COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 25 June 1881, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

The committee appointed recently to enquire and report on the export of frozen meat and produce held a meeting yesterday in Patea, and from the information available the committee formed a favorable opinion as to the practicability of organising a profitable export of frozen meat from : this district. It was agreed to obtain farther information before making a report ; ' particularly as to providing refrige -ating' storage in Wellington for hanging carcases awaiting export, and ascertaining also the intentions of the Parliamentary Committee appointed last week on this subject. The County Football Match advertised to take place to-day at Mr H. I. Davis’s paddock is likely to draw a large number of onlookers, if the weather be fine. The visitors have a defeat to wipe out. The following are the local team; Riddiford, Clark, F. Baddeley, W. Adamson, Lysaght (Hawera); Thomson, Thurston, G. Howie, A. Howie (Waverley) ; Turner, Hitching, Coutts, Gibbous, Sargeant, Powell (Patea).

Mr Gowland’s winter show of butcher’s meat was held on Thursday evening.A two-year heifer from Mr Derrett’s farm weighed 820 ; pounds) being very fat for its age. A bullock from Mr J. Sheehan’s farm weighed 748 pounds. Both were prime carcases. A calf from Mr Sheehan’s, nine weeks, Weighed 206 pounds. Two of Mr Pearce’s heavy long-woolled sheep, loaded with fat, weighed 186 and 132 pounds, showing what the district can do in mutton, tallow, and wool. Small merino mutton from Mr Horner’s farm looked nice and palatable, Mr Pearce’s pigs make immense bacon, two from his farm fattened by Mr Gowland weighing 842 and 280 pounds. Hams and bacon, raised on corn feed only, made a good display; sacking pigs filled up odd darners, and this mid-winter show was altogether ah interesting testimony to the character of local grazing. ' Mr J. M. Byrne, ofKakaramea, complains of the injustice done by the Wan-' ganui*Trotting Club in not publicly notifyingall acceptances at the appointed time, and after citing cases says, after being at the expense of going to Wanganui, “ I learn I have other horses to meet than those which appeared-amongst the acceptances. If the Trotting Club; is to be a success, no stone should be left unturned to have all mattbr^ 'square and above-board, and a meeting should be held at once and the matters ,allude‘d to fully investigated.” r i Very fast if not furious riding is becoming too common in Patea. On Wednesday an, elderly townsman was knocked down and stunned through a horseman turning a corner at full speed. The police might cool the ardour of very fast riders by making a few examples.

Fire has destroyed the house of Mr Brooking junr., at Maxwell. Cable advice as to wool sales says the demand continues firm. Another no-confidence debate at Melbourne is proceeding. Mr-Dale will offer oats and merchandise at auction to-day. Mr Parnell will visit America again shortly, to stimulate the anti-rent agitation. ; • * Domain reserve paddocks„will be offered at auction, to-day by Mr W. Cowern. Mr T, W. Fisher is transferring his business at Waitotara to Mr James Signal, formerly with Taylor and Watt. Sweepstakes and racing consultations are forbidden by the Gaming and Lotteries Bill introduced by the AttorneyGeneral. In consequence of undergoing repairs Whenuakura bridge will be closed to all traffic, except foot-passengers, between half-past ten and four o’clock daily, from 4th July. . : % ! ; : Mr Laird’s sale of fruit, forest, and •ornamental trees" takes -''place ~ to-day. The show of fruit trees? is very fine, and will be open this morning for inspection. Mr Laird has also sent some,, choice pot plants consisting of catK«p lias, fnschias, geraniums, ericas, &cl. Mr - Barker: has used his large auction ~ rdom td display them to advantage. Mr Paul has divided his paddock behind the parsonage into small building allotments, offered on deferred payment or cash through Mr Dale. . The present road through Storey’s paddock (now Dale’s) will bo widened by Mr Paul giving half a'chain. The new borough may some day make the road a chain the whole length by taking half a chain off the parsonage paddock. Quite a township is growing- in that quarter, a number of cottages being erected on Mr Dale’s sections, and Mr Paul’s sections added to them will make a large compact suburb. . Patea is indebted to Herr Bandmann for his visit. It is unfortunate that the arrangement to appear in the Town Hall was, not carried out.. The hall is now private property, but as a temporary convenience it can be used for public purposes, without charging rent. The charge used to be £2 a night. Mr Bandmann had the choice -of it for nothing, except the cost of labor in removing stored goods out of the way. That charge was about 10s. He was asked in addition, to give four tickets to the men who did the work. He gave two, but refused the other two. ’ The managing proprietor, Mr Mahony, had purchased a ticket for himself. Mr Bandmann said he would rather not have the hall than give two more tickets, four in all. ■ Mr Mahony said something on his 1 side, and between them they fell out utterly. Mr Bandmann then engaged a small hall from Mr A. Black, and told the audience last night that he had given up the Town Hall because Mahony, by charging for this and for that, and also requiring so many was trying to get three times as muchasa fair rent for the hall. Mr Bandmann said ho. would not stand that, because he was not to be licked. However, it is not clear how he makes these charges to be three times as much as a fair rent. So far as we are informed, the charges and . ; the four tickets, together, with oil, would be under thirty shillings, ht is a pity there was,not more conciliation on one side or both. The entertainment was given under difficulties in a small and crowded robmj which is well suited to its usual purpose, but not adapted to stage business. But it was : generous and ' sensible to go through a programing, rather than disappoint the public;; anAT we hope Mr Bandmann and his clever" aides will accept this expression of gratitude as a small return for the pleasure and privilege of witnessing Shaksperian impersonations so much above the average. It would be but ,a poor compliment to offer no criticism : this shall appear in due course. A temperance hotel, established by . a Limited Liability Company, was opened in Chirstchurch by a public dinner on 21st.

