COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 31 August 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

Letters by tho inward ’Frisco mail were received in tiiis district yesterday. The County Council’s annual balancesheet is joubiished to-day on our fourth page. Tiiu last hunt of the season with the Otago hounds took place yesterday at Foretell. The Canterbury Jockey Club will recognise all decisions of the Tattcrsall Club, recently formed. King George of Greece is visiting the Emperor of Russia. Rumors arc rife as to the hidden significance of this friendli” ness. Provincialism has been gravely proposed to the Assembly as a remedy foi the inefficient and costly administration of the colony. Denis Kearney, the agitator in San Francisco, has fallen into disgrace. Some working men have tried to lynch him. A severe change, that! Tho proprietor of the Toronto Globe, Mr George Brown, an able writer and politician, is dead. Sin Wm. Fox will propose next session to abolish Bellamy’s. He would prevent intoxicating liquor from being sold in Parliament buildings. The Town of Manilla has been destroyed by two shocks of earthquake. The streets are heaped with ruins. The loss of life is believed not to be large.

A Fauji or 87 acres with dwellinghouse, in the Okutuku block, near Wavcrley, was sold by auction on Saturday, at Mr Dale’s rooms, Patca. The price was low, there being few bidders. A new plan is being tried with (he native fencers. They arc inarched off to New Plymouth, and there they get some food and arc told to go away, as the Government does not want any more prisoners.

ft is said the Public Works Department engaged a laborer in Wellington with horse and cart at 12s a day. When he went for his cheque. 10 per cent, was deducted oil; the contract price! Those officials must have got tcn-pcr-cent. on the brain.

Edison has tired himself out with trying to utilise the electric light for domestic purposes. Ho is now “ going in” for an electric locomotive. What about his electric ship '? Those grand stories of inventions at Mcnloc Park, New York, are mostly Yankee bunkum. A Ihi’iiK Contest took place at Patca on Saturday, in continuation of the competitions for the Williams prize rifle. It is open to members of the district corps, and must be won twice consecutively to become the holder’s property. It was won first by J. Hitching, Patca ; but Saturday’s competition was in favor of D. McLean, Waverlcy. The scoring was as follows :

Mr Frank Dockland, the clever and practical writer on naturalist subjects in Land and Water, is suffering from dropsy, and his strength is failing. He had a narrow escape a year ago. The Legislative Council have elicited another startling case of official extravagance. The cost of wardens and clerks on gold-fields exceeds ten thousand pounds per annum, and travelling expenses are charged to Government even when officers stop at friends’ houses.

The Patea District Jockey Clur have to-day issued their revised programme for the spring meeting, November 19th. It will he noted that nominations for the hurdle and railway handicaps are to close October 16th (not 30th), and acceptances close November (Jtli. The weights will appear in the Mail October 21.

A Press Li del Cask at Dunedin is exciting amusement and contempt. The Echo, an evening paper, published some strong statements about the editor of the Star, also an evening paper ; and an action for libel is pending. The press is a powerful instrument, but there arc persons who cannot use it without rancorous abuse. A malevolent journal is about the most mischievous tiling in creation.

More Borrowing.— Power is given to the Government, by resolution of the Assembly, to borrow up to £OOO,OOO on deficiency hills, to cover any deficiency in revenue during the year. This internal floating debt will bo three times as much as was previously authorised. The tax on beer having been reduced from 6d to 3d a gallon, by resolution in committee, there will he a considerable deficiency on the estimated yield. The Treasurer desires to put himself on the safe side, by having the power to issue Treasury 1.0.U.’s to the extent of six hundred thousand pounds. This is how the Audit Department does its work. A tradesman in Napier had an account for about £3O against the Government. After waiting some time, as is the usual experience ot those who want money from the New Zealand Government, a cheque for the amount went down. It was duly countersigned and paid. The surprise of the tradesman may he conceived, when two or three months afterwards he received a severe letter from the department concerned, saying that on several items of the account there had been an overcharge, and that this excess would he deducted. Enclosed was a second cheque for the amount, less the deductions, lie was honest enough to return the cheque at once, pointing out that the account had already been paid in full. Ho has not since heard about the overcharge.

Sk in-oraftino has effected a remarkable triumph in the ease of a boy who fell into a A\at of caustic potash, losing all the skin oil: both legs nearly to the hips. The Scientific American says :—“ After some months of hopeless and excruciating agony) the older physicians of the place giving up the ease as hopeless, a young man, Dr George J. Ross, undertook to save the boy’s life by skin-grafting. Over 2,000 grafts were used, the boy’s mother, the family coachman, and many neighbours and friends contributing thereto. The process was begun in April, 1879, and though the work is not yet complete, the legs are nearly restored to their natural functions. The grafts arc said to grow fastest in the spring months.” A change for the better is felt by l, farmers in exporting stock of all kinds this year. Fat sheep were difficult to quit last year, and old stock had te be boiled down. There has been a consequent decrease in the number of sheep now running in the district ; while, on the other hand, fat sheep can now be quitted to advantage, as recent auctions have shown. Official returns last year show that 143 owners in the district held 108,282 sheep on March olst. The owners this year arc three less, and the sheep held were 82,500 on tho last day in March. This decrease of 24,776 is explained by the ex tensive boiling down of old sheep last year, in consequence of the bad market. Among those who held sheep last year, 22 do not appear in this year’s return, but there are 19 new owners.

