Untitled

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 361, 2 October 1878, Page 2

British Mails by way of San Francisco close at the Patea Office, on Tuesday, the Bth instant, at 10 p.m. — Francis Long, Postmaster.

The New Zealander of Friday last says — “ One of Major Atkinson’s pet Parliamentary chickens—the Paten 11 arbor Board Bill—has had its■ beautiful plumage completely plucked by the Waste Lands Committee, to which the House referred it. There is a vein of grim irony about the way in which the Committee have dealt with the Bill. It went into their hands headed thus—‘ A Bill intituled an Act to vest certain lands in tlie Patea Harbor Board, and to empower such Board to borrow money.’ The title now is made by’the Committee to read simply, ‘An Act to empower the Patea Harbor Board to borrow money.’ As all the endowment clauses have undergone the process of deletion, it must bo gratifying to the Board to possess the power of borrowing, with nothing to oiler as security.” It would be very difficult to get Patea people to believe the Patea Harbor Bill was one of Major Atkinson’s pet Parliamentary Chickens. Want of sympathy—or rather greater sympathy for New Plymouth —is deemed to be one of the causes why greater effort for the welfare of the Bill was not exerted by the -Major.

The particulars of tenders for Inland Taranaki Mail Services, specifies that on the completion of the Mountain Road, the service New Plymouth and Hawera will bo from the railway terminus Inglewood or Stratford, to Hawera. In connection with this, wo may cal! attention to the necessity for the contractor for the Patea end of the road being hurried up. It is quite time a start was made.

Gazette of the 19th September, contains list of lands in the Taranaki Provincial District set aside as endowments for primary education.

Of seven tenders sent in for the Brunswick contract of the Permanent Way contract of the Batea-Manawatu Railway, A. Tawes, Wanganui, was lowest, £3,559 17s, and Coates and Gregory, Dunedin, highest, £4,612 ss. We understand that the successful tenderer has already started, and means to have it out of hand in about two months’ time.

The first match of the season, of the Patea Cricket Club (Married v Single) will come off on Saturday next, the sth October. The whole of the following gentlemen will be chosen to play, if they roll up, as it is the intention of the match committee of giving every one a chance—Rev Fairclough, Dr Croft, Messrs Taplin, Fraser, W. Dixon, Baddeley, Baggett, Tennent, W. Cowern, A. Black, S. Dixon, Jacomb, Arundell, Horner F. T., Coutts, Bourke, W. Dasent, Hargraves, Fetch, May, C. Nicoll, D. Williams, Chadwick, Harris, H. Nicholson, C. Symes, A. Gower, and A. Hutchinson. Play to commence at 11 o’clock sharp.

Major Heaphy, V.C.,has been appointed a Judge of the Native Lands Court. The Wanganui Chronicle says—“ Whatever may be said with regard to other departments of labor—and generally speaking the demand is greater than the supply —we have most undeniable evidence that carpenters and builders have got their hands full.” It then mentions that the Education Board having received no tenders for certain work. Will have to try again. It will be seen that the Kohi school committee are in a similar fix—the chairman is again calling for tenders. A number of new buildings are required at Carlyle, but carpenters are too busy at present for it to be safe to venture on taking up more contracts.

A Maori walked quietly into the Printing office on Monday last, surveyed the premises, and then disappeared—at the same time mumbling “ Kahore te Peka,” meaning, we presume, the baker. The P D , mistaking the Maori term for baker, to howl took upon himself after Mr Maoriman that there were nobeggars in Patea. The subject for debate at Thursday evening’s meeting of the Carlyle Improvement Society is—“ That Oliver Cromwell was a greater ruler than Queen Elizabeth.” Mr Tregear takes the affirmative, and Mr J. Hirst the negative. On first starting work the Wairaate Plains survey parties, four in number, kept well together. They are now working and have encampments away from each other, one party being only about three miles from Oeo.-

Telegrams received last night from various parts of the South Island stated that the floods ' from the rivers were subsiding. After the county ; has been put to the expense of holding a coroner’s inquest, and some fond parent is left to mourn the loss of n little one, it is possible that,the responsible Government officer mav decide; to give instructions' for the open well near the Manntnhi Block* House to be substantially boarded over. There are two open wells on Government ground, at Manutahi —one at the Block House, the other near the Immigrants’ cottages. The schoolhouse is close by, and the wells are a constant source of clanger to the children, several bv.ving narrowly escaped falling down. Complaints' have frequently been made, but the responsible officer has not yet been met with. The well near the cottages would be useful if securely fenced in, the other is simply a source of danger, with no likelihood of its being again required. It may bo characterized as almost criminal for two such danger-traps to ho kept so near to a public school and children’s play ground.

A tremendous shaking of the earth and of the printing edifice on Saturday last, led all hands to rush outside in the belief that an earthquake was taking place, when it was discovered that a Whenuakura Go —er was attempting to overhaul a neighboring tradesman—a top-sawyer at all athletic sports—in a footrace along the pathway. The heavy man —earth-shaker —was too well up in condition, and came in last. He vows to try again after sweating off half a dozen or so stone weight.

At the Carlyle Court yesterday (before C. A. Wray, Esq., R.M.,and H. F. Christie, Esq., J.P.), S. Taplin sued Brown —a native—for £1 19s. To be paid within a fortnight, or 1-i days in Wanganui gaol.

Mr Flynn, expressman, Hawora, brought to the Carlyle Hospital on Monday evening, one of Mi Clical’s survey party, who had hurt himself in jumping across a stream and on to a shingle bed.

