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Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 368, 26 October 1878, Page 2

A telegram dared Wellington, the 21st instant, from the Hon. William H. Reynolds to G. F. Sherwood, Esq., states—“ Now tiiat the general Harbour Bill has passed the House of Representatives, your Bill will pass. It only awaits the third reading in the Legislative Council.” A telegram read at the last meeting of the Patea Harbour Board, from the Hon. J. Hall, stated that the “ Harbour Bill had passed the Legislative Council, with unimportant amendments.” The hon. gentleman was hardly explicit enough—the Bill had then only passed, and been approved by the Committee, as we afterwards discovered on receiving Wellington files. The Bill has, however, now passed its third reading in the Upper House, having gone through its final stage on Wednesday last. The s.s. Waitara, which paid a visit to Patea last summer, has been purchased from the Messrs Webster, of New Plymouth, by the contractor for Wanganui Harbour. Works, and is to be used for river work. Mr W. Dale will sell shares at his mart, Carlyle, to-day.

The Registrar of Lands returns show that the total amount of money secured by mortgages, under the Lands Transfer Acts, up to the 30th June, was £7,044,972, being an increase of nearly 44 per cent on the previous year’s return. The Wellington Post basing its calculations on the report, and the rate of interest at 8 per cent, says that a million sterling of interest is paid ever) year to persons of capital, or companies, the bulk of whose shareholders live in England.

At a land sale in Wellington, on Monday, 544 acres at Waverley, not far from the beach, fetched £5 per acre.

Last year the Wanganui coach was stuck up on the road by a beast, which it was at first reported had been left on the road by cattle drovers, and but for the skill and pluck shwon by Coachman During, would likel} r have led to loss of life. A traveller from Wanganui on Wednesday, reports being himself charged, and seeing other travellers charged, by an animal, not far from Goat Valley, which hiid apparently been left behind from a mob of cattle which was then being driven to Wanganui. The several travellers being unable to pass (lie beasi, had no alternative but to take shelter in an adjoining paddock, leaving the bullock for some time master of the situation. We are of opinion tiiat such a reprehensible practice as that referred to, should bo severely punished. It was with difficulty that one of the travellers escaped from the charges of the beast, though well mounted. The children attending the Goat Valley School ran great risk of their lives, as the animal was in possession of the road shortly before the time the children would be leaving school for home.

Tenders for additions to Mr Gibson’s Store, Nonnanby, wall be received until to-day.

The annual meeting of the Waverley Town Hall Committee, will take place this evening, at eight o’clock.

Messrs Stevens and Gorton will hold a clearing out sale of contractor’s plant, at Bulls, Rangitikei, on the 29th instant.

The search for Iliroki on the Wairnate Plains has led to excursions over land and to places.seldom before visited by Europeans, and “discoveries” have been made. Passing along the ordinary coach road the Plains appear to be bounded by bush which gradually rising extends far as the eye can reach, and apparently without break. It turns out that immediately behind the long line of bush bounding the Plains there are extensive Maori clearings, which arc cultivated with a care which would do credit to crack European farmets, the land being also surpassingly rich in quality. Clearings are to be met with from 60 to 100 or more acres in extent of the finest grass, which is kept perfectly clean and free from weeds or the incursions of cattle, and - the seed from which will be gathered and sold to Europeans. Some who-saw these clearings for the first time were astonished both at their extent and the evidence of care bestowed on them.

