COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 14 September 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

A committee of Patea bachelors have issued invitations to a complimentary ball for Friday week. The furniture for the new Central Hotel at Patea will cost over £BOO. This sum goes to a Wanganui tradesman. The Church Concert at Waverley takes place this evening, in aid of the organ fund, and musical assistance will be furnished from Patea, Waitotara, Wanganui and Waverley.

A nor’-wester has blown down onethird of the oat-stacks in the Timaru district. Fanners are holding back their oats in expectation of an early rise in value. The Homeward freight during the wheat season has been 50s a ton. A successful new- comedy, “ Tho Turn of the Tide,” is being plaj r ed by a London company in Sydney. “ H.M.S. Pinafore” has been revived at the Melbourne Opera House by the Lyster & Williamson com-

pany. Another batch of unemployed from Wellington arrived yesterday per the Clyde steamer, and were sent forward to the camp near Manutalii, on the farm of Mr John Burke. This batch numbered 24, and will increase the total at that camp to about 50. The Suez Canal revenue increases year by year, owing chiefly to the growth of British trade with India and Australia.

During last yoar 1,477 vessels passed, the average time of transit being 404 hours. The vessels averaged about 4 per day. The president of the Suez Canal Company estimates that the Panama Canal can bo constructed in tho same time as was taken by the Suez Canal, and will not exceed 8 years. The Marquis of Ripon, whose appointment to the Governor-Generalship of India caused some agitation among Mr Gladstone’s supporters, has given a donation of twenty thousand rupees to the building of a Roman Catholic cathedral at Simla. This act is causing fresh protests at Home. Simla is in the hill-country, and being cool in summer it is used as a retreat for the Viceroy and bis court during the hot season. Combined wood-and-paper veneer for wail decoration is being introduced in this colony, and a firm at Christchurch intend to start a local manufactory. Veneer of this kind is much used in America, a thin

polished layer of wood being glued to paper, and forming a combination that can be bent and rolled up like thick cardboard. The article is sold in sheets of different colored woods, and the colors and mottling can he combined in panels and bordering so as to produce artistic effects of a most pleasing kind. For entrance halls, dining-rooms, dados round drawingrooms, or friezes round tops of walls, these veneer woods arc specially suitable, and choice examples arc to be seen in many London mansions. A thicker kind of veneer, set in patterns, makes an effective bordering for the polished floor of a drawing-room. The starting of the veneer industry will bring into greater use the fancy woods of this colony, New Shuts. —A furnishing warehouse is to be erected in Patea, next to Mr Huwitt’s bakery. Mr John Angel Houguez (Channel Island name) has taken a town lease lately held by Mr Howitt, and will begin building immediately. He has opened business temporarily in the cabinet shop used formerly by Mr Smith. Mr Houguez was last in business at the Manchester block, Wairarapa. Another large new shop in the main street is likely to be erected by a local tradesman; and a second building, still larger, is contemplated. One shop in the main street is to be raised another storey. Part of another shop is also to be raised. Improvements to other premises are spoken of ; and the main street of Patea will present an imposing appearance before this time next year. A performance by the Speciality Troupe was given in the Patea Town Hall on Thursday last. Negro singing is pleasing in moderation ; and nigger fun is acceptable as such ; but these do not make an entertainment. Two dramatic scenes were given in a manner which hardly calls for criticism. The “ screen scene” from the old comedy, “School for Scandal,” should never be enacted separately from the play as a whole because that “ strong situation ” is too nauseously scandalous to bear representation without a gradual leading up to it by way of hardening tho spectators sensibilities. The present enactment of that scene was too much of a burlesque in the female part, though the performers did not seem conscious of any absurdity. More pleasing amusement was afforded by the “ love scene ” from Sheridan Knowles’s fine play, “The Hunchback,” so strikingly Shakesperian in language and treatment. Tho scene was played just tolerably, and even in that form the rich coquettish humor was enjoyable. A really good dramatic company would be well appreciated in Patea, but other companies need not expect much. The thorough-bred horse Gladiator is announced to travel through Waverley and Maxwelltown districts.

, The Colliery Explosion at Seaham, [ near Sunderland, east coast of England, has resulted in 137 deaths. The mine is very large, but only about 200 miners were in the explosion, and 67 have been saved. Legerdemain. The loss to Patea County, through the financial changes made by Major Atkinson, will be at least £40,000 this year, perhaps £50,000 next year, and smaller amounts for many years

to come. He has inflicted a local injury, which other districts will feel very little, but which will be severe in Patea County, by taking away the 20 per cent, of land revenue from the County Council. The County should get 5 per cent, from Waimatc Plains, and 20 from other sales. Now that largo blocks are to be sold, a large yearly revenue would come to the County Council for making roads and bridges, and rendering the district accessible. Unless the Council gets the money, it cannot allot portions to Hoad Boards in easement of rates. Just when the land is to be sold, and this neglected County had prospect of a large income to put it on a par with other Counties that have sold most of their land and got their revenue to work on, this County loses its turnMajor Atkinson steps in and takes the money. Ho grabs the lot. How kind and thoughtful of him! How safe our interests arc in the hands of so eminent a representative! No need for a separate County member, so long as we are nursed and coddled in this way. When this County “ files,” the Member for Egmont ought to be appointed creditors’ trustee. Delay has occurred in freighting tim-

