PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1881.

Patea Mail, 5 March 1881, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1881.

An Illustrated Weekly Supplement is presented with this issue of the Mail* The Governor leaves Wellington on a tour through the South Island on Thursday next. Mr Taiaro has been elected unopposed to represent the Southern Maori Electoral District. Sir Cracroft Wilson, C.8., of Canterbury, late of the Bengal Civil Service, died on the 2nd instant, aged 74 years. Mr Crosse, surgeon dentist, of Wanganui, will pay a professional visit to Patea on Tuesday. A boy about fourteen years of age charged before the Wanganui R.M. on Thursday with playing cards in the cemetery pleaded guilty and was fined 40s and 7s costs. Procoflfy, the Russian charged with the murder of a Maori at Te Aroah, has been committed for trial to the Auckland Supreme Court. The circumstantial evidence against him is strong. The Cricket Match Town v. Country will be resumed to-day on the Patea ground. The country players, who are usually strong, arc 37 in arrear on the first innings. The skeleton of a youth, the skull smashed in, has been found in the Wellington Botanical Gardens. A boy was lost there 21 years ago. The Taranaki Land Board has agreed to the expenditure of £736 deferred payment money as suggested by the Ngaire Road Board. The steamer Taupo, for a long time sunk at Tauranga, has finally been floated and towed on a sandy beach near the pilot station, where repairs will be effected. ,

Just now a most interesting sight is to be seen in the western sky soon after sunset, the three planets—Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn—forming an almost equilateral triangle, the two former as the west and east feet, the latter as the apex. The Wanganui Rifles arc likely to adopt the uniform of the Wellington City Guards, which consists of scarlet tunic, dark-blue trousers, with red facings, and dark-blue helmet with brass facings. The Patea Volunteers are in favor of the same uniform.

In reply to letters sent from the Taranaki Land Board to deferred payment defaulters, with a view to ascertain the extent of of Wilkinson’s appropriations, Mr McCutchan wrote that ho had paid his instalment at Hawera. The Board resolved—That Mr Barleyman be requested to inform the Board what receipts for moneys paid to the Receiver for West Coast District by holders of land in the district, whose names appear as defaulters, arc in his hands or in the hands of the police. “ You ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” was the Mother Grundyish style in which Mr Wells, chairman of the Taranaki Education Board, is reported by the Herald to have addressed a deputation of the town school committee. To one of the deputation, who made a statement on the authority of the School Inspector, —“ The Inspector told a falsehood.” To the members of the Education Board, —“ Gentlemen, the conduct of the town school committee is most scandalous and ungentlemanly.” To Mr Whitcombe, Chief Commissioner of the Land Board, who was spokesman for the deputation, —“ I will report you, sir, for being away from your duty and, pointing in Hamlet’s ghost fashion to Mr Begley, a surveyor, —“ I will also x’eport that man to the chief surveyor.” All the deputation desired was to give their reasons in favor of the appointment of a teacher for the central girls’ school, the Board being in favor of one not approved by the committee.

j The railway bridge to cross the Patea river half a mile above the harbor is now under construction. Messrs Downes and Procter commenced driving piles on Wednesday. There is not a good bottom through the river bed at the bend, the substratum being softish papa rock; and the piling may prove more difficult than was first expected. The Bank of Australasia will commence business in Patea on the 15th instant, in Mr North’s old drapery premises, by which date he will have opened his large new shop. The bank has purchased, through Messrs Eyton and Pringle, the south corner section forming part of Mr Wray’s front lawn, opposite the corner section so long held vacant by the Bank of New Zealand. Now that one additional bank is to improve the frontage of the main street, may we not expect that the Bank of New Zealand will carry out its tardy resolution to build new premises ? It is probable, too, that the Bank of New South Wales must soon enlarge, to accommodate its increased business. There has been a probability that another banking institution would open a branch at Patea, but this intention may be thrown into abeyance by the action which the Australasian bank—a pushing competitor for business—has irow taken. Mr Norman, present agent at Waverley, will manage the Patea branch of the Australasian. The site which has been purchased for this bank has a frontage of 66 feet, the depth being 175 links ; and the price is understood to be £ll lOs per foot frontage, an advance of £1 10s per foot on the price paid for Mr North’s frontage. It is not a generation ago that the value of this frontage was considered nominal. A concentration of the town’s banking business will be a public convenience.

