THE PATEA MAIL. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1875.

Patea Mail, Volume 1, Issue 15, 2 June 1875, Page 2

THE PATEA MAIL. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1875.

As the time for the meeting of Parliament is rapidly approaching, wo, in common with the rest of the community, look forward with some degree of anxiety to see what the intentions of the Government arc in respect to railway construction in this district. The WanganuiWaitara lino has been commenced at each end, where the traffic for the present will bo of the lightest and least profitable nature. Had the line been carried north and south of Patca to Hawera on the one side, and Wairoa on the other, it would have tapped a prosperous stretch of country, and returned a profit much sooner than the Waitara-Ncw Plymouth section or the Brunswick length north of Wanganui, which winds its silent way through steep hills and lonesome gullies, and which can only be made to pay a profit above working expenses when the main line of which it is an integral part extends long distances on each side of it. Patea, with its port, is naturally a good starting point for railway works, and it has been a matter of some surprise to us that the Government have not long since commenced operations from here as a centre. We know that when Mr Ormond, the then Minister of Public Works, passed through here, he expressed his opinion that no more suitable country for a railway line existed on this island than that stretching from the Waingongoro to the Waitotara. The hon. member for Egmont will, we trust, bring this matter before the notice of his colleagues

in the Cabinet, . and see that when Parliament meets a sum of money is asked for in order to have the Waitaradistrict. The traffic on our existing roads is daily increasing, and points plainly to the necessity of securing railway communication with the surrounding townships and settlements, which find in Patea the ‘ intrepot’ for their produce and stores. AVhile we are on this subject, we think it not inopportune to draw the attention of our readers to the want of a suitable steamer. At present the steamers trading here arc too small, and draw too much water. What we want is vessels capable of carrying a large freight on a light draught of water.

The small steamers, being obliged to carry small cargoes and wait for spring tides, charge high freights, which is bad enough; but it is still worse that we cannot get our goods carried here with anything like despatch. Shippers complain that their goods lie for weeks awaiting their turn for shipment, while consignees not only have to lay out their money, but lose trade in consequence of the goods failing to arrive when wanted. A railway between cither here and New Plymouth or Wanganui would of course cure this ; but, under the most favourable circumstances, it will be a few years before tlie line to those parts is finished and open for traffic. In the meantime our stock have to be driven long distances to a port for shipment ; therefore a suitable steamer, of a draught to stilt our river, and of a tonnage adequate to the carriage of live stock, would pay a handsome profit if judiciously worked. We understand that it is the intention of the enterprising owners of the p.s. Tongariro to place her in the market, and build a more suitable craft. Wc hope when they are laying her down they will sec that her tonnage and stockcarrying capacity arc of the required standard, as the regular visits of such a steamer would be of great benefit to not only the people of this district, but to her owners.

The rapid spread of settlement and the consequent increase of population in this district hare been accompanied by a proportionate augmentation of our imports and ex23orts. The river is now being continually visited by both steam and sailing vessels, carrying full and valuable freights ; but while the requirements of the port have increased, little or nothing has been done by the Government to afford increased facilities for trade. At present, owing to the Patea River not being a port of entry, our storekeepers are put to the great expense of paying duty on all goods they import before shipment, which is a serious hindrance to trade. Were the river constituted a port of entry, goods could be imported under bond and cleared here as required, a procedure which would be of groat benefit to our traders, whose capital is now called upon to bear the unnecessary strain of paying' duties long before the goods are required for home consumption. If the storekeepers would unite and petition the Government to dec 1 arc the Pater River a port of entry, we think they would have little difficulty in making out a good case, and one the Government would speedily acknowledge. The hon member for Egmont, Major Atkinson, has shown himself most willing to push forward the just claims of this district, and would doubtless do so in this matter if addressed on the subject by those whose interest it is to have the concession in question granted. It is no use invoking Jupiter without we put our own shoulders to the wheel, and our traders will see that if they are to succeed in inducing the Government to station a Customs’ officer here, they must bestir themselves and push their claim for such a boon vigorously to a successful issue. Something, too, is wanted in the way of increased wharf accomodation, and erection of a shed wherein goods may be placed when landed, instead of lying exposed for hours to the weather, causing at times much damage to perishable articles. We trust our Provincial. Representatives will not lose sight of this matter when next the Council meets, but will use their united efforts to have an adequate sum of money voted for the erection of increased wharf accomodation, and a suitable landing shed.