In n discussion of tho Government Harbour Hill on the 2-till Sept., the linn Mr lieynelcls gave one or more illustrations of the inexpediency of leasing lands in a new colony for terms of forty 3 T ears. Thus, in Dunedin lie said one leasehold only produced an annua! rental of .£45, while the fortunate leaseholder netted a yearly profit of £9OO, and as a further confirmation of Ids views asked lion Councillors to contrast the present value of tho reclaimed land in Wellington with what it would have realised 20 years since. In deference to these views the determination of the lime for which leases of harbor endowments should be granted was postponed.

The Thames Star, after recounting the many services rendered by Mr James Mackay, in connection with Native Land Purchases, concludes—“ He has now closed the long vexed sales - of Waikawau and Mochan ; he has practically concluded the purchase of the freehold of the Ohincmnri block, ami if wc have before us, as we hope wo have, prosperity greater' Ilian has ever been our lot before, then Mr Jam >s Mackay ought not to bo the least honored or remembered amongst ns/for he lias served tho public well.

The Government Gazette of Smith Australia contains a, proclamation offering a bonus of £4,000 to the inventor of the best machine for reaping and cleansing cereals.

The N.'Z. Times says : —“ Even Mr Sheehan, the author of the freehold franchise for the Maoris, admitted on the 26th instant, that this dual voting power for Maoris might act unfairly in some instances. He really only asked for the power to be given them for one year, and perhaps forgot for the moment that in the not improbable event of a general election, this power of a Maori vote, which Major Atkinson asserted would rule all country elections in the North Island except about half-a-dozen, might prove very useful to the Ministry of the day.

A Press Agency telegram from Christchurch of the 26th September, .says—The gale and hot winds throughout the province have continued to-day, and the result has been more serious than was anticipated, indeed the rising df the principal rivers has not been so great since 1870, and the damage done has been very serious all over the province, to say nothing of houses, roofs, and chimneys that have been blown down in nearly every township in Canterbury. —The following telegram was received in Wellington, same day, by the bon the Minister for Public Works from Mr Conyers—“ Owing to the nortb-westers and heavy floods traffic is stopped on the north line at the old place, and also on the south line through two spans in the middle of Rangitata bridge being washed away, leaving a gap of 120 feet.” At Ashburton the gale was very severe.

R. Foulis, Esq., Inspector for the Wanganui Education Board, held school inspections at Hawera on Friday last, at Norman by on Saturday last, and at Manutahi on Monday. We shall be anxious to see the report oirPatea schools, as, from what we have gathered, the examinations have resulted somewhat differently as regards hono.'s to what has been common in the past. We have strong faith in Mr Foulis, both as regards ability and evenhandedness, and believe that the fearless pointing out of weak places will ultimately prove gratifying to parents, and a substantial and lasting benefit to the scholars.

At the Taranaki Waste Lands Board meeting, held on the 23rd September, the Chief Surveyor reported that 2000 acres of the Waimate Plains, between Waingongoro and Waikura, would be sectionaliy surveyed by the end of September ; and about 2,000 acres in Hawera district would probably be ready for sale by the same time. —lt was agreed to recommend that a strip of land about seventeen feet which separated the Hawera Town Board office from the’ public thoroughfate should be handed over to that body.

The Carlyle Meat Bazaar had on show on Monday evening the first lamb and veal of the season. Ihe lambs were a fine sample’, purchased from Mr E. ■ M. Honeyfield, When-uakura, and turned the scale’ at 40 lbs each, being but ten weeks old. A seven week’s old calf from- the same run weighed 100 lbs. :

A meeting of the Hawera Medical Society will be held on Friday evening.’

Mr W. Daie will sell cattle at his sale yards to-morrow, and timber at Hirst’s wharf. Mr F. R. Jackson will hold cattle sale at Hawera on Friday. The further proceedings of the Wanganni Education Board, as reported by the Chronicle , on Saturday last, embraced a discussion on Educational Reserve required Iw the Board at Bunnythorpc, and which Mr Bryce had been asked to use his influence to obtain. Mr Bryce, from reply sent, either misapprehended the wishes of the Board, or did not feel inclined to act as required,—A lung and hot discussion took place as to appointment and removal of teachers. Some members held that the recommendation of teachers should be left to Committees} and the appointments made by the Board, in accordance with wishes of Committees. Others held that the Board Inspector was most competent, and ought to be entrusted with the appointment and removal of teachers. Mr Sanson read the opinion of the Attorney-General on the subject, which confirmed the opinion ho had expressed with regard to the powers of the Board. The Act, as interpreted by Mr Stout, clearly set forth the duty of the Board to appoint and remove teachers, although in. certain cases committees recommend. The following motion by Mr Sanson, seconded by Mr Jones, was finally put, and carried unanimously—That, on any vacancy ocurring in any school, the committee of such school shall be supplied with a list of teachers who are candidates for promotion or appointment, for them to choose one of such teachers, and recommend his or her appointment to the Board, provided that no removal shall be sanctioned by the Board, unless the various school committees interested receive the usual notice.—lt was resolved to continue the old scale of payment of teachers, for three mouths after issue of particulars of now scale which had been agreed to. —Mr Dairy triple to move at next meeting, ‘‘Thar the appropriation of the Rees Bequest monej bo rescinded, with a view of applying the same towards the establishment of a High School at Wanganui.—Resolved, That the Board, in compliance with the Government Regulations, agree to pa}’ the committees the whole grant for school fund, and invite the Treasurer to prepare a scale as to its division by next meeting.— Resolved, That until December teachers be paid on such average monthly attendance as will bo most favorable to teachers, but after that date the attendance for the quarters April, June, &c., with the past months of quarter commencing October, be taken together for an average.—The report of the committee appointed to inquire into the question of scholar-ship was then read, and the Board resolved itself into committee to consider the clauses seriatim.