Messrs Shelley & Co., whose drapery store was burnt down at midnight on Wednesday, are able to inform the public that they intend to rebuild as soon as arrangements can be completed. The insurances were :—£4oo on stock to March 25, and £4OO on ditto to August Ist, 1881, making a total of £BOO on stock, in the Colonial Company’s office ; also £125 on the building in the same company, and £2OO in the South British, making a total of £325 on the building. It may be taken that the building was about fully insured, and that the stock was only partly insured. The loss to the brothers who have conducted this business during three years is large enough to induce a hearty sympathy among all who know them. The origin of the fire is still matter of conjecture. Not a shred of unburnt evidence is left to indicate how or why a well stocked drapery store should burst into flame shortly before midnight. The iron sheeting is the only material left unconsumed. So intense was the heat ot the fire during its full glare, that even the ashes were reduced to mere powde.r, leaving nothing but crumpled iron and a layer of grey dust to mark the spot where the store had reared its substantial bulk. If an insurance officer had sought to inquire next morning into the cause of this destructive fire, what could he make out of a few handfuls of grey powder and some crumpled sheet iron ? The cause of the fire cannot be inferred from such evidence as this. The brothers Skelly had left the shop together about half-past nine, this being their usual habit; and one went out by the back door, taking the key, and the other by the front door, locking it. A lamp was usually left burning in one of the two bed-rooms at the back, and it is believed to have been so left on this occasion ; but how an ordinary bracket lamp, with a thick glass bottom, placed in a tin saucer on a table, could set anything on fire without some agency to upset it, is not evident. Common experience will pronounce the thing extremely unlikely. Is there not room here for a vulgar suggestion ? That romping animal, the cat, may have upset that lamp, and brought about a train of distressing consequences.

One of the black trackers who took part in the GHenrowan tragedy is in Townsville gaol, for murdering his wife.

A young whale nineteen feet long has been found stranded at Napier. Two shops with 35 feet frontage to Pitt-treet, Sydney, realised £IO,OOO, equal to £3OO per foot. The survey instruments, papers, etc., seized from Mr C. D. Kennedy’s camp at Tikitiki by the natives have been returned. One of the building societies in Christchurch has determined to resist the demand of the Property Tax on the monthly subscriptions on investment shares. The whole cost of the Melbourne Exhibition building is £329,000, but when receipts and sale of annexes have been deducted the amount will be £252,000. This leaves £33,000 of a deficiency. In addition to the Napier and Spit engine stations being connected by fire telephonic communication, three fire alarms have been fixed to the telegraph posts along the road. A farjner named Harrok, at Otepopo, in the Oamaru district, went up a tree, placed a rope round his neck and attached it to one of the branches, then dropped down, His body was found suspended on the 2nd instant.

The members of the Manawatu County Council have drawn up a circular to be forwarded to all the road boards, boroughs, and county councils in the colony, upon the matter of endowments or subsidies for such bodies. A meeting has been held at Otaki for the purpose of enabling intending members to consult and endeavor to establish a f?mall Farm Association in the Otaki Waikawa District. 5000 acres was the quantity that would be taken up.

On account of reported gold discoveries near Makatoko, Hawkes Bay, and the formation of prospecting parties, a gentleman sent a reliable person along with the reputed discoverers to the auriferous country, and this man watched the prospectors to such purpose as to find out that the whole thing was a hoax. A man named Henry Inca, has been committed to gaol from Gisborne for stealing a watch value £2. He will have to lay in Napier gaol five months before he can be tried. The Napier Mercury says the whole case could have been disposed of summarily had the magistrate chosen, and suggests that he should be charged with all costs.

