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Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 201, 14 March 1877, Page 2

Dr Hector has received over thirty-five varieties of pine and other tree seeds, for the Wellington Botanic Gardens, from California

Settlers are reminded that Saturday nest, the 17th instant, is the last day on which entries for the cattle show will be received, so that no lime should be lost in communicating with the secretary (Mr "W. Ualoj.

From to-morrow,' Registration Forms may be obtained at the Patea Man. office, free of charge, which, on being tilled in, should he forwarded to the Pegistration Officer at New Plymouth. T. Humphries, Esq., Chief Surveyor of the Piovincial District of Taranaki, is at present on a tour of survey inspection in this district. He arrived by coach yesterday. It will be seen from advertisement that a meeting of Court Patea, Ancient Order of Forcateis, will take place at the Town Hall at half-past, seven this evening.

Mr William Coworn will hold his usual monthly stock sale at Kakaramea to-day, at 2 p in., comprising cattle, horses, sheep, &c.

To-morrow (Thursday), Air Freeman 11, Jackson will offer for sale, at the St. Ilillstroct yards, Wanganui, thirty horses, the property of Mr Andrew Young, and a number of cattle and sbeep.

Captain Gibbons, of the s.s. Clyde, reports that the cutter ‘ Warkworth ’ left Wanganui on Thursday evening, bound for Patea. She lias on board 16,525 feet of timber, for Mr Nicholson, of Whenuakura.

And still they come. New settlers arc arriving every week—we might almost say every day. It is reported on pretty good authority that the house and grounds till lately occupied by Air Williams, surveyor, have been taken by a doctor latety arrived in Wellington from England. He is expected to arrive in Carlyle with his family about Friday next. The next via San Francisco English mail is advertised to leave Wellington on the Gth of April next. The mail will be made up in Carlyle on the same day (Friday, the Gth April) and forwarded by coach to New Plymouth, so as to catch the steamer calling there on the following Sunday. The next incoming mail viv San Francisco, is due in Auckland on the 25th of this month. The Patea portion of the mail will he here by the 51st. If the steamer should arrive in Auckland punctually, the mail may possibly reach here by the 27th instant.

A great to-do has for some time pas* been made by certain natives from Mokan and districts surrounding Now Ptymonth, as to a large native gathering which it was said would take place at Waitara tljis month, and at which the Maori King and the Governor of the Colony and leading members of the Ministry would be present, the object of. the meeting being to make peace as regards (be original Waitara dispute. Private advices received from New Plymouth, state that onh' ten Waikatos put in an appearance, and that they were on their way to the usual monthly meeting at Parihaka. Neighbouring tribes attended in considerable numbers

A telegram received from New Plymouth yesterday, stated that Air Richard (Jhilmau (late Collector of Customs) had died on Monday night. In Mr Chilman, New Plymouth has lost its ablest and staunchest advocate of the Harbour scheme, and a gentleman who has ever been foremost in endeavouring to establish local industries. Few projects have been initiated in New Plymouth with which Mr Chilman’s name has not been connected. Mr Chilman has been ailing for a long time. For the past few weeks he has been confined to his home, and latterly to bed. His death, therefore, was not unexpected amongst his most immediate friends. There has been a row between the New Plymouth Borough Council and the Taranaki County Council, as to the removal of the toll-house. The toll-gate happens to have been built within the boundaries of the borough. The County Council want to take it over, and not agreeing to pay the proportion of toll fees asked for by the Mayor, resolved to move the toll-house. Tenders were accepted for the work, on which the Mayor engaged four men to fo: cibly prevent the contractors from doing the work. Tommy Williams, one of the men, rather likes the job, and has expressed his willingness “ to fight every day of the week, all the jmar round, for eight bob a-day.” At a meeting of the Borough Council on Monday week, the action taken by the Mayor was supported by a majority of the Council, hut tlmee of the members expressed dissent. A pullic meeting, called by the Patca Education Board, was held at the schoolhouse, Nonnanby, on Monday last, at two o’clock, when there was a good attendance of settlers, to decide on a suitable site on which to erect a school-house. The present school-house is found to he very inconvenient on account of its being so far removed from the centre of the district. It may, however, serve as a schoolteacher’s residence, if a more convenient site is selected for a school-house. Mr 11. Wilson occupied the chair. Messrs Middlemas and Furlong attended on behalf of the Education Boai d. After the matter had been fairly discussed, and a number of propositions made, it was finally resolved that the advocates of Nonnanby and Turuturumoki should meet half way, and agree to a site suitable for both ends of the district. A committee consisting of the following gentlemen was formed to settle the matter . —Messrs Gibson, Robinson, Larkin, Winks, and Wilson. Report to be presented in ton days from time meeting was held.

