PATEA DAILY MAIL. Published every Evening, Price 1d. Circulation nearly 600: average last quarter 510. Politics, Independent. Tuesday Evening, January 8, 1882.

Patea Mail, 3 January 1882, Page 3

PATEA DAILY MAIL. Published every Evening, Price Id. Circulation nearly 600: average last quarter 510. Politics, Independent. Tuesday Evening, January 8, 1882.

Taranaki Almanack is pubfor the fourteenth year at the Herald office, New Plymouth, and is now a bulky handbook. Its i information is various and-useful, and the book is well got up. Patea is still called Onrlyle fn this almanack. ■ r. The appointment of a Town Clerk is to be’ considered by the Borough Council this evening. This office has become so important, that, the public interest requires particular care in selecting a really competent clerk. Councillors have to discharge a representative duty in this matter, and personal friendships;'; should ■, be [treated: as of; no account as against the public interest. How many * applicants there are we know not. The Town Clerk should be 'a person competent to deal . with-r!I lion in emergencies, without needing the supervision of another officer. When a new Mayor is elected, as he must be in due coarse, he should feel that the Town Clerk is bis right-hand assistant and gnide in the many details of official business which a Mayor must discharge, and that a new Mayor’s path is made smooth and pleasant by the help of . a careful, judicious, and skilled Town Clerks The public also expect courtesy and business-like attention from .a Town Clerk. One bther condition which the public are entitled to insist on is that, the Town Clerk shall hold himself free from, all partisan influences.

The County’s financial position is to be discussed to-morrow, at the monthly meeting of the Council. The necessity for a more economical system is felt by ratepayers and Councillors alike. The central establishment should be abolished, and the mdney now spent on it should be put on the roads. This programme appears/to be accepted ; the only* queS-| tion being as to how Road Boards are to be induced to take charge//of the County road. These Boards only require a reasonable assurance that the necessary funds for maintaining the County road will be provided by the County Council. One thing is clear, that the Road Boards will not be responsible for more than a fair and judicious expenditure of such County funds as may be handed over for road maintenance. The Council must continue to be the taxing body; and their only other important duty will be to receive reports as to the County road in t different districts, and allot funds in due* proportion to the requirement of each portion within a road . . Boating on the Patea river is coming to fashion 1 , 1 especially' ' as'd holiday ■ All the boats in the place seemed to-be laden yesterday with excursion parties. An experienced builder of boats is settling in Patea, and will soon be able to meet'the increasing demand for pleasure-boats. Mr Mercer’s young boy got badly hurt on Saturday. He was on horseback, with va l tethej-rbpe roririd him. The horse took fright at the capers of some larrikins, and young ) Mercer fell off and was dragged by the rope a good distance before he could be rescued. His injuries are serious. v Mr Cowern’s stock sale to-morrow comprises a large number of entries.

We learn that the Minister of Lands has given instruction for a preliminary survey of the back country adjacent to Patea. A letter appears in this issue.

The Brass Band entertainment last evening was a great success financially. A fire at Wanganui this morning destroyed part of York & Cornfoot’s timber yard. Not insured. Mr T. Nutstbrd has won the handicap silver cnp of the Wanganui Rifle Volunteers, having scored most points in five competitions. He is receiving congratulations from new friends in Patea. The cup will be presented to him publicly on a review-day. His score on Saturday was 52 points. The fcornpetition had been going oh about bight years—so long that the. donor’s name is not remembered. It is, however, a handsome trophy, nicely chased and engraved. Mr Nntsford ip a good shot added to the; Patea corps.

The dust-storm blowing to-day is the Worst form of Patea weather, next to a wet gale from the south. These two nuisances are fortunately not frequent. The weather at this season seems to be il blowing itself but,” before the long luxurious sunny days of late summer and serene autumn. How often it must strike a travelled colonial that if our Patea houses were trellissed with those large-leaf’d creepers so common in America, the changing hues of autumn from green to brown and then to russet gold would impart to our homes a loveliness of foliage which would add a new charm to the “ fall.” There are two or three choice varieties of American creepers. They bud early, and shed leaves late. A decoration of this kind around a house imparts a romance to the"commonest cottage. Maories mixed freely with pakehas yesterday in the holiday fun. Quite a galaxy of swarthy damsels were in the Domain-ground, rollicking and squatting with that easy negligence which, makes ah active pakeha fancy that the native race treat life as one long holiday. Maori young men came in to see the athletic feats, in which young Broughton always figured well. At the close of the day, about two dozen natives danced the haka with the vigor of young lions roused from sleep. How these Maori girls do “ fling their heart in it.” It seems to them a most hilarious abandonment; and yet this is barbarism in its picturesque phase.

The export trade in manganese, is steadily increasing. There are several mines near Russell, in the. Bay of Islands. In 1879 2,000 tons, worth £B,OOO, were sent away ; in 1880 rather more, worth £10,000; and this year it is expected that much tnofe ; will be shipped. Manganese has many uses in the arts. All the oxygen used - in lime-lights is procured 'from 1 and it is the essential ingredient in the inner cells of the Leclahchd . batteries now so much used to ring electric bells. Holidays have been plentiful lately. We have all had our fling in the Christmas and New Year merriment, and must settle down again to steady business. The children can’t expect Santa Claus to come round every night and fill their stockings with new toys. That’s a relief to the pocket for some time, anyhow. Bachelors can, go on hiring buggies, and getting up pic-nic parties, and singing loye-sppgs another people’s houses ; for (as dear Dr. Watt says of the dogs) it is their nature to. Some bachelors are turning over a new leaf by getting married and not letting their next-door neighbor know it till the cake is sent round. Yon may well call them odd-fellows. Matrimony is becoming a considerable local industry in Patea. The directors of the Phccnix Goldmining Company, Wellington, have reported that the crushing machinery procured has failed to give satisfactory 'results from the quartz tried. It is stated that the /Government intend calling Sir William Fox, the rejected of Rangitikei, to the -Legislative i Council.