At Oa'mavu, the Colonial Bank has narrowly escaped destruction by fire, which originated under the stairs among some survey poles. A short struggle with hand-buckets got the fire under. A strike among stevedores at|Lyttelton is reported. The Messrs Talbot and MeClatchie reduced the pay of their men from 12s to 10s per day of eight hours, and they are now on strike.

Kelly’s trial at Beecluvorlh is fixed for October 14.

Local Bodies are to receive subsidies for four and a half months, instead of nine months of fthe financial year. In paying one-half the previous subsidy, the Government will deduct the 20 per cent of land fund. Round Europe Drawn rv Dogs.—A Swede is making the round of Europe in a car drawn by three Irish dogs, and he hopes to complete his tour by Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Italy, and England in six months. This exceptional tourist is conversant with many tongues. The North British and Mercantile Insurance Company have now a subscribed capital of two millions sterling. The lire premiums removed last year amounted to £1,157,015 ; life polices were issued to the value of £922,044, and the year’s claims amounted to £279,054. Messrs Eyton and Pringle are the Patoa agents. At a fashionable dinner in London recently, the table decorations comprised young trees in full fruit, so that guests could pick the peaches, nectarines, and cherries, and enjoy their dessert an naturel. The Government require detailed tracings of the township of Carlyle, also Carlyle extension on the Whenuakuraside, suburban sections around Carlyle, tracings of the Harbor Board reserves, and of sections between Kakaramea and Alauut ahi. There is a presumption that the Survey Department requires these tracings in connection with the prosecution of railway works. A large body of laborers (tbc unemployed) are to be kept at work on the railway formation, about live miles of earthwork being put in band to lind these men employment at subsistence wages. The report that another hatch of 50 unemployed is coming from Wellington is premature, though wc believe it is well founded. Any grievance on that score among working men resident in the place is likely to bo removed by new openings on the harbor railway contract a fortnight hence. Messrs Downes and Proctor will have pile-timber brought by rail to Waitotara when trucks begin to run up to that point in ten days or a fortnight. Their other timber is coming by sea to Patea harbor.

A Mektixg oi' SuuvKvrOKS is advertised for Saturday next, at the Albion Hotel, to consider a proposal for forming an association of authorised surveyors. The members of the profession desire to have a recognised schedule of charges for survey work, adapted to the varying character of the land to be surveyed. Ft is a standing grievance that, when a diflicult piece of field-work has to bo charged according to the exceptional character of the ground, in respect of distance, acccssiblencss, broken surface, and other obstacles, there is no standard in this colony by which a dispute can be determined as to the fairness of charges. Even reference to a law court docs not help to a solution, except by having the point in dispute referred to the Survey Department of the Government. A decision arrived at in that way may be and often is mere guess-work, and satisfactory to neither party ; for an abstract decision can hardly bo worth having in the absence of knowledge of the particular piece of ground, which may be smooth or broken, remote or easily accessible, bush or plain. The body of surveyors along this coast, from Wellington to Waitara, desire to arrive at a general agreement on matters of this kind, and to draw up an approved schedule of prices applicable to the majority of cases, and serving as a general guide. Meetings have been held at Wellington, Wanganui, Now Plymouth, and ameetingis now arranged at Pateato discuss the status of the profession, to devise remedies for grievances, and to form an association for securing unity of action. There appears to be a general approval of the projected association, and wc believe it is favored at .head-quarters as being a move in the right direction. There is also a matter which affects the public directly, and that is to provide some test and guarantee by which qualified surveyors shall not bo confounded with those “ muffs” whose incompetence is a fraud on those who employ them. It is intended, wc arc told, that this association shall be a guarantee that work done by it members will be properly performed, and at a regular scale of charges. To that end it is essential that the association shall be recognised by Government, and probably the Surveyor General will be favorable to that. “ Did you ever see the Catskill Mountains ? ” asked a young lady of her lover“No,” said ho, “but I’ve soon ’em kill mice. Compulsory attendance at school in England is now enforced by a now Act.

Axotiiku Novicr/rv.—The latest idea is the “ Dairy Phonographe.” iSubcribcrs are furnished with phonographs, or speaking machines, of approved pattern. There is a central office in which the news “is spoken.'’ The voice of the speaker is recorded on sheets of tin foil. At early morning the sheets are sent out to subcribers and iitted into their phonographs. The master of the house comes down to breakfast, chips the top off his egg, takes a bit of toast, and touches a spring in the phonograph. The instrument immediately begins to “ speak out” the news of the day in the voice of the clerk who originally delivered it in the central office. By the time the last sip of coffee has been imbibed the “ subscriber” is posted up in a summary of the news of the hour.

Fi.attkuv. —Artful Snip : “ Dear me ! Vciysing’lar, sir!—exact’ the measurement of the ‘Apoller Belviperc,’ sir ! ” [Customer orders a second suit.]

yards; 200 300 400 Ttl D. McLean, Waverley 17 15 10 48 G. Harden, Patoa ... 15 10 10 47 A. King, Patea 17 17 9 43 J. Kitching, Patea ... 10 15 11 42 II. Chadwick,Patea... 10 13 12 41 R. M. Pringle, Patea 10 14 10 40 J. Black, Patoa 15 10 9 40 A. Black, Patoa ... 10 13 10 39 J. Matbieson, Waverley 10 9 13 38 D.McDonald, Waverley 14 9 11 34 F. Treweek, Waverley 17 11 5 33