The s.s. Clyde, arrived in the Patea llivcr yesterday morning, about half-past seven o’clock, having left Wanganui at ten o’clock on Thursday night. She arrived ‘Might”—not tight in the sense of being drunk and incapable, hut tight with cargo. There were also four passengers. She will take away a full load, including 300 sacks of grass seed tor Mr W. Cowcvn, and several lots of butter, bacon, &c., for other persons. The Clyde was appointed to leave at eight o’clock this morning.

Mr Coutts, who lives on the Wbonuaknra Block, a short distance from Carlyle, brought to town on Saturday last a Swede turnip which weighed twenty and a-balf pounds, lie has lota more equally large. The one brought to Carlyle was left with Mr Taplin, where the curious may view it.

It is reported by Natives that a meeting of representatives of different tribes, from the surrounding districts, will take place at Waitotnra, on the 28ili of the present month, when an attempt will be made to definitely settle the boundary question, so that such as desire to sell may be enabled to do so, without fear of interference from other Natives, who are desirous of bolding onto the land. The Wanganui b have expressed intention of being present.

Tlic llangitikci Advocate says ; —“ Tlie sale of Crown lands recently held in Wellington, affords the most convincing proof that there is a great demand for land for agricultural purposes, and that the sj'stem of deferred payments, if judiciously administered, will prove of very great advantage to the colony. Farmers were present from Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay, and other places, and there were but few speculators in attendance. There were about 120 applicants for deferred paN'inent land in attendance. The Advocate is in favour of. restricting the quantity to be held by one purchaser to 200 acres, as the best way of getting the country peopled and cultivated.

Captain Wray, Judge of the Assessment Court, sat at the Court-house, Carlyle, on Monday, to hear objections under the Bating Act, for the Town of Carlyle, Objectors were chiefly persons who had leased sections from the Town Board, but who had been unable to obtain leg-al titles. Decision was held over till the 19th inst. Captain Wray will hold sitting’s of the Assessment Court, as follows ;At the Block-house, Hawera, to-day (Wednesday, the 14th instant), at 11 a.m., for the Town of Hawera ; at the School-house, Hawera, to-day, at 2 p.m., for the Hawera (24ih) Boad Board ; at the Block-house, Maintain, on Friday, the Kith instant, at 11 a.m., for the I’atea West (25th) Bead Board ; and at the residence of Mr Rnseke Whennaknra, on Monday, the llJlh instant, at 3 p.m., for the Palca East (20th) Boad Board.

AVc may mention tliat a load of grass seed, which arrived in Carlyle in an Hawera on Monday afternoon, for shipment from this place, came the whole distance —twenty miles —quite aalely, and without a hitch or the least inconvenience ; hut the quarter of a mile length of road in Bcdford-strcet, from the Taranaki Road to to the river, was too much for the driver to tackle. He looked down the road sadly, and in a left-handed fashion, blessed tiic powers that be. He dared not venture down that road with ids load, and had to take the trouble to partly unload, leaving twenty or thirty sacks in the upper part of Carlyle, while betook down the remainder. Wo believe this street (which is now dangerous for even foot passengers at night) was voted by the Town Hoard to be improved some eight or ton months ago. The work decided upon was never done. The road is now supposed to he under the control of the Comity—it is, in fact, a “County road.” Steps should ho promptly taken to repair the fearful ruts which arc to be met with at every few yards, before serious accidents occur. Repairs are also needed on that part of the road approaching the sand-hills, on the Hawera side of Carlyle.

