The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesday and Saturdays) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1378.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 298, 23 February 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesday and Saturdays) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1378.

A plan showing the gazetted line of Mountain Road 1 and Railway line was receiver! by ihe County Council on Tuesday last. The road line is mapped off from end of metalled road leading from Hawera to beyond the Patch River. From the starting point the road line ;runs diagonally through Norman by sections 6GO (Waller) and 6(1 V (Biak-), passing close to Captain Blake’s residence. It goes through corner of section SG3(Hom Pihama), and crosses the road, and after passing diagonally over the further end of Bretts’ large paddock takes the line of road near the Saw Mill, nei o.ss Wilsons' section, and joins on to. the now used portion of the Mountain Road at Te Rod, about six miles from Johnston’s Koteimirae Hotel. .

The Foreman of Works Patea County? has been sent to New Plymouth, for tho purpose .of obtaining all information.-pos-sible from the Resident Engineer,,in legard to working plans of the Mountain Road, and also for the" purpose of inspecting the road. We are given to' Understand, that on Mr Wrights return,"Mr Bridge (Chairman of County Council.) will immediately authorize the calling of ‘tenders for the most pressing portions of the work. G. V. Bate,•• Lsq., 'for the past three years in charge of the Hqwera Branch of. the Bank New. South Wales, left oh Wednesday last for’New Plymouth; to enter on his duties as manager of ’Branch Bank lately opened there. - In Mr,. Bate, Hawera has lost a widely esteemed and valuable member of the community,, and one who has been connected with every progressive movement, and has ever shown himself willing to aid or take part as a worker in any movement for the. material ■ or social advancement of the district or settlers.

The s.s. Waitara leaves for Waitara today.

The adjourned meeting of Chairmen of School Committees, convened by Mr G. S. Bridge, was held in the Council Chambers on Wednesday evening. Present: Messrs G. S. Bridge (in the chair), Middleinas, Williams, Homer, and. Williamson. The •chairman read letters from Sandon, Fielding, Martoh,-and Avv’a Huri, as to suggested .working together in the election of. members of the Education Board. After dueconsideration,- the following proposition was moved by Mr Williamson, seconded by Mr Horner, and carried, ‘‘Tliat tile following gentlemen be vecommenddd to, the several commiUees iu Patea County, as suitable members for the Wanganui Education Board Messrs J. Duthie, W. Williams, W. H. Watt, J. Bryce. H- I. Jones, Henry Sanson, J. T. Dairymple, Hon. W. Fox, and 11 ev J. Boss.” The meeting adjourned. Returns furnished to the Sheep Inspector for that portion of the Patea County under the care of F. K.' Hickson, Esq., show a total of. 36,216. Livingston & McMichael art- the largest owners, with 5,200, 11. S. Peacock coming next, with •1,000. It must he recollected that return now xniblished is for the previous year, and is in no way correct as. regards ,tlic number of sheep at present owned in Patea. The names of many at present large owners are not on the returns front which the above figures were taken. ' - ‘ - Letter from Mr W1 Dalej referring to Mr Sherwood’s' letter/ .and /other • matters shall appear next issue.

The Grey River Argus is/agitating for a Waste Lands Board for the. County of Grey, being constituted a‘Lahd District. The meeting'at Waverley,'. re support df hospital, was attended by three persons. At Hawera about fifteen were present, but no disposition was shown to contribute towards a County hospital. Hawera„wants .hospital for itself. Five sailing vessels crossed the bar of the Patea River on Wednesday morning, four outward bound, and one inwards The ,s,.s. Waitara also arrived from Waitara. Tenders for ploughing will be received by Mr J. Winks, Hawera, up to Monday. Applications for femai£ assistant teacher for Hawera, will be received by the Chairman School Committee, /Hawera, until MoiV-’uiy. . Mi- “Jackson will hold .large sheep iind'cattle sale to-day, -at; Waverley. -, dominations for member for Patea Har" hour Board# Waverley Riding, must be seat in to the Returning Officer, at. the Police Barracks, Waverley, before noon of, Monday. Alligators, amphibious curiosities, pictures, sterescopic views, and wonders of all kinds, on view in tent to-day, hear the Carlyle Town Hall. At the Police Court, Carlyle, yesterday, James Callaghan was charged by Constable Wilson with fighting with Maoris on the racecourse. The policeman stated that after repeated warnings he was compelled to lock him up-to prevent mischief' being done. He was also charged with having broken out of the lock-up about 8 o’clock bn Thursday night; He was found by the police at 8.30 -o’clock, and re-locked up. Prisoner admitted both, charges, expressed himself very sorry, and said it was all through the drink. The Magistrate cautioned the prison''* > ana pointed out the seriousness of the charge,.ad vising him to abstain from drinking. Fined, 10s for being drunk, and 25s damages to lock-up, with costs. Tenders for gravelling, .were opened by a, committee of the County Council on Wednesday last. J. and'W,'Hughes’tender for Waverley and Waitotara Hill was accepted at 6s per yard ; J, Johnston Kakaramea and Patea at Gs 6d per chain. One other tender was received.

The Thames Star says the County Chairman has proposed a conference of adjoining Counties to discuss subjects in which each arc interested. These would embrace the proposed Thames and Waikato Kail way, to connect the Thames with the main trunk line at Hamilton, or some other convenient spot ; a permanent system of roads and bridges connecting the several counties; and the advisability of asking Parliament, during its'next session, for some compensation in lieu of subsidy, which would accrue were the large tracts of Native lands not exempt from taxation. -

The Grey River Argue, in an article on Registration of'electors, says—“ It should be with registrations as with objections. An officer of the .Government should be appointed, whose duty should bo not only to see. that unqualified persons shall be struck off the roll, but that every qualified .person should 'be placed thereon ” The same paper states that a general ' election will assuredly take place before many months are over, and urges all qualified persons to register;