An extra display of butcher’s meat was made last evening by Barraclough & Co. The selected carcases looked well. Returns of census taken, on 3rd April last show that the population of Ireland has decreased by some 250,000 during the decade. The operations at the Marton well are still being pushed on. The depth from the surface is about 240 ft, but there is no appearance of water at present. For neglecting to register a birth at Wanganui, the R.M. inflicted a fine of 20s. and costs, and remarked that a penalty up to £lO could be inflicted. A Wanganui journal says the collection of portraits of old identities is rapidly increasing, and it is believed that upwards of 200 persons will figure in it. Every individual male or female, who has been on this coast, for 80 years is to be photographed. Mr Brewer of Wanganui, has made arrangements to have 5000 ova of British salmon forwarded to him as an experiment. If he is successful in hatching them, 30,000 more will be sent out next season. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce urges that in order to pave the way for the ~induction of the decimal system of weights and measures the cental or lOOlbs should be used in Government contracts, in railway charges, and in Customs returns. A Thames journal feels certain the Patetere Land Ring will make a big effort either this session or next, to have their ill-gotten desmesne opened up by means of a railway, and will not have much objection to the monopolists scheme, so long as their railway is not got at the expense of the Thames-Wai-kato Railway. It is reported in New Plymouth that the Secretary of the Harbour Board prepared a cheque for the amount of £496 for discharging cargo from the Adamant, and also requested Mr Boswell to sign a receipt as payment in full for all demands. Mr Boswell declined to do so, but expressed his willingness to sign a receipt for the amount of the cheque on account of his ejaim. This was not agreed to, and, having possession of the cheque, he declined to give it up. Frozen Meat. —A largo meeting was hold at Carterton, Wairarapa, on the 21st, in reference to the frozen meat and dairy produce trade. An influential committee were appointed to take the necessary steps to co-operate with Wellington and ■ the West Coast. In a letter forwarded to Sydney, the Duke of Manchester said—l have already been much longer than I intended, and have received such unfavourable accounts of the nonpayment of my rents for farms at Home that I must hurry back. Sections in the Parihaka Block were purchased on Monday last, at the Crown Lands Office, Now Plymouth, to the amount of nearly £2OOO. About 433 acres sold at £3 per acre ; and 320 acres at £2. The following candidates have been nominated for the New Plymouth Harbor Board—Walter Bewley, George John Newman, Walter Henry Scott, and James McLauchlan. Information has been laid against four Auckland dressmakers for keeping girls working on Saturday afternoon. N6 less than thirty girls were found by Sergeant Gamble in four rooms last Saturday. Court Roderick Dbu, A.O. Foresters, Wanganui, will hold an anniversary ball in September. The court numbers fifty financial members, and thirty were present at the election of officers on Wednesday. The whole of the shares in the Opunake Lighter Company are reported to have been taken. up, and steps will at once be taken to have the boats built and to commence work. At Napier a verdict for £l5O has been given against Dr Todd, of Waipawa, for treating a man named Sutton for a sprained arm, when his shoulder was dislocated. The Hon. W. E. Gladstone has been appealed to by petition by Bulgarian Liberals to use the influence of his Government to induce a settlement of the Bulgarian difficulty. William Heywood Trimble has been appointed clerk to the Taranaki Land Board vice Mr Watkins, deceased.