COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 30 September 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

Mr W. Williams accompanied the Maori fencing prisoners from New Plymouth to Lyttelton. The brothers Middlemas have arrived at San Francisco, en route for Oregon. They report the land and cattle much inferior to this Coast.

The Breakwater Contract is now completed, and the men are to be entertained to dinner this evening, at Captain Odgers’s Hotel, on the invitation of Mrs Dixon, widow of the late contractor.

Cattle are at a premium just now. Settlers in this district are getting such abundant grass that their stock cannot cat it down ; and many settlers want to buy rather than sell.

Sir John Coode informs the Taranak Harbor Board that, having seen reports o; Mr Rees’s statements respecting his visi to London, Sir John declines furthei communication with the Board, and disowns responsibility for the work.

London Wool Sales closed for this series on Saturday, the total quantitj'- sold being 2G0,000 bales, and 35,000 held over. The demand at the close was brisk and firm, at Ml to Id higher.

Patea building sections are rising in value by leaps and bounds. MrT. North’s section next the New South Wales bank cost, it is said, £lO a foot .frontage. A suburban section adjoining the new Railway Hotel, now building on the south side, and under a quarter acre, has changed hands for £l6O. Half an acre suburban hind near the town lias fetched £125.

The Amaranth schooner was towed into harbor yesterday by the Patea ■ s teamer a good hour before high water, n eap tide. She had a full cargo of flour, &c., from Oamaru for Messrs Eyton and Pringle, and her draught was 7ft 4in, the sea being moderate. The condition of Patea harbor admits of no cavil, in the face of facts like this.

Railway.— Tenders for drays required on the Railway formation at the Manutahi camp, Mr John Burke’s farm, are to close on the 7th October. The permanent way is in course of formation over a length of about nine miles between Patea harbor and Manutahi—say half-way to Hawera ; and the Public Works contingents are located on the work at four camps, namely Chapman’s road, the Junction Station, Kakaramoa, and Manutahi.

The WAKATU s. s. left Patea harbor for Nelson on Tuesday an hour before high water. She had a full cargo of live-stock for Nelson, to be shipped on to the West Coast of the South Island. These cattle and sheep were taken by a now buyer who is opening a market for Patea meat outlie mining coast of the other island. He will have to re-ship the stock from Nelson in craft trading to the West Coast. Direct shipment from Patea would cheapen the meat and secure us a market ; for if it pays to tranship at Nelson, it must paj T better to ship live-stock direct. Trade will develop in various directions, we believe, ■when the cattle-wharf is ready for use. The Wakatu lost a tide by having no convenience for taking in stock as soon as the other cargo was put on the wharf. District Court.— Judge Shaw presided yesterday at a sitting of the District Court at Patea. In the bankruptcy assignment of Thomas Haywood the elder and Robert Haywood, Mr Farrington applied for an order to confirm an order of Court dated May Ist, 1880, and also two resolutions of creditors dated July 17tli in pursuance thereof, declaring the deed of assignment to have been completely executed. The order was granted, and the deed ordered to be filed, annulling the bankruptcy. This proceeding was taken to confer technical power on the purchaser of the book debts, Mr Thomas Haywood, junr,, to sue for recovery of such debts.—Mr Adams, solicitor, applied in the matter of a will of Samuel Adams, late of Waverley, watchmaker, for probate to issue to Jane Adams, widow and executrix. Order granted.—The JJourt adjourned till this morning. A Pickwick club has been formed at Marton. What is a Pickwick club ? The original club was a coterie of amiable noodles, and Marton cannot have much ambition in that direction. Gas at Auckland is reduced to 8s 4d per 1,000 feet, more than double the price of London or Paris gas. The Central Hotel at Patea will be opened tomorrow, October Ist. Messi'aGowknJ and Adamson, butchers, Patea, have dissolved partnership. New Houses are increasing rapidly in Patea.

Emigration from Liverpool to the United States is unusually large, about 5,000 per month more than last year.

Midhurst. —Tenders for falling bush were invited by Mr James Hirst, and he received 20 proposals, ranging from 38s to 23s per acre, all pines and rata over 2ft Gin to remain standing, and the bush to be thoroughly under-scrubbed before falling. He has let the work at 235, a remarkably low figure.

The counsel for the Maori fencers, Mr Halse, will appeal to the Supreme Court on four points raised at the trial. 1. That the indictment was bad for uncertainty of description of locality. 2. That the West Coast Settlement Act, 1880, is ultra vires. 3. That no plan of highway notified by the Governor under the Act was deposited in the survey office, and that the District Court had no jurisdiction to try an offence when punishment may be a life one.

