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Manawatu Herald, 4 February 1879, Page 2

The Ohau Punt. — For years past the Ohau river has been one of the chief obstacles to travellers along the beach. A ferry has been long established but no punt having been provided, when the river was up, tho traffic was frequently suspended temporarily, to the great inconvenitnno of the travelling publ.c. Some time ago, however, the Government instructed Mr J. T. Stewart, District Engineer, te prepare plans and specifications for a pnnt equal to the requirements of the traffic. This was done, and th« following tenders were received: — Robert McLean (Foxton), £178, I accepted; I hcophilus Easton (Foxton), £185 declined ; John Taggait and James Murray (Foxton), £245, informal. The first cost of the punt will be prOvidad out of the vote of £3UOO for the Otaki inland road, and upon its completion the County Council will bo required by the Government to take the punt over and work it out of the ordniary revenue. Otaki School.— The Otaki School Committee for the ensuing, year consists of the following gentlemen : — Rev. J. MoWilliam, Messrs Simcox, A. J. Hadfield, Jenkins, Death, Carkcek, and Cootes. Regatta. — Mr Hutchison, secretary of the Regatta Committee, has received an acknowledgment from the Wanganui men of the money forwarded to thpm as prizes won at tho Kegatta. They express themselves highly pleased at tho uniform courtesy of the Foxton people, and hope to have many opportunities in tho future of competing on the Foxton river. Anotugh Kerosene Fire — On Saturday night, a seven-roomed house at. the Taita, occupied by a mau named McKenzie, was burned down. It appears that a kerosene lamp exploded, and before tho family could be rescued, a little girl 4 years old was burned to doath." Nothing was saved but a few blankets. This is the second burnout that tho unfortunate man has sustained in twelve months. The house is said to bo tho property of Mrs Hughey, and was inBured for £200. Land Revenue. — The land revenue receipts for tho quarter ended September 3D, in the County of Manawatu, were as follows : — Land sales, jt'2,412 9s; rents and miscellaneous, £3; total, £2,415 9s. Of this amount, 20 per cent goes to tho County and is spcut in tho Riding in which the laud is sold. Police. — The Otaki Polico district having been tacked on to Wanganui, Mr Sab-In° spector Goodall visits Otaki to-day to inspect his recently-acquirod dominion. Bowing Club.— The Rowing Club me* on Saturday evening at Howe's Hotel. Tho draft rules were gone through and with a few alterations approved of. The Club seems to bo now fairly launched. AO.F.— Court Manawatu, No. SGlio, Palmerston North, aud Court Loyal. Feilding, No. 5,763, have boon registered under the Friendly Societies Act, 1877. Postal. — Tho appointment of Hannah Erskine as postal officer at Waikanae is gazetted. The City Of Auckland.— A few days ago the wreck of the ship City of Auckland was put up to auctiou by Mr J. H. Wallace of Wellington, and was knocked down to Mr \V. C. Cooper, an official on the Wellington wharf , for tho sum of £ISC. "Wo now hoar that Messrs Bowe, Birchloy, <fc Co., of Foxton, who did the carting of the Hydrabad's cargo to Hartley's, havo purchased the wreck from Mr Cooper, at an . advance of £130, also allowing him an

anchor and cubic* They intend to start J operations' at onco, and w 11 break Up tile ship, bringinr all the valikble portions td their' wharT at Haftley'sj wlldro it will be shipped for Welildgtdri. As tho firrri mon- 1 tioiiod have several teamS at hmd; We have \ no doubt ilioy viliiriako tile ''siJoe" a pay;) irig Oilei j A Go.vk.— lt is annoii'-twd that a mon- j stor meeting to advocate the <d-iins of Pal-| merstoii as tlu point of contact, for the rail- j way is to bo held at an earlv date, ai»tl tnati "it is the intention of a largo number fit Palmerston men td be pre-eiit, arid take pai;t in the.proc?edinga." Precisely. The Palmerstoii men rilight eve'n get a flieeting Up in Foxton to advocate their side of tho question, if those who attended it were sufficient to outnumber those on the other side. And referring to this matter a horrible ' : goak" has been perpetrated by the assertion that Messrs Snclsoti, Halcombe, Dairy nvpte, " and others '* (including of course a representative of a county paper), are going to do a little airiateur surveying, and prospect for a line between Palmerstdn and Waikanae. It is rumoured that Mr Snelson will go in his capacity as Mayor to oarry Mr Halcdntb6 over the boulders; whilst Mr .DatrympK who ia known td be 1 great dn dinner*} will ldok alter dulinary arrangements. A. well-known wit from the Emerald Isle will accompany tlio expedition, to report for the Press, and beguile away the tedious evenings. The report and statistics will be prepared bafore the expedition starts* Native Office.— Wg understand that Mr Henry T. Clarke, who occupies the position of Under-Secretary for Native Affairs, severs his connection with the Civil Service at the end of the present nionth. Who his successor is to ba is not yet stated, but it is pretty Well known that for some time the Government have been endeavoring to induce Mr .tairtes M:ickay; jiin., to take the position. Mr Clarke is a very old ofllcer of the Government, and has been employed in many capacities in connection with native affairs. In all he has given great satisfaction. His knowledge of the native character, and the hUtory of the na:ivs djieiitidn, as" it is calldd, is Unsurpassed by that of any man in the Colony, and the name of Ilenare Karaka, amongst tho natives themselves, is associated with kindness, firmness, and honesty. — N.Z. Times. ! Wanoaxui High School.— Tho Wani ganui Education Board on Thursday last i sat to consider applications for posts in the i high school. Out of twenty-niuo applica- ! tioas for the post of head master, salary j £000, M. Fearnley, M.A-, Trinity College, I Cambridge, was appointed. For second | masto", salary .£3OO, fortyfoUt applications j were received/ and Chas Steadmaa,oE Vicj toria, was appointed. For third master, i salary, £15), Watson, of Wanganui, was | appointed. For headmistress, s-ilary £250 j nine applications were received, an 1 Miss i Ulythe, principal Ballarat Ladies' College, | was appointed. | Vital Statistics. — The following is an j abstract of tha vital statistics for January ; in tho Borough of Wellington : — Number of births registered, 108 ; number of deaths registered, 53. Of the tottl number of deaths 37 are female ; 1 adult female (cause of death English cholera) ; out ot' the. total of deaths, 3D are children, of whom 1 was under 10 yeaw, « under 2 years, 22 under I year, died of diarrhcoi. The marriage certificates issued during the month na-nbsred :14, of which 11 were performed in the registrar's office. The total number of births oacurring in the district of Wellington, registered during the month was j \36, and of deaths, GG.