A batch of immigrants numbering 25 adults, are expected from Wanganui by the Tongariro to-day. Instead of the course adopted on previous occassions, of sending immigrants to Wanganui, and allowing the Wanganui people to get the pick of them, this lot are being sent from Wellington direct for this place, which is the proper course to adopt in the future.

Mr Sherwood, M.P.C., since his meeting in Carlyle with reference to Provincial matters and the railway question, has made a tour through the district, holding meetings at Wairoa, Hawera, Manutahi, and Kakaramea. At each place the settlers seemed to lake a lively interest in the question of starting a section of the railway in this district to connect the two ends of the Waitara and Wanganui line ; and committees were appointed to work in conjunction with the Carlyle committee. The following are the committees : —Wairoa ; Messrs A. C. Fookes, J. McLean, Morton, Konah, and Winchcombe ; Hawera : Messrs Davidson, Mason, Livingstone, M. Hunter, and Broadhent ; Manutahi : Messrs D. McMasters, E. W. Foreman, and H. S. Peacock, M.P.C. ; Kakaramea : Messrs Mcßae, P. Wilson, E. Morgan, A. Hunter, and H. Williamson.

la our advertising columns will be found a notice informing the successful tenderers for gravelling and forming roads in the Pat e i and Hawera district, that the time for commencing the contracts are to date from a notice to be given to them, instead of from the date of acceptance. The Taranaki AT?/;,s• says :— u We understand the object of thcengineor in charge is, that if the weather is not lit for the work to be commenced at the date of acceptance, notice will be given so as to secure better weather for the work to be commenced. It will not be the means of causing any delay in the work.”

The battle of Waireka, which took place on the 28th March, 1860, will no doubt be fresh in the memories of most of our readers, who will remember that Mr F. G. Rawson, of New Plymouth, was severely wounded in the leg on that occasion. The wound was so bad that his life was despaired of for some time, the bullet having passed through the upper part of the thigh bone, severing it completely in two, as well as shattering it lengthwise as far down as the knee-cap ; and the pain has been so excessive at times as to prevent Mr Eawson fr nn moA 7 ing about. HoAvevcr, on Sunday Avoek, after being confined to bed several days, and poultices had been applied to the Avonnd, a jagged piece of bone about tAvo inches long and three-eighths of an inch thick Avorked its AA - ay out of the flesh. The Budget, from aa-lucli avc gather the foregoing facts, says that the bone has probably travelled the Avhole length of the thigh, and that the cause of pain is uoav remoA r ed. So singular an occurrence is Avorthy of note, it being notv our fifteen years since the Avound Avas received.

The Taranaki Herald says : —“ The Wailii Amateur Theatrical Company have produced at their theatre an entirely new burlesque, composed by Mr T. Crowhurst of Hawera, and entitled, “ Amohia, the Belle of the Bush,” and which was attended with considerable success.” Our contemporary must have been misinformed, as we believe the entertainment fell through for want of performers. The arcade is being rebuilt at Dunedin, and is to be roofed with glass throughout. It will be the first public thorougfare in New Zealand covered in.

W. L. Rees, Esq., the newly-elected M.P.dl. for Auckland City East, has stated his intention, when the opportunity presented itself, to contest the scat for that district in the House of Representatives with the Hon. Julius Vogel. An Auckland paper relates the following incident as illustrative of how completely our dusky brethren have succumbed to the “ civilisation ” of the nineteenth century. Meeting his Maori debtor in Queen-street the other day, an angry creditor bailed him up for the settling of a £4 10s account. Failing to get anything out of him, the creditor suggested that he would take an order on “ Mackay.” To this the Maori assented with wondrous celerity, and obtained release from his persecutor. After considerable trouble and some expense the precious document was didy presented to “ Mackay ” (it was written in Maori), who interpreted to the chagrined tradesman as follows: —“This fellow wants £4 10s. Don’t you give it to him.” A novelty in billiard playing attracts attention at the Cafe Lardicr, Paris, where the most curious thing is the proprietor, who plays billiards with his nose, which he first rubs with chalk in the most serious manner, there being no one of whom he does not win. It is not without a certain grace that M. Cordicr bangs his nasal cartillagc upon the ball, performing difficult strokes with wonderful dexterity. Do not imagine that M. Cordicr has a nose of extraordinary dimensions ; not at all. On the contrary, his nose is small and a little crushed.