We bog to acknowledge receipt from J. B. Lawson, Esq., Superintendent Collector of Agricultural Statistics, for the provincial district of Taranaki, of the usual annual return of land in cultivation up to February of the present year. Mr Lawson, who always manages to get his returns published earlier than is the ease in any other part of the colony, is a week behind his usual time. Farmers might-do much to expedite the completion and publication of these returns, if they would only take the trouble to fill in the papers when sent, instead of giving the collector occasion to call two and throe times. If the papers arc filled in, it matters not whether the occupier is at home or not —the information is obtained, and that is all that is required. Negligence of the kind mentioned helps to increase the expense of collecting, besides giving unnecessary trouble to the Superintendent Collector. The return was received too late for publication in present issue.- We may, however, mention that there has been an increase on the total number of holdings of 153. There has been an increase in the acreage of wheat sown during the past year of 195) acres ; of barley, 28.) acres ; of land laid down in grass, 24,320) acres ; of potatoes, 1131acres. The return of oats and hay shows a slight decrease.

Strong protest lias boon made against cattle being allowed to be driven through the town on Sundays. On Sunday last? about (he time people were coming out from the various churches, a mob of cattle were being driven along, kicking up a great dust and causing great annoyance to people who object to Sabbath desecration* On Monday a bell was wrung before the IbM. to the tune of os and costs, or twenty-four hours in the lock-up. The twenty-four hours tune was played. On Saturday last, Mr William Dale sold the right to collect tolls and erect a booth at the Agricultural Show, to be held at Kakaramca on Tuesday next. The gates fetched Tl4 15s, and the booth TB.

The gravelling contract of the road between Ilawera and Normauhy has been let to Mr Stevenson, and will shortly be commenced. It is expected that the work will be suspended dining the winter months.

The .Sheep Inspector (W. Ilatcly, Esq.) who arrived in the district last week, does not at all agree with the fears entertained by certain sheepowners, that scab was in the district. He is reported to have said there are no signs of scab to be found. An improvement is being made at the Catholic Church grounds, in the shape of a substantial fence. Hitherto, wandering cattle have often proved annoying, and have also done damage to the property. They will now be excluded from the grounds.

After an interval of nearly four years, the Native Lands Court is again to be opened in the Taupo district. The Natives generally are greatly pleased at this action of the Government, and hope soon to receive their rentals accruing dining the past three or four years, and to have Europeans settled in th« country leased to the Government in 1873.

On Saturday last, a survey party might have been seen camped near the Manutahi hotel. They had been sent down from New Plymouth, to operate on a Nath e reserve at Tamaha, a place a few miles inland of Manutahi. Mr W 11. Skinner is the surveyor in charge. The men will probably start to-day for the scene of operations.

In addition to the cargo noted in outlast issue as exported by the s.s. Clyde, we arc glad to add 18 sacks of bran and pollard shipped by our enterprising fellowsettler, Mr I). Contts, of Carlyle and Kakaramca. We call special attention to this, as being the first shipment of district grown and milled produce, and hope it is the commencement of an extensive business in that line.

The charges of embezzlement, preferred at the instance of the General Government* against E. C. Meredith (laic Clerk ot the Court at Carlyle), were again proceeded with at the Resident Magistrates’ Court) yesterday, before Captain Wray, B.M. S. T. Fitz.hcrbert, Esq., was in attendance from Wanganui, on behalf of the Crown Prisoner was committed to the Supreme Court, to be bold in New Plymouth. The bail required was £4OO, in two sureties.