PATEA DAILY MAIL. Tuesday Evening, Feb. 14, 1882.

Patea Mail, 14 February 1882, Page 2

PATEA DAILY MAIL.

Tuesday Evening, Feb. 14, 1882.

Published every Evening, Price Id. Circulation nearly GOO : average last quarter 510. Politics, Independent.

The railway locomotive at Patea wharf is being cleaned and fitted together for working. The engine will be used probably for ballasting the line. Nothing is yet done towards removing the eel-weirs. Will the District Engineer kindly see to this ? The official promise conveyed the idea that the order given was an urgent one. Weeks have passed, but no step is taken towards executing the order. If it becomes necssary to apply again to Wellington, it will have to be shown that both the Premier and Major Atkinson informed the Patea public that the order to remove the weirs had been given more than three weeks ago, and yet at this date not a stick has been removed. The return of patients admitted to the New Plymouth Hospital from Ist August 1881 to 31st January-1882, shows Normanby to have sent 5, Hawera 4, Patea 1, Manaia 3, Eltham 2-—these all being places outside the County of Taranaki.

In the cricket match, Patea Cricket Clnb v, Wavcrley, next Thursday, the Patea team will he chosen from the following players :—Messrs. Jacob (captain), Jacomb, Fraser, Head, Anmdcll, Rose, Taplin, F. T. Horner, Dasent, Norman, Shield, Baggett, C. Harden, Black and E. C. Horner. And for the match Manutahi-Kakaramca on Saturday next, Messrs Jacomb, Taplin, Fraser, Tennent, Dasent, Coutts, Rose, W. Harden, Norman, Redgrave, Arundell, C. Harden, Black, Nntsford, Horner, Drake, and Richards.

The contract for railway construction between Waverley and Patea is to be let with a condition that no sod shall be cut on any separate property until the proposed line is fenced off. This will avoid the grievance which has been so great, along the section between Patea and Mamttahi. Mr R. Garrett is making a survey and pegging off the boundaries of the Waverley-to-Patea line for fencing purposes, so that each owner will know at an early dale the actual amount of land to be severed front his property ; and the compensation can be

then made or claimed without a long delay.

The dangerous condition of Manawapou bridge is more alarming than when attention was called to it a few days ago. The bottom chord has opened considerably, the rod-ends being strained partly through the rotten posts. Not a day should be lost in propping the bridge to make it temporarily steady and safe for the traffic that must pass over it. If a collapse occurs, the whole north country will be cut off, and business will be at a standstill. Surely this matter is of the utmost urgency.— Since writing the above, we learn that the bridge was inspected yesterday on behalf of the Patea and Hawera County Councils, and it was recommended that a new bridge should be built on a fresh site, the old bridge being too decayed to be worth extensive repair. The timber is mati, a short-fibre wood, and very rotten. The old bridge is to be propped and made temporarily safe; and the Chairman of the Patea County Council informs us the utmost despatch will be used to make the bridge safe for ordinary traffic. The Tongahoe bridge, in Hawera County, is also reported to be dangerous. Any loss or personal injury resulting from an unsafe bridge may involve considerable legal compensation to be paid out of County funds.

At a meeting of the Patea West Road Board at Kakaramea there were present, Messrs F. M. Chapman (chairman), Gibbs, March ant, Morgan, Paterson, and Wiliamsou. Complaint made by Mr R. B. Pearce of obstruction at the railway crossing on the Hnkatere road, was referred to Mr Holmes, Resident Government Engineer at Hawera. Works required in various parts were left for committees to see to. Messrs Marchant and Gibbs are empowered to accept fresh tenders for bush falling on Manutahi road ; Messrs Chapman, Gibbs, and Morgan to lay off and accept tenders for works on Wilford road ; and a committee of the whole Board to deal with application from Mr Guyatt for bush-felling on Hunter-street, Woodville—Waller’s cutting on the Ball road—and to lay off and accept tenders for works on various roads to the amount of balances from unexpended votes. Tenders were accepted as follow: H. Ward £4 14s 6d for works on Upper Ball road; J. Barron, £3 10s for contract No 2 Lower Ball Road; W. Marchant, £4, for contract No 3, Lower Ball road; H. Hodge, L 4 15s, Hursthouse road ; and J. Hartwell, L 8 Is 6d, for work on Clifford road. Tenders for contract No 1 Lower Ball road, and for Manutahi road, were all declined. Accounts were passed for W. Dale L2 18s lOd, Evening News LI 10s, Daily Mail Ll 16s Gd, J. D. F. Christie, LI 10s, Geo. Pearce Ll.