On Thursday, before the Resident Magistrate, at Wanganui, John Burton was charged with neglecting to make the necessary returns to the Collector of Customs, showing the quantities of malt, hops, sugar, and other material used by him in his business as a brewer at Hawera during November and December last. Defendant pleaded guilty, and said that he first received intimation of what was required of him under the Act at the beginning of November last, and not being accustomed to book-keeping found it impossible to make out the detailed returns required by the Act. He had paid the duty faithfully, but the business not proving remunerative, he had disposed of it. There was a second charge against him of neglecting to keep books, to which he pleaded not guilty. The evidence went to show that the books had been kept incorrectly.—Fined £5 on each of the charges with 14s cost.

The Auckland Herald reports that Auckland has not been in a sounder or more prosperous condition for many years past than it is at the present time. Generally speaking business in all branches is not brisk, at least not abnormally so, but healthy and satisfactory, all demands being met promptly. As regards capital, money is exceedingly plentiful. This is partially owing to the large sums received for wool over and above advances, but more particularly to an influx of capital for investment from elsewhere ; a good indication in itself of the confidence reposed in the soundness of the place and the excellence of our prospects for the future. Although the bank rate of discount is unaltered, there is reason to believe that the banks exhibit a disposition to deal more iberally with their best customers.

The steamer Samson broke a paddle sii; 1 1(. but reached Wellington safely yesterday. As John Spring was walking along a street in Christchurch yesterday, he was fired at twice by John Bransficld. The Harbor Board’s balance sheet is advertised in this issue on the fourth page. There is great excitement at Temora, New South Wales, about the new reefing district just opened. Claims have been pegged off for a great distance. A telegram has been received from Clunes, Victoria, stating that the 33cwt of stone from Bourke’s reef, taken by Victorian buyers, averaged oozs 3dwts per ton.

The Taranaki Herald says-—The Port of Waitara is rapidly increasing in importance, and its commercial businessis steadily improving. At presnt there arc four steamers trading regularly, two running North and two South, and the icsult has been that our merchants and tradesmen find that they can obtain their goods cheaper via Waitara than by having them landed in the roadstead. *

Another Contract for railway earthwork in this district is advertised, and there is a prospect that more will soon follow. The present contract comprises works at two points fourteen miles apart; namely, the completion of the Huketere Station site near Waverley, this being only aTlag-signal station for Momahaki settlers, with siding for loading produce ; and also the earthwork clearance for Kakaramea Station. These two jobs are not large, but they help to make a show of railway work, and are important as indicating that the district is not officially abandoned. The Hart Family have performed two evenings in Patea, and will give an extra entertainment this evening for the benefit of the Hospital. This is a kind and liberal thing for a travelling company to do. Some members of the Fire Brigade were first asked to accept a benefit for the Brigade, bat seemed too leisurely about it, and Saturday’s suplus will now go to the Hospital. The Town Hall has been moderately filled at the two performances, these being full of brisk variety, with rapid changes or costumes, clever contrasts of character impersonations, lively tuneful music, some of the airs exquisite, songs that are mostly Mr Hart’s own writing, full of pun’s in ambush, and comical situations contrived to introduce a medley of characters. Mrs Hart is not only versatile but charming in her changes. Mr Hart’s strength lies in broad burlesque and in dramatic ingenuity. His solo on that queer German clarionette is a comical excruciation.

The Grahamstown Star says—The natives up the river are most moderate in their demands for utu, and it appears as though they are but faintlyJmpressed with the mode of dispensing Britistnarr in the Colony. They say, “ Let the pakehas choose three white men and deliver them up to us, so that we may have reparation for the blood of Himiona.” This is a most reasonable demand surely, and in keeping with the value set on the head of a European by the Government ! Many white men have been killed, and three murderers are allowed to be at large at Parihaka and in the King country. The motherly care taken of such brutal ruffians, and the an2"ety to deprive the Englishman of redress, in order to allay the passionate craving for blood displayed by the Maoris (fortunately not often gratified) manifested by the Government, is positively sickening to an Englishman. The Maoris, by their continued obstruction retard the progress of the colony : first, by refusing reasonable offers for land required for roads, railways, and such other evidences of civilisation; and, secondly, by uttering threats against the much-hated (but to them, in reality, valuable) pabeha.

