COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 14 June 1881, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

The outward mail via San Francisco will close in this district on Thursday, the Patea office closing at 7 p.m. Mr T. Dawson is now acting as deputy postmaster at Hawera, after a month at Patea, The Otago Harbour Works loan of £IOO,OOO was placed in the London market on the Bth instant. The Wanganui - Rangitikei Hunt Club’s Hounds will meet at Patea on Wednesday, at 2 o’clock. A destructive fire occurred at Quebec, Bth June, several blocks of buildings being burned down; in all, it is estimated, one thousand houses. Mr Henry Clapcott has transferred his services from the Government Life Assurance Department to the Australian Mutual Provident Society. A proposal for holding discussions in connection with the Patea Garrick Club is to be considered next Thursday. The idea is that members may invite friends, and so give these discussions a semipublic character. A fortnightly journal for civil engineers, surveyors, and architects is to be published at Wellington, in connection with the new Institute of Surveyors. It will deal with matters relating to these professions. Kakaramea is eclipsing Patea in the number of public entertainments. Another medley of songs, readings, negro fun, conjuring, and a general dance to wind up are announced for Wednesday evening. Bricks are being imported from Wanganui for supplying the ordinary demand in Patea. The cost, however, is much higher, and there would be no such importation if the local clay were worked up in sufficient quantity to supply the local market with bricks. Sudden Death. —News from Wellington mentions that Mr Jonas Woodward, one of the old settlers, was seized with a fit of apoplexy whilst working in his garden yesterday morning, and instantly expired. Mr Woodward was about 70 years of age. The railway bridge crossing the river bend under Keiths’ farm is about twothirds finished. Two spans of 60 feet each and a side span of 20 feet are in position ; another span of 60 feet and one of 20 being almost ready for fixing. The meet of the Wanganui and Rangitikei Hunt Club was held at Bulls on Friday. About 70 horsemen attended, all well mounted, and the drag being laid over a country abounding in fair jumps there was less tailing off than is usually experienced. Heavy gales have been experienced since Friday in the south. At Christchurch trees have been extensively damaged, and others have been blown down. The low-lying parts of the town are flooded, and the rivers are very high —some overflowing their banks in places. The building known as the Town Hall in Patea will not be available for public purposes after this date. It is to be used for warehousing goods in connection with a retail store. The land was granted by Government at a nominal price for a Town Hall. The land and the hall have now ceased to be public property in any sense. Mr Sherwood’s political meeting in the Town Hall last night was largely attended. A vigorous and interesting criticism was given on the results of Major Atkinson’s representation of the district; and some new thrown on that queer mystery ten thousand pounds as a pretended political bribe. A Southerner who, is , very much of a railway authority delivered some brisk and confident comments on Mr Sherwood’s allusions to Southern politicians and their centipede trunk line. The proceedings will be reported at length in our next issue.

An old man, who had attained the patriarchal age of 103 years, recently figured at the Water Police Court at Sydney on a charge of drunkenness.

Mr Jackson’s stock sale at Wanganui takes place to-morrow. Mr Dale’s stock sale at his new town yards takes place on Thursday. He will offer several properties ou Saturday. The moon’s eclipse was an interesting and beautiful spectacle on Sunday evening. The earth’s shadow was in slight contact with the southern limb of the moon, when she appeared above the horizon. The shadow produced a total eclipse about seven o’clock; and as the adumbration wore off, there was a beautiful veil-like spectacle, the shadow being in striking contrast with the luminous orb.

The rate of ninepence in the pound to be levied on town property will realise £194 on a total rateable value of £5,185. The same rate was levied last year, realising about £177; so that the year’s increase from town rates will be £l7. The new borough will lose the benefit this year of rating the properties which are now suburban, but which will be included in the enlarged borough area. OldTukokino. —Since the great meeting of natives in the King Country, old Tukukino (who has for years been such an obstructionist to road making at the Thames, who was supposed to have been quietened by Mr Rolleston’a straight speaking recently) has again become bounceable, and has stopped the surveyors who were at work. Major Heaphy, Commissioner of Native Reserves, left Wellington on 4th June, for Australia, having been recommended by his medical advisers to seek a warmer climate. Major Heaphy is in a very weak state of health, suffering greatly from rheumatism. Mr Alexander Mackay will take his place as Native Reserves Commissioner. The Hawera Church Building committee having learned that a sum of £25 formerly voted for a church at Waihi, and £3O from a church building fund at Horae, may be obtained for Hawera, have determined to add the chancel to the church now in course of erection. Mr Halcombe is reported to have undertaken the settlement of a large block of country in the Upper Thames and Waikato districts, including the famous Patetere block, which it is intended to colonise on the same lines as the Manchester settlement. Settlement in the Aroha district, Auckland, is progressing rapidly, and the plain above the township is beginning to present a civilised appearance, being dotted over with substantial houses, attached to which are farms that are being quickly brought into cultivation. Mr Win. Sefton Moorhouse, the senior member for Christchurch, is seriously ill, having caught a severe cold through sleeping in a tent at Taupo during the sittings of the Land Court. Business in Wellington during the week ending 10th June has been fairly brisk. The financial engagements of the 4th June are reported as being highly satisfactory . The proprietor of the Manawatu Times has sworn two informations for criminal libel against the proprietor of the Manaw<itu Standard , to be heard on the 28th. At Wanganui on Saturday, New Zealand played the World at football. Mr Barton captained the first-named team, and Mr C. V. Powell the other. The game resulted in the New Zealanders scoring one goal and three tries to the World’s one goal. For breaking telegraph insulators at Marton, a youth named Joseph Temperley was fined 20s, with the alternative of fourteen days in gaol. In Wellington last week, a large number of sides of mutton were sold by auction, the average of the sale being ISd per side. Some fine fat sheep were also disposed of for 4s each carcase. The petition in favor of a separate county, to extend from the Manawapou river tb'the Taungatara stream, was forwardStl to Wellington from Hawera a few days ajjo, having over 200 signatures. Mahaia township and district can furnish over 80 children of school age, and are being taken towards obtaining a school. The Waimate Plains valuation roll shows the names of 300 persons liable to b e rated. The total cash received by the Taranaki Land Board for the month of May was £3,675 15s 4d. The total value of sales during the financial year 1881-82 was £5,682 13s fid.