COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 7 May 1881, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

A new evening paper is being started at Mastortou by Mr Joseph Ivess, to be called the Wairarapa Star. Newspapers by the English mail were delivered in Patea on Thursday. The letters did not arrive till yesterday, having been put into the bag ibr New Plymouth by error. Our Wellington correspondent says : It is now more than assorted that a new morning paper will bo started in Wellington as opposition to the Government organ. Dr Keating reports that the patients admitted into hospital during April were 3, and 5 were discharged, leaving four remaining, namely J. Risley, compound fracture ; J. Kelly, fractured leg; L. Charles, phthisis ; S. Lloyd, emphysema. Fortnightly auctions for grain, general produce, wool, and skins are being started by Mr Barker at his Patea Auction Rooms. The first sale is announced for next Saturday week. The experiment seems to be a judicious form of enterprise. Native chiefs were paid 10s a day and travelling expenses for attending to give evidence in the case of North v, Williams. It was explained in court that Maoris have no word for debt. When civilisation made them acquainted with debt, they expressed the idea by using their native word for crime. To contract an obligation of that sort is to commit a crime, and crime is the Maori idea for wickedness. Their ignorance having been so blissful, was it not folly to be wise ?

Presentation.—Miss Schultz, who for some time has acted as organist at (lie Presbyterian Church, Patea, and also as teacher, and is about leaving the district, was presented with a handsome writing desk at the church on Wednesday evening. The desk was nicely inlaid, and bore an inscription testifying to the high esteem and affection with which Miss Schultz was regarded by fellow teachers and pupils, and expressing kind wishes. The desk was sulr scribed for by the teachers and pupils connected with the Sunday school. Col. McDonnell raised a new point as to the payment of a native interpreter in a civil law suit. Having been engaged to interpret for the plaintiff he stopped when the defendant’s counsel rose to cross-examine, and said he was not being paid to interpret for the defence. If he did the work for both, he expected pay from both. The judge ruled that the interpreter must go on, not because he was not entitled to be paid separately for cross-examination, but because be had indiscreetly “ put his foot in it” by swearing to interpret all the evidence. The judge said the point was now, and was not governed by any precedent. An Accident occurred yesterday afternoon in the narrow winding descent to the Whenuakma bridge. Mr Davidson, Whennaknra, was returning from the Waverley district with a dray and two horses, and met the down coach with three loaders abreast. To allow the coach to pass, Mr Davidson was obliged to guide his cart so near the edge of the embankment that it capsized headlong to the bottom. How he escaped with his life is bard to say. The cart was full of produce, and fell a long way down. The horses were got out without any serious injury. To increase the confusion a flock of sheep came on the scene at the same time. The fault of the mishap lay with the coachman in driving three horses abreast along a hill-side catling which is dangerous at any time for two vehicles to pass. The extra horse was required because of the heavy road, but when it comes to driving three abreast along such risky places —and none more risky than the Patea hill—the perils of the road become too serious. Such places would have to be widened if there were not a near prospect of the road traffic being relieved by a railway, A meeting of Patea employees in shops was held last night at the Albion Hotel, when a committee was appointed to solicit the consent of employers to a general early closing at six o’clock during winter, except Saturdays. It the movement were unanimous, nothing would be lost.

The first meet this season of. the Wanganui Hunt Club takes place this day. 7th May. The completed returns of the census show the total population of the colony of Victoria to be 860,000. The census returns of Rangitikei County give a population of 3,9G3, and Manawatu County (partly estimated) 8,600. Colonel Trimble addressed the Grey and Bell electors in Now Plymiouth on Tuesday’’, and received a vote of thanks and confidence. Ur Skae lias made a full reply on the report of the Wellington Asylum Commission, and it is now standing for consideration in Cabinet. An Auckland firm has manufactured a magnificent silver cup intended for presentation by the Armed Constabulary of the North Island to Colonel Whitmore. Thu cup stands 22 inches high. The design of Mr Boss for the new offices for the Wanganui Borough Council have been agreed noon provided the cost does not exceed L 750. “Still” hunting by the Customs authorities and police at. Wanganui is the latest excitement. Innocent and respectable townspeople are having their dwellings entered, searched —no leave asked and no apologies made. At Wellington during the four months of the present year, 42 insolvencies have been declared, 37 of the number being city resident, the remainder being from the country. C. Hooper’s shop at Christchurch was entered during Monday night, and jewellery and watches to the value of £6OO were stolen. The thieves were disturbed, and left part of the booty’ packed up on the counter. A new sandbank is forming in the Wanganui river, stretching nearly across the channel, a quarter of a mile from the heads. The pilot expects the first freshet will remove it. Sir George Grey denies and ridicules the suggestion Major Atkinson made at Patea, about the harbor loan of £IO,OOO being obtained as a political bribe. But the story as reported from Auckland is strangely mixed up. The Committee appointed to consider the proposed area for a Patea municipality are to meet this evening for the first lime since their appointment three months ago. It is said public bodies move slowly. At the Wanganui Exhibition Committee meeting on Wednesday’, a letter was read from J, Ken worthy*, Patea, asking whether freight from Patea would be paid on exhibits forwarded. Secretary instructed to reply that exhibits would be brought in freight free from Waverley. The first meeting of the Bulls Coursing Club was held on Tuesday’. About sixty horsemen attended the coursing, hares being plentiful on Mr Fergusson’s Mungaroa station. The ground was very rough for the dogs, but the coursing was good. The ease between Wanganui lawyers Duncan v. Betts, a partnership was concluded before the chief justice and a special jury on Wednesday. The original number of the issues was 24, but most of them were either admitted or withdrawn by agreement between the parties, and the number submitted to the jury was only ten. The jury found answers in the affirmative to seven of the issues, in the negative to one, and no evidence in the other two. This was practically a verdict for tire defendant.* Among those on board the Tararua were the Rev. Mr Richardson, President of the New Zealand Wesleyan Conference, the Rev. Mr Armitage, the editor of the New Zealand Wesleyan, and Messrs Connell and Mitchell, of Christchurch. All these gentlemen were on their way’ to Melbourne to attend the general Wesleyan Conference there. The Rev. W. J. Williams, who was lately’ removed from Wellington to Wanganui, and the Rev. Mr Lee, of Nelson, were to have been passengers by’ the Tararua, but delayed their departure in order to go by the Te Auau. Taeanaki County.— The population of the borough of New Plymouth is returned at 3,326 ; in 1878 it was 2,680, the increase being 616. Grey and Bell (which includes population in the suburbs of New Plymouth) contains 5,151 inhabitants, the number in 1878 being 3,808, showing an increase of 1,349. Egmont district within the Taranaki County’ numbers 1,727 inhabitants ; in 1878 the number was 881, the increase being 846. The total population of Taranaki County is 10,210 ; in 1878 it was 7,369, showing an increase of 2,481.

Salt Lake City has been lighted by the Brush system of elcctnc light.