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Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 429, 28 May 1879, Page 2

Tenders for the Carlyle Post and Telegraph, offices will be received at the Public Works Office, Wellington, up to noon on Saturday next. Mr F. R. Jackson’s Waverley stock sale lakes place on Friday next.

The annual general meeting of the Hawera Institute will be held at the Town Hall, on Saturday evening. Tenders will be received by Mr Thomas Allan, Waverley, until to-morrow, for bush felling at Whakamara Mr W. Howitt is the only new member elected to the Carlyle Town Board, and from what experience we have had of him, we should think he would become a useful man. Messrs Milroy, Adams, and Aitchison have been re-elected.

By advertisement elsewhere, it will be seen that Mr E. M. Honeyfield has retired from the County Council contest in favor of Mr F. J. Gane, and that the latter gentleman has been declared duly elected. The wisdom or otherwise of Mr Honeyfield’s step, has yet to be decided. A correspondent wishes to know why the Hawera Town and Road Boards have not complied with the Act, in advertising their election notices. We arc certainly in the dark as to the reason for not doing that which is right, but having failed to do so, it now rests with the County Council, we presume, to fill the vacancies in the Hawera Boards.

The Wanganui Chronicle has reached the enviable position in - the public regard which necessitates the issue of two distinct editions in a day. On Saturday, May 24, the first edition had no leader ; the second had a short one, together with an account of the football match between Wellington and Wanganui. Perhaps these two editions were intended as a compliment to Her Majesty on her birth . Confound it! The other side of the second edition is dated May 26. Spoiled our article—just like the Chronicle. In the report of football match, we are first told that Wanganui won by a goal to nothing, and then we have a graphic description of how Wellington secured a force down. In the first edit that is, in Saturday’s issue—Mr Levy is made to ask how a man could spend 7s a da}' in firewood. How could he, indeed ? But a line or two further on it is 7s a week. The Wanganui people have evidently discovered “ what’s in a name.” The second—that is Monday’s issue—in reporting a concert, tells of the oucccoa o£ tho oong, “ Ho my Oormaiko." Quite a new thing, some might think. We have a suspicion that Mr Sankey would call it “ Hold the Fort.” Some time on Sunday night last, a most strange attempt at incendiarism was perpetrated on Messrs Ardern and Dunn’s ham and bacon store room, which is situated near Mr White’s brick kiln ; and although the building was not destroyed, a large amount of damage has been sustained by the proprietors. About 6 o’clock on Monday morning, Mr Ardern and three of his workmen proceeded to the store, and discovered that the key, which was usually kept on a ledge above the door, was in the lock. It was at first thought that the key had been forgotten on the previous day ; hut on opening the door, Mr Ardern was nearly choked by a rush of flame and smoke, and it was observed that the building was on fire. Stops were at once taken to subdue the flames, which fortunately, owing to dampness of the sides of the building from the bacon and hams hanging, and the moisture soaking into the timber, had not gained much hold on the store. After putting out the fire, Mr Ardern congratulated himself on a narrow escape from a serious loss; but a smell of kerosene induced further search, when it was found that every part of the building had been saturated with that dangerous liuquid, and all the hams and sides of bacon had been rendered useless, as well as a large quantity of lard. Even the salting casks were visited, and kerosene poured into them. A,bout 350 mutton Hams were lying on a, table ready for smoking, and they were thrown about the room in all directions. Altogether it is a strange affair, for Mr Ardern says he does not know of an enemy in the district. Some person has certainly done the deed, and we hope the mystery will be solved ere long, and the culprit brought to justice. The estimated loss in stock is between £3BO to £4OO, and as neither the building or the contents were insured, Messrs Ardern and Dunn will sustain a heavy loss. The perpetrators of the deed seemed to have known what they were about, for in the event of the building not being destroyed by fire, they were determined that the stock should be rendered unsaleable by pouring kerosene over it. We understand that the whole of the damaged hams and bacon have been buried.

The police in New Plymouth seem to be regular terrors. At the Police Court on the 20th instant, several individuals were brought up and fined for leaving their vehicles in the street. A publican because dice were thrown in his house while he was away from home, was put in for £1 and costs. • Another publican was fined for permitting drinking in his hotel after 10 p.ra. And still another poor pub. was hopped on and fined 8s because the wind was too strong and blew his lamp out, A foothpath rider put his hand in his pocket for 10s. A Sunday liquor-seller paid 10s. and £1 11s costs. Two gentlemen were brought up for driving through the town without lighted lamps, but in one case the sun had only just set, and in the other a fine moonlight night was, pleaded. The cases were of course dismissed, the Court remarking that the police had better learn to distinguish between daylight and dark in future. Things have changed within the last few years in the town of New Plymouth, and one dare not wink now without having to visit the Resident Magistrate the next day. A meeting of the Wanganui Teachers’ Association will be held in the High School, Wanganui, on Saturday next, at 11 a.m. All teachers who are able are requested to attend.

At the R.M. Court, yesterday (before C. A, Wray, Esq., R.M.), F. M. Chapman sued McDonell and Pope for the sum of £l4 8s; judgment for plaintiff for amount and 15s costs. J. Paterson sued J. Fairweather for a debt of £6 ; judgment for plaintiff for £3los and 10s costa, also two-witnesses at 10s each. ; ■ The Wanganui Chronicle of yesterday, says:—The people of the colony will be pleased to learn that Her Majesty has conferred the honor .of Knighthood upon the member for Wanganui [Hon W. Fox], a gentleman whose.name is identified with the history of the colony from its earliest years.