PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Evenings. Monday Evening, September 19.

Patea Mail, 19 September 1881, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Evenings. Monday Evening, September 19.

The Native Land Court finished business at Upokongaro on Friday, and will open court at Waitotara to-morrow, the principal business being the rehearing of Maungapapa, No 1 and No 2 Blocks. Major Brown is embarassed by over much congratulation. It all comes « an innocent announcement that Mrs B. has blessed him with twins. These things will happen. No one is to blame in particular. Besides, it is written that unto them that have, much shall be given. The committee of the Harmonic Society considered on Friday the question' of reducing the angle of the stage, jn the new hall. It was decided to reduce the angle to a rise of five inches at the rear. The rise was previously thirteen inches. The alteration was made on Saturday, and “ playgoers ” will now recognise that the stage has a slope which corresponds to the usual arrangement. High School Examinations. —ln connection with the above, Mr .Betts, of Wanganui, examined pnpils in Latin. In the senior division nine papers were * sent in from the Wanganui school, and one from Patea. In the junior division one paper from Wanganui and one from Patea. E. McCarthy, Patea senior division, made 24 points. Mr Betts reports—ln the senior classes the translation of the passages set was not well done, and I regret to be compelled to add, for the information of the Education Board, that the papers set were by no means difficult.” We understand that Mr Boss has' commenced surveying an inland route for the railway between ‘Manutahi and Normanby. This route has been reported to the Government as greatly preferable on account of cheapness and shortness for through traffic, and also as better adapted for opening a large inland tract of country vghjch the previous route near the highway would not touch. The new route now being surveyed has this peculiarity, that it follows a continuous depression or valley which has been used for centuries as a Maori.warpath, and is generally a good IcveV for traffic. The Maoris kept this nat U highway closed to Europeans recent period, but this kind of difficulty is now at an end, and in thei event of the railway not being taken along that route, there would be a powerful argument for making a highway along the old native track, to open a large extent of excellent country. The two main - arguments that weigh with the Government appear to ; be (Ist) cheapness of construction as compared with heavy tunnelling 'by the road-side route ; and (2nd) shortness of mileage for through traffic.

Several entire horses are advertised to travel this district.

Some district news and local matters are crashed oat by important telegraphic news.'/ ~. The weather since Friday hrfs been charming—clear, jump into ; summer. The country roads are ns dry ks powder, after weeks of awful slash and puddle. Field|nnd garden work had been kept ‘back, but it is now going on with a rash. These calm spring days, with a slight breeze that stimulates like a cooling drink, are samples of Patea weather that we should like to bottle up and keep.

Tenders for erecting the new building for the Bank of New Zealand were received as followKendall. & Bush, £2,110 (accepted) ; other Ibcal tenders being £2,097, £2,099, £2,528, £2,680, £2,389,, £2,383 -10 ;and some tenders at Auckland and Wellington, not reported here. Mr Christie telegraphed the tenders ,to the chief manager, and received instruction to accept Hhe one first mentioned above. Mr Kendall and Mr Bnsh tendered separately, and Mr Bush’s tender being accepted, the two agreed to join in taking it np, and have given satisfactory sureties. Mr Kendall has been employed at the Patea railway works.; The bank will be a large and handsome corner building. 1 The plan has been already described in the Mail. . ,