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Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 209, 11 April 1877, Page 2

Persons letting off lire arms within town boundaries are cautioned that a heavy penalty attaches to such offences. The total proceeds of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church l’afcaa»* held at Wavcrlcy amounted to the handsome sum of ,L‘ IGB l)s Gd. A special report of the second day’s races at Taranaki, forwarded for publication in last issue, was, unfortunately, not delivered until Monday. It bad been taken on gentleman to whom it had been entrusted. About one thousand, children attended the missionary service held in the Choral Hall, Auckland, on Sunday the Ist April, when the Rev Mr-Watt, the New Hebrides missionary gave an interesting account of the Tannose people.

I Mr William Cowcni will hold his usual monthly stock sale at Kakaramca to-day, commencing ar, two o’clock.

The Taranaki Herald reports that the lion Major Atkinson, with his family, arrived at Hew Plymouth on Thursday last in the 1 Ilineinoa,’ and believes it is his intention to remain on a visit there for a short time.

It will be seen on reference to advertising columns that particulars of gravelling tenders for County Council may ho obtained on and after Friday next. The work has been divided into eight separate contracts so that residents in the respective localities may be enabled to tender. Monday morning showed Mount Egmont with its wintery snowcap. The snow storm during the night must have been unusually heavy for the season of the year. An effectual stop has been put by the snow storm to further trips up the mountain for this season.

The Taranaki Herald says the following amounts were paid over by the Jockey Club on settling night to the winners of the various races—Mr T. Rowe, £285 ; Air R. E. Mcßae, £SO ; Air E. Humphries, £4O ; Air 0. A. Durie, £2U ; Air Hayward, £2O; Air W. 11. George, £2O; and Air O. AlcGec, £10 —total, £454.

An order has been issued to publicans in Carlyle, by the Resident Magistrate, not upon any account to serve Maoris with intoxicating drinks. Monday there was a large ji umber of natives in town, and towards evening they proved rather noisy on account of having impibed too freely. Yesterday there was still a largo number in town, but not having been supplied with stimulants they were quieter.

It is a common practice for mares with foals at foot to bo allowed to wandey about vacant lots in Carlyle with a long tether lino attached for convenience of catching. In cases the foals have been seen completely bound up with the tether rope, having gradually got entangled. On Sunday a foal was so completely entangled that in moving about the mother had to drag the foal along the ground, and but for timely aid from a passer-by it would have been strangled.

We notice Mr Hirst has made a considerable improvement at his wharf within tho 2iast two days, he having erected a substantia! platform, 17x12, at the inshore end, from which already several very heavy packages have been loaded with ease. The addition atl'ords great facilities to Air Hirst and his men, as under present circumstances drays back in on the beach and arc loaded do wx war ns instead of upwards as heretofore. Wc hope this small improvement will bo, as it were, tho letter A in the alphabet of coming improvements in the rive r.

At the last meeting of the Taranaki County Council, the following resolute n moved by Air F. L. Webster, was carried ; “ That with a view to taking definite action for the extension of and forming and metalling tho road from Inglewood to Hawera, a committee be apijointcd to consist of the Chairman, Messrs Vavasour, Courtney, and tho mover, to consult with the Patea Council, and report at a future meeting as to tho best means of raising - a loan, and for levying a special rate for the above object.”

The twelfth annual general meeting of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, was held in London on the 2nd February, the late Governor of New Zealand (Sir James Fergusson, Bart., K.C.M.G.) being in the chair. The report which was read stated that the net profit for the year 1876, including £2,347 Os 6d brought forward from the preceding year, after deducting expenses, making provision for bad and doubtful debts, Ac., exhibited a sum of £31,531) 2s 7d. The chairman, in his remarks, said the company, after eleven years existence, had steadily gained in public confidence, and its transactions had been conducted with uniform success, and to an increasing extent. The capital had been nearly doubled in five years. “In 1872 it amounted, in round numbers, to £85,000. At present it stands at £154,000 ; and when the calls on the additional shares shall have been paid up, it will be upwards of £200,000. Formerly we were able to pay, including, bonus, 12-]- per cent. We arc now in a position to maintain with the greatest case the dividend and bonus declared at the last meeting of 15 per cent.” The company opened in 1867 with a sum of £5,000, and the capital would now amount, when the additions proposed in the report were made, to £IBO,OOO. The wool consignments to the company, which in 1872 were 15,000 bales, amounted on the report being read to nearly 43,000 bales, their 'value having risen to about £938,296. He said iv Tho company is doing a sound and legitimate business, attributable, I think, in a great measure to thp excellent management of the Colonial Board, who, individually stand, I believe, as high in New Zealand as men can do-in public estimation.” Mr J. A. Mundelia, M.P., seconded the adoption of the report, which was carried unanimously. A dividend of 10 per cent., and a bonus of 5 per cent, for the year, was declared ; £B,OOO was added to the reserve fund, and £3,342 7s lid was carried forward to next vear.