Creditable Rifle Volunteer Corps. —The Manavvatu Times says—The official inspection which was to have taken place on the 25th February did not come off as Major Noake was detained at Pa tea. There was an excellent muster, and the officers put the corps through their drill. After several evolutions had been most creditably carried out, a meeting was held, at which the balance sheet of the company was read, received, and adopted, and a Council of Management for the ensuing year elected. From the document presented it appeared that the finances of the corps were in a most healthy condition. A resolution was passed that each man should be allowed thirty rounds of ammunition free each week to be used, however, under the supervision of an officer.

It is said thatlhe annual income of Great Britain amounts to two thousand millions sterling, and that two hundred millions are yearly added to the already stupendous mass of British capital. Going to a ball in Ireland now-a-days is like travelling across Hampstead Heath last century. The gentlemen go armed to the teeth, and on arrival give np their revolvers with their great coats.

In an article strongly condemnatory of so-called society journals, the Melbourne Age says :— Truth , the World, Vanity Fair and Whitehall do not rely for their success upon foul details chosen for no other reason than their foulness. They rather owe their success to the vulgar love common to vulgar persons, who are anxious to be thought upon the verge of society, to know what is going on amongst the classes whom they foolishly regard as their betters. A heartless scoundrel named Oldham, living at Rochdale, England, pushed his son, 10 years old, into the river to drown him. The hoy on rising to the surface clung to a floating log, and was saved. Oldham was sentenced to 25 years penal servitude. Two brothers named Power, farmers, at Loughatoher, Galway, Ireland, had a dispute while mowing, respecting certain boundaries. After quarreling some time the elder brother rushed at the other with a scythe, cut oIE both his legs, then his head, and frightfully mutilated the body with the same weapon.

In an orbituary notice of the father of the Archbishop of Sydney, recently deceased, it is stated that out of eight living sons and four daughters, seven sons entered the priesthood, and four daughters became nuns. Amongst his brothers and sisters, two brothers entered ■ the priesthood and two of his sisters became nuns, only one of them being married.

That Yankees and British manufacturers are not the only people who practice adulteration may be known from the statement of Mr Medhurst, a British official in China, who recently wrote that fifty-three thousand pounds of willow leaves were being made ready to be mixed with teas at one port alone.

Bridget Cute, for stealing a boiler at Knmara, was sentenced to two months hard labor. Mr Barff, J.P., in passing sentence said there was a difference of opinion between himself and his brother Justice. If he had been sentencing the prisoner by himself she would have had a far heavier punishment. There was nothing but larcenies constantly occuring ; you could not leave an axe down, a peach on a tree, or a cucumber in a garden, but what it was stolen, and he would have made an example of her. A Lady Lion Tamer. —According to “ Huffier,” in Vanity Fair , Lady Florence Dixie has presented her pet jaguar to the Zoological Society. A correspondent writes to me as follows I happened to be present when the animal was deposited a few days ago, in the den which had been prepared for its reception in the new Lion House. It was diverting to observe the terror with which some twenty keepers held aloof from the kennel in which the animal was enclosed. With her own hands her ladyship removed the heavy collar and chain from off the great beast’s neck, and it was truly touching to see the magnificent animal, with a nature usually so ferocious and treacherous, quietly licking its mistress’s hands. Of this famous jaguar I have heard much, but never yet believed in its tameness, until with my own eyes I witnessed a sight seldom, if ever, witnessed before.

Amalgamation of Counties. —The Grey Kiver Argus says —The West Coast Counties having a community of interests, it would be far better if the whole of the Counties were amalgamated into one County, sitting, say, once in three months. By this means an enormous expense would be saved. It is also mentioned as not improbable that next session of Parliament will see the introduction of a measure having for its object a radical change in the present system of County Government. Already in the North Island a strong outcry has been coinmmenced against the present extravagant system—in which the departmental expenses swallow up a goodly proportion of the revenue. One writer points out that within a limited area there are 21 counties, each of which maintains 21 different establishment, each with its own salaried County Chainnan, engineering staff, clerical department, salaried members of Council, legal advisers, &c., the whole of which work could be transacted at at least one fourth the expense, and better, if an amalgamation was effected.