PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1881.

Patea Mail, 14 July 1881, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1881.

The County Council agreed last week to invite tenders for lining a portion of the upper floor of the Hospital for an additional ward. Tenders have been called for.

An account of charges for surveying sections of the Harbor Board reserve, and preparing for sale, was discussed at Monday’s meeting, and held over for revision. The amount seemed large.

' A Petition of a semi-confidential nature, signed by five or six landowners on the Whenuakura block, was sent to Wellington recently. It set forth, as we are informed, that the great want of settlers on that block was to be able to convey their produce to the markets of Wanganui, Kakaramea, and New Plymouth ; and that the Government should therefore construct the Railway inland directly from Waverley to Kakaramea (instead of coastwise to Patpa). The petition did not mention Patea, it being no place, and therefore not a market; and of course these half-dozen petitioners wanted Patea pushed aside as of no account in comparison with Kakaramea, which is a market for Whenuakura produce. They expected Ministers could know no better. Such is the version given by persons who saw this interesting petition. Now who are the landowners on Whenuakura block that could be induced to sign a statement alleging that the market they want to reach is Kakaramea ?—knowing that the object was to persuade innocent Ministers at Wellington that there is such a thing as a Kakaramea market, and that there is no such thing as a Patea market. Is it possible that any settler in this district could sign his name to such a statement as that ? Kakaramea is an township in its infancy. What it may become is a problem, but what it actually is we all know. These half-dozen settlers are trying to ignore a town with twelve hundred inhabitants. It would be equally fair for the twelve hundred to ignore the half-dozen. We hope the town will not ignore any interest in the case, but will strike a sensible rule that the interest and convenience of the great majority ought to be preferred by Government in fixing a railway route. Surveyors were instructed, as the result of that petition, to prospect for an inland line, and their survey will be complete in three or four weeks. If that route were adopted, the effect would be to leave Patea four miles from the through line. The town and port would be “ shunted ” to suit the personal interests of half-a-dozen landowners. They may be estimable persons, but they should fight fair and above-board.

> A platform convenient for loading goods is to be erected by the Harbor ; Board at the store on the new wharf. Lands taken for roads in the Wairoa Survey District have been gazetted. Laud is taken from blocks 1, 2, 6, 8, arid 9. A grand review of Volunteers will be held before the Queen, at Windsor, in August. Fully 56,000 men will be under arms on the occasion. Esparto grass, for paper-making, just as good in all respects as that now imported from Morocco, can be grown very profitably on the waste and bog lands in the West of Ireland. The question of charging for storage of live-stock on the wharf, caused by unforeseen delay in export, came before the Harbor Board on Monday. The Board agreed that the power of charging for use of stock-yards was a necessary check to prevent the yards being blocked, but that charges need not be enforced in ordinary cases. Messrs Hearn and Kennedy have agreed to purchase the native lease of the large property held by the late Francis Williamson, near Waitotara, and lately managed by ’trustees for the benefit of the family. The value of the lease and improvements is understood to be large. The Harmonic Hall at Patea is to erected immediately. The contract was ' signed on Tuesday by Mr H. G. Clegg, on behalf of Mitchell and Dyer, builders, Wellington. Mr Clegg is in Patea preparing for the work. He was formerly in business at Goulburn, N.S.W., and was mayor of that town about six years again the R.M. Court on Tuesday, after the sitting of the District Court, the following civil cases were disposed of: Jacob v. Houguez, claim for £2 6s sd, work done. Judgment for amount and costs. J. Whelan v. Kirk, £4 11s 4d for provisions. Defendant admitted the debt, but asked for time. Judgment for amount and costs. J. Whelan v. Hobbs, claim for £7 6s 6d, goods supplied. Judgment for amount and costs. Madame Lotti Wxlmot, a peculiar evangelist, has been enlightening New Plymouth on “ courtship and marriage,” a new line of business which she thinks might be taken up with advantage. She proposes to enlighten Patea this week on the same mystical subject, and has engaged the room over Mr Dale’s Auction Mart for Friday evening. New ideas are readily assimilated in Patea, and most people will be eager to know how to court and when to marry, these being novel recreations hitherto unknown here. Madame has been also much occupied at New Plymouth in disestablishing “ the Devil. ” That ancient party has got notice to quit, but if he leaves New Plymouth, where can he find so congenial a home ? He would have some difficulty in finding a vacant section down here. A Goods Shed is to be erected at the Patea Railway wharf. The shed will be 100 feet by 42, and is evidently intended to serve for working the local section from-the wharf to Mariotahi, nearly eight miles. Bails and sleepers sufficient to lay that section are already received. A locomotive engine is also to arrive shortly. The local contract of Downes, Proctor, and Co. will be completed within two months, and probably in six weeks with fair weather. The wharf is decked and all but finished. The levelled area for the Station and approach is being ballasted. The laying of rails and sleepers commenced midway in the section on TnesdgJ, The bridge across the river bend will ve finished in a few days after the arrival of some timber expected by the Edith Reid, now due. It appears to be the official intention to open the Patea-to-Manntahi section as soon as the remaining work can be finished. About 24 “ unemployed ” are now at work finishing cuttings and fillings between Kakaramea and Manntahi; after which a contract for laying sleepers and rails and for ballasting may be expected.

