped out of existence. [Here is a o-raud grievance for the Exeter Hall partisans of the down-trodden Maori.] Ihe European members of tho committee ostensibly object to the assessor because his vote —as an Assessor—vetoes that of the other members ; but the real secret of their objection lies in the fact that Clyde is a native licensing district, and in the interests ol the Maoris," who have been good customers of the publicans iv tho past, the assessor seeks to have the long hours _of temptation shortened—in other words, it is the assessor and 10 o'clock liccness, against some of the committee, the publicans,"aud 12. A petition has been sent to tho Government _to have the Clyde native licensing district abolished. As Mrs Saircy Gamp would say—which it, will do no good whatever. From the Putire I hear that a very heavy fall of snow has been experienced on the inland ranges during the last few days, the snow being several inches deep. There is an individual hero who now aud again creates consternation in the ranks of tho working men by tendering for, and obtaining as a matter of course, county contracts at a ridiculously low figure. An instance of this occurred last week, when the said individual put in for,the whole of some bO odd chains of draining at half the amount that the next lowest- tenderer put iv for the half of the job. The owner of the steam launch Echo had a rather unhappy excursion the other night. Last AVednesday at midnight, the river being in fresh, he went aboard the launch, which was lying at the Government wharf, for the purpose of making the craft more secure. AVhile doing so she broke loose and drifted rapidly down the stream ; it was blowing aud raining, aud tho river flooded, and altogether the prospect was not pleasant for Mr Ton-. When the boat got a little below Brcuer's hotel the unwilling passenger stripped and reached the land in safety, the boat being recovered next morning at the Kurupakiaka pa. Tho County Council held a special sitting on AA r edncsday last. A number of tenders were accepted for country work, including the Awatero Creek bridge, £296 (under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act.) — Mr Allan McDonald, M.H.R., wrote informing the Council that the Government had behaved very badly in not allowing him to introduce the Wairoa (and Gisborne) Harbor Endowment Bill. Major Atkinson said, however, the Government would not object to giving the Harbor Board the pilot reserve and foreshore.—Tho Chairman and Crs Shaw and Molony were appointed to sign the rate-book —The overdraft was reported by tho clerk to bo £81G (covered by incoming rates, £1500). It was resolved that the authorised overdraft of £900 be increased by £300 until the rates aro collected.—Mr Carr, Resident Engineer, notified that tho works to the value of £018 17s lid bad been carried out by the Council under tho Roads and Bridges Construction Act, but pointing out that until the Council spent its full share, £662 13s ■Id, it was not entitled to any progress payments—Messrs AVilsonandCottorili, lawyers, Napier, applied for particulars of sale of section 56, Opoiti (absentce'ssection) in order to found an, application for a refund of tho balance of purchase money over and above the expenses for which tho land was sold. Information ordered to bo forwarded. —The committee of the Town Board movement wrote to the Council to ascertain what amount of assistance would be granted to tho proposed new local body. Mr Parker (on behalf of the same committee) wrote suggesting tho conference be postponed to next meeting of tho Council.—Agreed to.— Tho Under-Secretary for Public AVorks wrote (in reply to the Council) that there was nothing whatever to prevent the Council levying a toll on any bridge erected under the' provisions of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. The accounts having been passed for payment, the Council adjourned. September 17. Owing to tho unpromising- nature of the weather on Saturday the opening of the cricket season was not celebrated by a match. Only sixteen players turned out, and a scratch match ensued. The new rollers that have been fixed to the AVairoa ferry punt by the present lessee have proved " a grate invintion intoircly." AVorking tho punt is not now quite so bad as turning the crank was in the prisons before Charles Reade exposed the villainy of tho machinery.