Thu ss ‘ Clyde ’ is daily expected from Wanganui with a full cargo. There will bo a considerable amount of freight outwards by her. The ‘ City of Sydney,’ mail steamer, which arrived in Auckland on the Ist April, brought 307 mail bags and 175 tons cargo for Now Zealand. The ketch 1 Wild Duck ’ is fast filling up with cargo, having now on board 31 bales wool, 10 birds tallow, 28 sacks grsss seed, and is expected to be fully loaded by tins afternoon, and to sail direct for Wellington by to-morrow morning’s tide. Yvo regret being compelled to hold over a few interesting items ftoru our Hawcra correspondent, as also telegrams. On account of -the lion. Mr Fox being unable to lecture at Kakaramca on Monday night as promised, he will, at the beginning of next mouth, on visiting Y/averlcy for the purpose of laying the foundation-stone of the proposed new Presbyterian Church, conic on from thence to Kakaramca, and deliver the promised lecture, of which due notice will be given.

A heavy storm passed over the district on Saturday evenihg last, the wind blowing a perfect gale and the rain coming down heavily. The proposed lecture on Temperance. in the Carlyle Town Hall, by the Hon. Mr Fox, was consequently postponed. The promised lecture was, however, delivered on Monday evening, and was well attended. The hon. gentleman spoke about an hour and a-half on the Temperance question, and took a somewhat broader view of the question than is common to teetotal advocates. The lecturer concluded with an eloquent appeal to the audience, ladies and gentlemen, to enroll themselves in the cause, and help to rid the world of its at present greatest scourge—drunkenness. The lecturer was repeatedly applauded. Mr D. Coutts occupied the chair. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the Hun. Mr Fox, for his lecture, ami to the Chairman for presiding. On Saturday evening, u hired buggy, with pair of horses, coming from Ilawcra, passed Furnctt’s ’Brickmaking establishment about dark. In going down the hill towards the bridge the horses bolted, and on reaching the guide rail of the Mangapoa bridge one horse broke loose and crossed the bridge safely, the other, attached to the vehicle, tumbled down the steep embankment into the river. The driver had been pitched out before the bridge was reached, fortunately without sustaining much injury. A European passing at the time looked upon it as hopeless to think of attempting to recover either hor.-e or vehicle A couple of Maoris coming along afterwards assisted the driver, and the horse was unloosed from IHe harness and recovered, the vehicle slid into the river. On Sunday morning, the buggy being discovered in the river under the bridge with a dcccn’; h\y. eel loi 3 r on tup. was lijhed up r.nd set hide up, and has since bcctq brought to town.

The Kangilikei - \d vacate, referring to tliu late visit uL‘ ihmgitikoi .Sheep Inspector (Mr Simpson} to this district, says : “ From information which wo have received there can be little doubt that several of the docks hi the district are badly infected, but until Mr (Simpson's report be published nothing can be aflirmed with any certainty. Should, however, our information prove correct, serious complications arc likely to ensue. The gentlemen of the long robe will, no doubt, reap a golden harvest, as lawsuits to a serious extent arc threatened on every hand. Settlers whose docks have been infected being, it is said, about to sue the owners of the docks from which the infection was communicated, while report also says the inspector is not to be allowed to get oil scot free. Should the facts prove to be as reported, the Government will bo amenable to censure for appointing to so responsible an office a gentleman who has proved his incompetently to perform the duties appertaining to it. In a matter involving such serious consequences, it is especially desirable that none but thoroughly competent persons should ho appointed. And it seems almost incredible that any one at all acquainted with the subject should have failed to detect the existence of scab when so pointedly brought under Ins notice. The office of sheep inspector is one of those in which Government patronage should he exercised with a jealous regard to the interests of the colony at large.” The Auckland Star of 2nd April says : Monatairi Company crushed 400 tons of stone during the past fortnight, which have yielded IG,GG2 o/.s. retorted gold, the prolits upon the fortnight’s transactions being 43,000- The week’s gold melted 10,21)8 ozs. The Wairarapa Neim Letter says : —We understand that Mr D. Donald’s held of oats has yielded an average of 70 bushels per acre, the total being in excess of 4,000 bushels.