A sale of land at Hawera is announced by Mr W. Coweru, which, as the auctioneer truly says, “ has long been looked forward to, and will be hailed with satisfaction.” The block which comprises a little over seven acres has been cut up into about forty-five sections, and extends from the outer boundaries of Lloyd’s to Prosser’s Hotels, and has extensive frontages to the two roads followed by the telegraph poles leading toNormanby. Over-twelve months ago people wanting residence and business sectionsspotted the sites they most fancied, and concluded to wait till the block was cut up before investing. Hawera has gone ahead wonderfully since that time, and several then suburban lots have been sold and partly occupied as town sections. This extension of the town has naturally given greater value to the well situated arid level block shortly to be sold, and we shall not be surprised to find local men competing keenly for sections. An example of bow much may be accomplished in a short time by going the right way to work, may be seen in the condition of tliellawera CricketGVound as compared with that of Carlyle. But a few months ago, our own correspondent called attention to the rough state of the ground. Now there is a most excellent pitch, and the ground altogether is in good order. The Club has had the pitch properly levelled and turfed over, and it is now a credit to the district and all concerned, besides affording pleasure to all who have the privilege of playing on the ■ ground. Two photos of the late cricket match, taken by Mr Monkton’are on view at .Mr W. Dixon’s, Carlyle. They are both-..we1l taken, and one shows the excellency ortho ground to advantage.

In report of land sale last issue, two lots which got mixed, should have read—section 7, upset price, £65, W. Cowern £95 ; section 8, upset price, £75, Donald Coutts £l3O.

The following’, from the Wellington Special correspondent of the . Taranaki Herald, may be looked upon as rather warm for Patea, being no less than a diversion of money properly belonging to Patea County, to make a railway partly in Taranaki County, the whole benefit of which will be derived by Taranaki, that is, Patea pays, Taranaki gets all the benefits : “ All doubt is now removed as to the , disposal of the 15 per cent of the 20 per cent of local revenue on the sales of land on the Wairnate Plains. It will be devoted to making a branch line from the main line to Opunake.”, Another item from the same source shows with what good effect the Taranaki members have worked together Financial Arrangements Act, 1877,’ which were supposed to throw doubt on the fourth of the land revenue of Taranaki being a first charge for harbour purposes, have been repealed, and thus all ,dou%ts have been removed, if any really existed.”

A sheep shearing machine has been invented by an American, which consists of a small implement which can be handled as readily as a pair of sheepshears, but which takes off the fleece so much moi'e rapidly and economically than those articles as to cause a saving of f cent to 1 cent a pound wool clip-

The first volume of the New Zealand Stud Book of Draught Horses, has been published by the Canterbury Agricultural Association, and contains 72 entries of Horses and 2.66 mares,.

At tlie Auckland Agricultural Show to bo held on the 13th November, upwards of £7OO will be offered in prizes.

The reduction of freight charges in the railway has led to large quantities of produce being sent from Waikato to Auckland. The Herald says The first export for that district was wool, then came cattle and sheep, and now we learn that potatoes and other agricultural produce, readies the Auckland market in considerable quantities. One gentleman in town has disposed of several hundred tons of Wai-kato-grown potatoes within the last few weeks.

News was received in Caplyle, on Wednesday afternoon that Te Whiti had sent word that Hirold had arrived at Parihaka, but that no one was to go for the murderer until Te Whiti had interviewed the Native Minister. The following Press Agency" telegram from New Plymouth, under date of the 24th instant, gives further particulars :—Hiroki is at Parihaka, but it is believed that he cannot possibly live on account of a gun-shot wound lie received from someone in the search party when they met him near Opunake. The bullet must have hit him in the groin, and driven the cap pouch into the wound. He is under Te Whiti's protection, who wishes to see the Hon Mr "Sheehan and Major Brown.

Messrs Irons and Forgusson, auctioneers, Masterton, Wairarapa, want a few Patea cattle farmers to attend a sale to beheld by them at Ti Nui, a township on the East Coast, a few miles from Castle Point. Patea is getting famous as a grazing district.

At a meeting of the Wanganui County Council, on Thursday, . six tenders for metalling theWaitotara Road were opened, and that of Mr D. Wilkie accepted.

In moving the second reading of the Railways Bill, on Wednesday, Mr Macandrew said that Government this year, proposed to spend £400,000 on ruihva3 r s, and £157,000 "on immigration. He would propose that appropriations be made annually. Reserves would be made for towns and small farms, ail along the lines. The line through the King Country would bo dependent on the acquisition of hind, but the link between Wanganui an 1 New PUunonth would be joined in two or three years.