Small-pox cases continue to be reported at Sydney. Cable news last night was unimportant, and not worth printing. The wounded American President has had feverish symptoms, but is progressing. American crops now harvested show a yield of 25 per cent, less than last year. Mr Simonsen, of the opera troupe, was sued for breach of promise on Tuesday, at Dunedin. His counsel said he was and had been ready to marry Miss Joseph. Her counsel pressed for damages, saying this plea in Court was a surprise. Jury awarded £125. Mr Parris has failed to persuade the Parihaka natives to refrain from ploughing half an acre of Crown land adjoining a native reserve near Pnngarehu camp. He says it is not for the purpose they pretend to want it for. What is going to happen ? The Representation Bill proposes that the unit of representation shall be 6 ? 66,1 inhabitants in boroughs, and 4-., 996 in country districts ; so our Correspondent’ telegraphs. Patea County should therefore have a separate member, the population being now 6,000. But it remains to be seen whether a County becomes entitled by population only, or whether adjoining districts will be allowed to borrow from a County to make up their quota. If Patea is to be sliced into by Wanganni and Taranaki to kill our claim, there will be vigorous kicking. Wait a,bit. The Auditor of the County Council accounts has made a strange blunder He passed the accounts with a memorandum to the effect that the Chairman had received £45 10s for travelling expenses daring the year. No separate allowance for travelling expenses is made by the Council, the only vote being a lump sum for each day’s attendance of each Councillor ; and the same amount is paid to the Chairman ns to each other mem her. Of course the members have in this way charged a lump sura partly for time spent in attendance and partly for horse hire (supposing they hired for the journey). The previous local Chairman received the same allowance as other members. But the principle is clearly not right, for the only travelling expenses charged should be those actually incurred according to the distance each member travels. It should be explained also that the £45 10s said to have been charged in one year, is the whole sum credited to the Chairman on his account during his five year’s membership, whereas the auditor says it was charged for last year. Finally, the Chairman has received no part of the money. The whole sum has been transferred each year to the Hospital account as a donation, and as the Government have paid pound for pound on it, the County has benefitted to the amount of £9O. The Chairman has been receiving an official salary of £SO a year, and that also has been given in donations to the Hospital and to local charitable objects.

The Sheep Inspector sends a warning notice against the rabbit pest spreading in this distnict. He says:— On my way home from Hawera, I am sorry to say I saw a wild grey rabbit on the roadside opposite Mr Lysaght’s, on Mr G. T. Bayly’s side of road (and a splendid looking fellow, too). I think you ought, through the columns of yonr paper, stir np the settlers in the district to use all the means in their power to see that the rabbit—worst of all pests—be not allowed to spread. If they do, settl<a» will regret it when it may be too late. * If the rabbits get a footing in any one "place here, woo to this splendid grazing country. Very likely Mr Bayly may have tarried out a few some years back on his property. If so, I don’t see that the country should be at the mercy of being destroyed by the mistake of one man. I write to you on the subject hoping yon will take it up, and I also write as I feel, knowing so much about the vast destruction I have seen by rabbits in the South. —W. Mackenzie.”