The telegraph cable across Auckland harbor has been successfully laid by the aid of the Customs’ launch and the Harbor Board silt punt.

The Wakatu steamer lies in the smnu position behind the breakwater, moored for safety. The two holes being patched over, the hull is now dry. The steamer was insured in the South British office for L 4,500. Captain Bendall is expected here to-day, on behalf of the underwriters, to superintend the salvage, which will probably be a simple operation at spring tides. The Libel Case was resumed this afternoon, in the R.M. Court. Evidence for the prosecution was continued ; Mr C. Finnerty and Mr W. Aitchison giving evidence as to the alleged libel on the Mayor. A Wanganui writer on the scab question asks why the disease was not detected by the Patea inspector when the scabby sheep from Wanganui passed on to Hawera for sale. The answer is simple. The Wanganui inspector wired to the Patea inspector (a subordinate officer) that he must give a clean certificate to any buyers of the particular sheep from Wanganui. That being the order received, why should the Patea inspector do other than obey it 7 A reinspection was practically forbidden by the peremptory order to give a clean certificate. A meeting of farmers has been convened to consider the price of grain in the Wairarapa. Reputed best authorities report that the average return of wheat this year will be the highest ever known in the Wairarapa Valley. Masterton residents who . recently attended a “ without reserve ” sale of timber at the rival town of Groytown, were “ shocked ” to find there were only a few lots of any value, and that the owner was amongst the most active and highest bidders. A party of Chinamen who have settled in one of the Wairarapa townships, have irrigated their garden by a novel, inexpensive, yet effective method. Firemen are urging the Borough authorities to lake the hint and obtain a water supply on a similar plan.for the town. “ The bookstall at the Dunedin railway station has been leased by the proprietor of the Otago Bible and Tract Depot,” says the Otago Daily Times, and henceforward the travelling public are to be provided with “ works of a serious, moral and religious character,” and with “light literature of a wholesome character, in cheap editions.” The establishment of a woolen factory in Wanganui is mooted, and there is a probability that an appeal will be made to the public to subscribe the necessary capital. The National Mortgage Company of Otago have declared a dividend of 5 per cent, for the half-year. There are now one hundred cases of scarlet fever at Onehunga, Auckland district, and twelve deaths have occurred. Fresh cases are daily reported. The names of 700 shareholders are now on the list of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Canterbury, which was incorporated in October last. On account of numerous complaints, the Dean of Christchurch Cathedral has requested the bellringers not to practice after eight o’clock at night. The Bruce Herald reports that a person residing at Adams Flat found in a pigstye, when cleaning it out some months ago, a child’s boot with the reof a foot within. A child lost three years ago in that neighborhood has never since been heard of. During the month of January, the Christchurch Temperance Hotel Company made profits amounting to £SO. Wholesale Thieving.— At the R.M. Court, Hamilton, Waikato, on the Bth, George Hawkins pleaded guilty to stealing a lady’s ulster, a leg of mutton, Idoz eggs, a brace and bit, a shingling hammer, a plane and rule, a stock brush, a pair of boots, a concertina, overcoat, coat, bat, scarf, and two pairs of pants. The prisoner was also charged with stealing the school house clock at Morrinsville. ■