According to rumor at Wellington, Mr Bryce intends to put an end to the fencing farce by ordering the arrest of all adult natives who may be sent to continue the fencing after a certain time. The boys, if any, arc to be birched or ducked. Mr Bryce has been waiting to hear definitely that the sentence passed on the 59 prisoners tried at New Plymouth has been made known to Te Whiti. After that, Mr Bryce will “ put an end to the farce.” That may be easier said than done, but we shall see.

A Dramatic Entertainment by the Patea Garrick Club is to be given about the middle of November, and a special meeting of members is called for Saturday evening, to arrange preliminaries. It is understood that the famous light comedy, “ Cool as a Cucumber,” will be produced ; and that a roaring farce dramatised from Dickens’s sketch of “ Bob Sawyer’s Party” will be a feature in the programme ; together a petite comedie of another kind which is likely to remain a mystery till produced “ for this occasion only.” The club is in need of funds for a theatrical wardrobe, and the proceeds of this first entertainment will, we believe, be devoted to this purpose. Rich character dresses, picturesque scenery, and general stage properties, would enable the club to “ mount” a drama in a manner creditable even to the high standard of Patea taste. Till funds enable these requisites to be got, the indulgent public will not be

exacting. Gravelling the Mountain Road is to be tendered for in five separate contracts within Patea County, and five within Taranaki. Tenderers have to prospect for gravel near the lino of road, and have to employ not less than four teams on any contract. As to a supp!} l - of labor, the Government intend to “ send a limited number of laborers now seeking employment,” and these will be forwarded to Patea and New Plymouth. Tenders close October 28. Tne cost will be defrayed by Government, The state of the Mountain Road during the past winter has been abominable. Coaching had to be abandoned. Drays and carts got buried in slush puddles and left to rot. Settlers who were compelled to face the horrors of the road did so by picking their way off the track. Horses had to swim and plunge

through pools of sticky mud. It was a Government road, and did them credit. It showed how miry are the ways of administrators.

Cattle Steamer.—The following offer

as been received by Mr W. Dale from

Wellington :—“ Hear a good cattle boat is wanted. Will put on first-class steamer, carries 70 head cattle, GOO sheep, GO saloon passengers, 20 steerage ; is 200 horse power, on 7 feet water ; on condition of graziers guaranteeing three months’ full cargoes to Manukau.” This proposal is worth considering. The owners of the boat might have figures placed before

them on which to base an estimate of the probable business. Live stock are being shipped at Waitara from Hawera and Normanby to a large extent, and it is a matter of business to ascertain whether

ire trade could not be worked cheaper

from the Patea river. Hawera is 50 miles from Waitara and 20 from Patea. Cattle can be driven to Patea along a good road with less than half the suffering to fat animals, as compared with the long journey to Waitara. The cost of freight would probably be the same, the short distance by sea being of no account. This question of guaranteeing freights is one for buyers rather than graziers. The opening is worth the attention of any substantial speculator. MrDale is communicating with settlers, and may bo able to satisfy the owners of this large boat that they can depend on say three full cargoes a month. The new cattle-wharf cannot be finished too soon.

Melbourne Exhibition will be opened

to-morrow by the Governor

Coal is found near Hokitika at a depth 0f,214 feet.

The School Committee at Patea are appealing for aid to make up the deficiency of income, the Wanganui Board having reduced the allowance one-half. The committee ask parents to contribute one shilling per quarter for each child sent to the public school. Our opinion is that education will be better appreciated when it has to be paid for. The payment may bo divided between the tiie State, with advantage to both in the long-run. The contribution of a shilling per quarter is less than a penny per week, yet the Committee seem afraid some parents will object even to that.

Bread is being reduced in price for cash at Wanganui. The Herald says the reduction is startling.

Wanganui is working hard to equal Wellington—in brag. Its shipping was thus reported on Tuesday :—Arrived, nil. Cleared, nil. Imports, nil. Exports, nil. A gale was blowing on the Monday, and the St Kilda s.s. and the Oreti s.s. were unable to get out. The Oreti was laden with cattle, but was detained so long at the mud flats waiting for sufficient water that the cattle got low in condition and had to be landed, another cargo being taken in exchange.

This is the way Wanganui co-operates with Wellington. The Herald says:— ‘‘There is no sympathy in Wellington with the Wanganui harbor works, and wc return the compliment by entertaining the utmost indifference as to the fate of the West Coast line.” A sentiment of that kind is discreditable to any professor of public morality. It ignores the common virtues. It is directly contrary to the precept, “ Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.” It is sympathy which must bo bought and paid for. It takes no account of right or wrong, but seeks only self.