The Concert by the Harmonic Society last night was well attended. It is difficult to say the music of the second part was pleasing or successful, but a fuller notice may be reserved. The International Monetary Conference, which sat at Paris, has broken up without any definite decision on the subject of universal adoption of bimetallism. The Conference will meet again in April next year. The Committee of two members appointed by the Harbor Board to take steps for obtaining a land endowment for Patea harbor, for repaying the loan and continuing the breakwater, were asked by the Chairman to report on Monday. They were rather pressed to make some statement. The committee, after some demur, did state that the matter is in the hands of Major Atkinson, and that the prospect is hopeful. At the District Court on Tuesday, Judge Hardcastle granted letters ot administration in the estate of William Prouse, deceased, to his widow and to L. G. Bremer jointly as executors. No will had been found. In the bankruptcy of Isaac Olson, it appears the Judge intimated that his discharge will be granted, but the bankrupt must be brought before him personally. The matter therefore stands over. A Public Meeting is convened by the Chairman of the County Council for Saturday evening, in the Patea Town Hall, to consider three subjects of pressing importance to the district, namely (1) opening Crown lands in the Patea district, (2) 'fixing the route of the Waverley-to-Patea Railway so as to meet the convenience of the great majority, (3) and giving separate representation in Parliament to this County. It appears desirable that those who have signed the requisition, and others who could not conveniently be reached in time, should meet for a preliminary conference to shape resolutions to be submitted for public discussion and approval. A movement of this character should be broad and representative; while it is clear also that only a limited number of active promoters can take part in the preliminary work. The Town Hall building will not be available after Saturday, the space being required for storage on Monday, and it became necessary to decide at once whether a meeting should be held this week or not at all. The expression of local opinion at this time may make or mar the future of Patea as a port and commercial centre, and may have the desired effect in securing for this County a place in the Representation Bill. An athletic novelty was lately presented to the Edinburgh public in the form of a “■ ladies’ football match.” The players were twenty-two young women—one half being Scotch, and the other half English. At a meeting of the Taranaki Education Reserves Board on the 6th instant, it was resolved that the sum of £2OO in hand for primary education, be allocated as follows —To the Taranaki Educational District, £155 17s. Bd.; to the Wanganui Educational District, £44 2s. 4d. The transfer of J. G. Beamish’s interest in the lease of Mokoia Town Belt to Mr 6. T. Bayly, was accepted. The tender of Raystnore and Cruikshanks for lease of section 486, Opunaki, was accepted. At the last meeting of the Ngaire Road Board correspondence was received from the Treasury informing the Board that the sum of £350 was to its credit there ; and from the Public Works Department to the effect that instructions had been issued to have certain works carried out on the Mountain Road and also the Opunaki Road. Mr McCutchan, of Hawera, having applied to the Taranaki Education Reserves Board for permission to lease section 30, block . 13, Ngaire, it was resolved to offer the lease by public tender. The Wellington correspondent of the New Plymouth daily says—Judging from the length of the Order Paper, which now approaches six feet in length, there is but a remote chance of “ political rest ” this session. Bills keep tumbling in, both Government and private, faster than the old ones are despatched.

Feilding has been gazetted a busough under the Municipal Corporations Aid. The members of Friendly Societies in New Zealand total 20,000. The quantity of wool exported from New Zealand during 1880 was 66,860,150 lbs., and was valued at £3,169,400. The Scripture Gift Association of Auckland have appointed a salaried officer to visit the public schools. The sum of £ls has been voted for a flower show to be held in the grand stand, at the next Hawkes Bay cattle show. One hundred men have lately been set to work on the Lincoln to Little river railway in Canterbury. Messrs Douglas and Mackersey, of Hawke’s Bay, have expressed their willingness to act as judges at the next Wanganui cattle show. One hundred and five guineas in cash and plate have been already promised as special prizes for cattle and sheep at the next Hawkes Bay show. Two hundred children have had the measles in the Dunedin Industrial Schooh one hundred and fifty being in bed at one time. Only one death has occurred. Major Paul, of Wellington, for a short time Sergeant-at-arms in the Assembly, died suddenly at Auckland on the 11th. He was on his way to the Hot Springs torecruit. Both Otago and Canterbury have declined to join in the despatch of a representative football team to Australia as suggested by the Wellington Rugby Union. At the commemorative service of the Auckland Orange Lodge held on Sunday, the Rev Joseph Long, Primitive Methodist, presided. Addresses were given by the Yen. Archdeacon Maunsell and the Rev L. M. Isitt, Wesleyan. The Government have placed the sum of £4OOO on the estimates for the construction of the Wairoa-Gishorne road, and a further sum of £I2OO to open up by-roads to the Ruakituri block. Ploughing matches will not in future be held under the auspices of the Hawkes Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Association. It has been deemed best for each district to hold ploughing matches. It is announced that £50,000 will be available for distribution among policy holders in the Government insurance office. This will give the holder of a £IOOO policy from 10 to 11 guineas cash, or leave about £4O to be added to the amount of the policy. Mr Robinson, after a careful official inspection of the chimneys in Wanganui affected by the recent earthquake, reports that 69 need repairs of some kind, while many will require to be actually taken down and rebuilt. During the year 1880 there were 208 vessels entered inward at the Port of New Plymouth, the tonnage being 49,797 tons,with crews numbering 4,643. Of these 197 were steamers and 11 sailing vessels. At Waitara 183 vessels entered inward, the tonnage being 9,885, and crews numbering 1,001 men. Weekly communication between the Wairoa (Hawkes Bay) natives and Te Kooti has been going on for at least three years ; in cases of severe sickness Te Kooti is always consulted. Ho has latterly been preaching peace and good-will to all men, and to the East Coast natives in particular, exhorting them never to part with an inch of land.