ber for the railway wharf at Patea. An enquiry by telegraph was received from Dunedin as to the state of the river, and the telegram being mislaid by an officer of the Harbor Board, a reply was sent which caused misunderstanding, as it did not a nswer the questions which had been put. The result was unfortunate for several parties, and is much to be regretted. The misunderstanding has been corrected, but only after much telegraphing and corres-

pondence. The steamer Oreti was to have been here before this time with a load of kauri. Now she is engaged to take the place of the Rangatira steamer, wrecked off Taranaki. A sailing vessel belonging to Guthrie and Larnach is loading timber at Kaipara, Auckland, and will be here in about a fortnight. About 750,000 feet of

timber will be required, and about 300,000 of it will bo kauri, from Kaipara ; and the Government have agreed to the use of tolara for piles, to come from Manawatu overland, to be drayed from tho station at Waitotara. Kauri timber is growing in favor for piling, in preference to the jarra hitherto imported. The freights from Kaipara will probably include small timber to fill up cargo, and bo sold here for what it will fetch. The high freights to this port are likely to be affected beneficially by this new opening in the timber trade. Rifle Shooting. —A return match was fired on Saturday between Wanganui and Patea Rifle teams. Ranges 200, 300 and 400 yards ; live rounds at each distance ; Bulls-eye 8 inches ; any position. Subjoined are tho scores of tho respective teams, by which it will be seen that the Wanganui men won by 2G points. Patea. yards ; 200 300 400 T1

Total 388 The Wanganganui scores were ;—Vol W. Armstrong, 48 ; Corporal Aamodt, 46 ; Corpl Cummins, 45 ; Col-Sergt Hughes, 44; Vol Foster, 42 ; Lanco-Corpl Nutsford, 40 ; Vol Graham, 38 ; Vol Eemmington 38 ; Band-Corpl Armstrong, 87 ; Vol Spuvdle, 36, Total, 414. The firing for the sporting gun given by Mr Samuel Taplin took place at the same time* and under the same conditions, except that the competitors were handicapped. This event proved a complete “ boil-over” for the scratch men, who were non-plussed by the brilliant scores made by some of those who had been awarded a liberal handicap. There were three money prizes besides Mr Taplm’s troph}’. Vol. D. M. Harris with a handicap of 12 points, was first with a total of 58 ; D. Willliaras, with a handicap of 6 points, second 50 ; J. Graham, 8 points hep., third for 48 ; A. King, scratch 46, fourth. The firing of the Patea men. was below their average, a strong wind blowing from the right.

The Rutland Hotel at Wanganui is to be reconstructed immediately. Pribce Bisinark has conferred with the Austrian Chancellor, to maintain the German understanding. The young Queen of Holland has given birth to a daughter. The new Queen of Spain has also had a birth. A combined fleet, representing all the great naval powers except France, has entered the Adriatic sea. It is held in reserve as a menace to Turkey, to compel tho treaty concessions of territory. Trickett and Laycock have been rowing in practice on the Tyne. Their style is not first-rate at present. The Inman steamer City of Richmond reached Liverpool from New York in a disabled condition. A football match at Auckland, between a Wellington and local team, was played on Saturday and won by Auckland. The north wall of the Oamaru breakwater is tendered for at £12,653 by Messrs Magill and Forrest. The wall will enclose an area of 60 acres. Cattle-yards are to be erected this week on the show ground of the A. and P. Association. The parade of entire horses is to take place in the same paddock next Saturday. Tub Sueei- Tax, 2s per 100, is to be paid before the 20th, or proceedings will be taken for recovery, this being the official instruction. Over 60 owners in this district are still in arrear, the tax being due on the Ist instant. Mountain Road. —A reply has been received to the appeal made by Ngaire settlers for some action to be taken to make the Mountain road passable between Normauby and Stratford. The late meeting to nominate members for the Ngaire Road Board passed a resolution about the condition of the Mountain road ; and the chairman, Mr Dale, forwarded it to the Government. An official reply has reached him stating that the Minister lor Public Works is unable to comply with the request. That is to say, the road is to remain impassable. Gold Discovery. —There is great excitement in town to-day owing to the discovery of a rich paying reef on the bogah, between Buggabuddab and Pangee. The ground was originally opened as a copper lode ; but as the sinking got deeper the indications changed, and it developed into a gold-bearing quartz reef. The shaft is down about 40 feet. —Sydney Echo.

Col.-Sergt, King 17 14 15--46 Sergt Kitching 16 14 12--42 Vol W. Dascut 16 9 15--40 Volll. M. Pringle 17 13 10--40 Corpl H. Chadwick.... ....17 8 14--39 Sergt T. Kells 12 12 14--38 Capt Black 12 12--38 Vol A. May 14 14 9--37 Vol W. Kitching .... 14 15 6--35 Sergt J. Smith 12 12 9--33