PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1881.

Patea Mail, 16 August 1881, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1881.

It is now clear that the votes proposed for railway works include the completing of the Waverley section to Patea, and thence to Manutahi; also for surveying new route between Manutahi and Hawera. The Public Works Statement refers to the Waverley section thus ;—“ The survey for this section is in hand. Two lines will be submitted for approval ; one closely adhering to the original line inland; the other taking a direction from Waverley towards the coast, then rounding the clifis and entering the Patea Valley near the sea, and joining the new station now being constructed at Carlyle.”

An auctioneer in Patea chartered a schooner to fetch timber from the Sound. Schooner went, but no timber was ready for shipment, and there appears to have been an oversight either at Patea or Wellington in ordering the timber, causing about a month’s delay before a cargo was ready. The timber reached Patea river on Sunday, and the captain claims demurrage for detention in waiting for cargo, besides charging for number of days’ hire of schooner. The extra expense thus entailed is considerable, and the matter seems difficult to arrange. A branch of the Patea Coach Factory is to be opened at Hawera, in the premises lately occupied by Mr Cockburn, how a bankrupt. The trustee in Cockburn’s estate decided the place should be closed last week, as soon as the bankrupt’s position became sufficiently apparent. It is intended to put the premises in the market, now that Cockburn is found to be the real owner; and the proprietors of the Patea Coach Factory appear to consider this a suitable opportunity for extending their business, by commencing in Cockburn s premises if they can be obtained. Messrs Donaghue, Chisholm, & Smith have increased their reputation as excellent workmen by becoming more widely known since they became proprietors of the Patea Coach Factory. Taranaki people lately superseded their harbor engineer by “ the right man at last,” in the shape of a Mr Rhind, a plain practical man, who brought good credentials from Home of his fitness to superintend the construction of harbor works in concrete. They are now trying to get up a public quarrel with the man because he has ordered a few iron castings from Wellington.

Manaia settlers are moving to abolish the rating power which the Taranaki Harbor Board holds over them. A ship with railway engine on board for Patea harbor section is supposed to be in the Strait or sheltering. After the creditors’ meeting yesterday, Mr W. Cowern was summoned to show cause why his appointment as trustee shall not be annulled. The matter will come up on Thursday at the Court House. Mr W. Dale reports—On Saturday last I sold at mart tea in half-chests is 7d per lb, boxes 17s, bacon 4£d, hams 6d, lard 3fd, potatoes £3, trees at low prices, plough £5, furniture sold lower than at previous sale, soap 16s, fencing wire 19s. By private contract, the goodwill of lease of part section 4, block 40, Patea, and sections 25 and 26, block 36, Patea suburbs, freehold. There is still a demand for cottage buildings in the town of Patea. The Harmonic Hall now begins to make a show. The frames of one side and the end were upreared on Saturday, and some idea can now be formed of the commanding height and large area of the building. The workers for the Harmonic Bazaar will soon have visible evidence of the new hall for which they are known to be toiling with quiet assiduity. It is rather perilous to visit at some houses just now ; those domestic nests where bazaar requisites are in pre { oration, and where you ; are affectionately inveiged into a belief that another pound or so will make some particular stall complete. They talk about men of business, but these creatures are nowhere when women take up the bazaar business and throw their hearts in it. Remarkable passages have been made by the Wakatu between Patea and Wellington, The steamer, after being weather bound in Wanganui, came to Patea and discharged cargo which bad been intended to come directly from Wellington, Captain Evans must have been put on his mettle by the delay, for he set to work in this way. He cast off at the wharf on Friday night at 11 o’clock, reaching Wellington next day at 12 noon. Took in 40 tons cargo, chiefly railway iron and some merchandise, and sailed same day at 7 p.m. ; reaching Patea heads about 9 o’clock Sunday morning. The double voyage was done with full inward cargo within 36 hours. The iron rails were discharged at the railway wharf yesterday morning, and the merchandise at the old wharf, and the Wakatu sailed again for Wellington at one o’clock yesterday afternoon. This smart work is highly creditable, and shows what can be done under pressure. The Redistribution Bill is one of the briefest measures ever introduced. It has seven clauses, but only three have any separate importance, the others being mere detail. The first operative clause enacts that there shall be 91 members. Tha next says these shall represent separate electorates ; there being a new principle in this clause, allotting only one member to each electorate. The third operative clause provides that a schedule of electorates shall be laid before the House. This bill is important in inverse ratio to its brevity. The schedule of electorates had not been issued last night. We find that the total expenditure on the West Coast Railway, Foxton to New Plymouth, has been £1,035,528. The Wellington to Napier line, and the Kaipara to Waikato line, have each cost a larger total sum in construction up to the present. It appears also that £117,000 has been voted for the line from Foxton to Patea, and only £77,029 of that amount had been expended to March last. This shows lapsed votes to the amount of £39,081 ; that is to say, only two-thirds of the amount had been expended. The votes for railway between Patea and Waitara were £82,000, and £56,753 was expended to March last, leaving nearly one-third as lapsed votes. For every £8 voted to the West Coast for railways, £1 was returned unexpended. The total sum expended on all railways during the year ended March was £969,165.