No fewer than ‘20,000 samples of wines were shown at the Exhibition at Vienna, and for two months a body of thirty jurors and exports wore engaged in the ag-reealde task of tasting, comparing, and judging the finest specimens of the productive powers of every known wine-growing country. No wonder their opinions like their liquors were somewhat mixed. Three Chicago girls are opening a barber shop in that city. One is to do tbolathering, another the shaving, while (a beautiful blond) is to sit on a sort of throne, and play on the harp and sing. The outfit of the establishment, it is said, will cost £2,400. A man out at Humboldt, the other day, brought in a clod of dirt from his field and thawed 283,071,203,117,246 grasshopper eggs out of it. It took him nearly all the morning to count them, and then he was afraid that he had missed some.

The Maori children are dying in large numbers at Maketu, and along the East Coast of Auckland, from measles. The parents are paralysed by superstitious notions, and are adopting measures to cure their children.

Mr Spurgeon thus responds to a request of a Boston lecture bureau that he should visit that country :—“ It is impossible for me to leave my work, except for a short interval of rest. I have no one to occupy my pulpit, preside over my church, look after the college, govern the orphanage, superintend the colporteurs, edit the magazine, &c. I must keep my hand on the oar till I die. I see no hope of my visiting America, much as I would like to meet the brethern there. Compensation is not an item of consideration. Nothing, indeed, could compensate my conscience if I left my work and any harm came of it. I know within a little, what I can do, and I feel that I cannot conscientiously attempt a work in America to which I am not called, to the injury of that which now ’engrosses all my time and every faculty I

possess.” We regret to say (says the Rangitikel Advocate ,) that there is still a considerable amount of sickness in the district, principally confined to measles and typhoid fcA-cr.

The Budget says :—The ‘ Masonic Hotel' is troubled Avith streams. The falling waters have run that Avay and made a clean SAveep through the bar. Mops and buckets were of no aA-ail, and recourse Avas had to chairs and benches as the only avay of escaping a avetting of the understandings. On every heaA’y and continuous doAvnpour of rain a Avater way is made through the bar.

A bill is before the Tenessec Legislature (says the Bau Francisco correspondent of the New Zealand Herald ) which contains the following section: —“ That bachelorism is hereby declared a privilege, and every male inhabitant in this State over thirty years of age, being sound of mind and enjoying good bodily health, remaining unmarried after the first day of May, 1875, shall pay a fine of ten dollars annually.” We are glad to learn (says the Taranaki News) that the efforts of the .Acclimatisation Society to introduce trout to the streams of this Province have been attended with some success, inasmuch as some fine young fish .are to be seen in the Wairnea, the stream on the banks of which the breeding ponds are situated. Those who have seen them describe them as being very lively and of a much brighter color than that of any native fresh-water fish. The Budget says ; —A meeting of the members of the Taranaki Jockey Club was held at the White Hart Hotel last Saturday evening, Mr J. Paul in the chair. Rules were adopted and ordered to be printed. It was agreed that the annual • subscription be £l, and that, the year should commence on the Ist July, and the race meeting be held in August.

The Governor and all the members of the General Government (says the Tribune) are expected to be in town by the middle of next week. Dr Pollen will leave Dunedin on Sunday next, and his Excellency and Mr Reynolds on Tuesday next. Sir Donald McLean, we are sorry to say, has severely sprained his ancle, but he expects to be able to leave Napier by the first steamer. The Cabinet will then fix their programme for next session, and wo have no doubt, despite the croaking of false friends and disappointed placehunters, will very successfully hold their own against the opposition which may be landed against them. Mr J. L. Lavers, of Sydney, appears to have, pegged out a good claim (says the Tribune.) The Act authorising the Municipal Council of Sydney to build a town hall on the old burial ground, contained a provision that if it was not completed by the Ist January, 1875, any co’ogist might sue for and obtain the. sum of £I,OOO for each and every month over that time during which the money appropriated for its erection remained unexpendesht Mr Lavers is the lucky man to be first in the field for this penally. He has commenced an action for £3,000 for the three months ending March, and, to all appearance is likely to gain it.