At the R. M. Cmirt, Carlyle, yesterday, before 0. A. Wray, Esq., K.M., John Lyttlc sued Thomas Maywood, senior, both of Kakaramea for using threatening language, and inciting Mamies to take by force a buggy, held by plaintiff for payment for repairs, and money lent. Judgment was given for both parties to be bound over to keep the peace for six months, each in the sum of £2O ; costs 11k Gd, to be divided ; and Interpreter’s fee 21s, also to be divided. Two civil cases, down for hearing, were settled out of Court. In the case of Tntangi v J. Lyttie, claim for £lO, for alleged misuse of a buggy sent for repairs, a nonsuit was granted.

The following are tin names of the team chosen to play in the match— Waverley v Carlyle—on Tuesday, the 29th instant: —Messrs Fraser (captain), Jacomh, Retch, Tenncnt, T.ipiin, Arundel, F. T. Horner, W. Dixon, Baggett, May, Con its. Emergency men—Chadwick, and Rev Fairclough and W. Dasent.

A local .sportsman seeing, nicely within gunshot what he deemed to b-> a swamp hen, fired and hit the mark. 'The swamp hen turned out to be a tamo duck, which the owner politicly forwarded to the shootist.

The Marton correspondent of the Wanganui Herald says : —We have just heard a specimen of the value of land in Marton, at the present time, corner section 99 feet to High street, and 69 feet to Wellington Road, has been sold to Mr W. G. Watt for £IOOO. This valuable property was owned E>y Mr Thomas Polgreen, and taking into consideration the position as a business site .it is considered cheap—being at the rate of £l6 per foot frontage.

Only two tenders were received by the Patea West Road Board, for side cuttingon Mr Dasent’s road, leading to Otauto. Both being considered too high, it was decided to employ day labour.

A meeting of the Patea Comity Caledonian Society was held on Thursday last, when a programme, embracing twenty-six events, was received and adopted, to be advertised from the 24th of November. Messrs Mcßae and Adams to be asked to officiate as handicappers. Messrs 0. Dasent and Hutchinson were elected a committee to attend to the tilting. The following, 1 comprise the committee : —R. 0. Tennent, President ; R. E. Mcßae, Vice President ; C. Hargreaves, Treasurer; D. M. Harris, Score tary ; 11. S. Peacock, R. B. Hamilton, Andrew Hunter, T. Kells, H. Chadwick, H. E. P. Adams, W. Dixon, C; Dasent, S. Dixon, A. Hutchinson, S. Taplin, and J. Adamson.

Another wreck lias taken place off the Otaki River, about forty chains from the wreck of the Felix Stowe. A Press Agency telegram of Wednesday says : —The ship City of Auckland, from London, bound to Napier, with railway material, and 240 adult immigrants, is ashore near the mouth of the Otaki river. The vessel came ashore about nine last night in a heavy N.E. gale. Later telegrams mention that there was little danger of any lives being lost, and the immigrants were to be lodged in the College at Otaki. The cargo can be saved, and the ship floated, as she is on a good beach.

Three hundred ton blocks of concrete are to be used in the construction of the Tiraaaru Breakwater. A start has just been made on the 'first block, each of which will take a considerable time to make.

Under the head of Scientific Gossip, the Canterbury Times says :■ — The present “growing weather,” as gardening-corres-pondents term it, appears to afford a favorable opportunity for emphasising their instructions to use the hoe freely. Professor Prentiss, of Cornell University, has estimated the annual crop of seed produced by single plants of some of our common weeds. He finds that the dandelion produces 2000; the ox-eye daisy,' 13,000 ; dock, 13,000 ; burdock. 24,000 ; mayweed, 40,000 : red poppy, 50,00 p.