NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 974, 20 December 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The adjourned annual meeting of the Patea Volunteer Fire Brigade was held on Monday evening. About half-a-dozen members in addition to the captain were present. All the retiring officers were reelected as fol'ows : Mr Dixon ; Foreman, Mr Gibbons ; Assistant Foreman, Mr Hudson ; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr Bright ; Auditor, Mr E. 0. Horner. The statement of receipts and expenditure for the period ending 18th December, 1882, showed, the former to be £47 15s and the latter £4l 18s thus leaving a credit balance of £6 17s. The statement of assets and liabilities showed liabilities nil, assets £94 17s 6d ; cash in bank, £6 17s and unpaid subscriptions £3 11s making in all £lO5 6s 6d. The report was adopted and the meeting adjourned. At the R.M. Court yesterday an old native chief named Tauroa, a witness in the case of Patterson v Proctor, Downes, and Co., when callednpon to give evidence was found to have been worshipping too freely, at the shrine of Bacchus, and was at that moment sleeping off the effects at the back of the Court-house. As be was an important witness, the Court bad to adjourn about balf-an-bour earlier than it would otherwise have done. After resuming, Tauroa, who bad not wholly recovered from the effects of bis “ spree ” created Considerable amusement by his antics. Judgment was given for the plaintiff for the amount claimed, and £7 2s costs, in the case of Patterson v. Proctor, Downes and Co , which was heard at the R.M. Court j r esterday morning. An order, prohibiting the publicans in the three licensing districts aronnd Patea from supplying Thomas Lambeth (the man who attempted to do away with himself a short while since) with liquor, was granted by the Court yesterday morning. Ebcnezer Dixon, at the R.M. Court yesterday, was fined ss, or, in default, 24 hours’ imprisonment for drunkenness. Dixon was wandering about the town on Sunday last, in a deranged state of • mind, and, at one of the churches in the evening created considerable annoyance by interrupting the service. A slight omission occurred in the list of prizes at the Waverley. School in our last issue. Mr McDonald gave handsome special prizes for senior arithmetic , for which he was not credited. It may also he added that three of the scholars— Masters Bridge, Mason, and Muir collected £lO for school prizes. The following are the acceptances for the Wellington Cup :—Wilberforce, Envy filly, Hilda, Minerva, Teats, Louie, Gentle Annie, Bundoora, Turquoise, Paiera, Mischief, Armourer. Mr Bryce has received an answer from Wahanui to his letter. The reply is very brief. Wahanui disclaims on behalf of himself and his people any idea of throwing Tawhiao overboard, and says that Mr Bryce’s words shall have due consideration, hut does not intimate any intention of calling a native meeting. The Hons. Bryce and Rolleston are both in Wanganui. The former intends to spend Christmas at home, and the latter awaits despatches from Wellington, on receipt of which he proceeds up the Coast on business connected with his department, and specially to see the Momohaki Block. The Steward of the Hospital acknowledges the receipt of vegetables from Mrs Wray, flowers from Mrs Keating, and a shoulder of bacon from Mr Hogan for Christmas box. The following are the remainder of the acceptances for Manaia races : Trotting Handicap Comet (Rnssells). Maiden—Okato. Handicap—Okato. Constable McPheely, of Manntahi, has resigned his position in the force, being about to proceed to Queensland. Constable Lester, from Taranaki, fills the vacancy. Our ( Daily Times ) Lake County correspondent writes :—“ A miner at Bracken’s Gully possesses a kitten which hnsevinccd a strange predilection for fowls. This singular kitten follows the fowls about all day, goes to roost with them, relieves the sitting hen, acts mother to young chicks—in fact, makes itself generally useful in the hen-roost and out of it to the feathered tribe. Perhaps the strangest thing about this kitten is that (lie hens and roosters let it do pretty much as it likes. The sanguine miner, who is a firm believer in Evolution, daily expects that his wonderful kitten will follow the more useful example of hens, and when this occurs I shall duly inform your readers of such an interesting phase of Evolution.” We remind fanners and others that Mr F R Jackson will offer for sale to-morrow the whole of (he live and dead stock of Mr W Derrett at his homestead. There is sure to be a large company at the sale as such a favorable opportunity for supplying wants seldom occurs in the district. Toddy is the name of a Monthly Comic Journal which is to be issued in Dunedin next month.

We hear that Mr D.Coutts contemplates leaving Patea for Auckland at an early date. His intention is to remain away about a couple of years to give bis sons a good start in business, after which he will return to his home here. Mr Goults, whose genial manner has secured him a wide circle of friends, will be greatly missed but at the same time he can rely on meeting with a hearty welcome w.hcn he comes back. M. H. Goodacre announces his intention’ to give a present to any purchaser who spends over ten shillings .in his shop riming the next fourteen days. A public meeting will be held at Waverley on Wednesday the 27th inst., imrnodi.ately after the election of the committee for the management of the recreation ground. The business of the meeting will be to consider the advisability of vesting the ground in local trustees. The installation of Mayor took place at (he Borough Council offices at noon today. Mr Milroy signed the'declaralion, and, in a short speech, took upon him the duties of his office, and Mr Sherwood left the chair. There were present: Councillors Mahoney, Gibson, Dixon, Adams, McCarthy, Aitcbeaon and Barton. The question of land valntion then came up, but, after a little discussion, it was resolved to adjourn it to a special meeting to be called on Friday, at 7 p.m. Cr McCarthy drew attention to the bad state of repair the bridge was in at the present time, and added that some people were in the.habit of throwing lighted matches on (he flooring, which, with dry weather like wo are having now, was highly dangerous to the structure. He also remarked that it was proposed to erect the stationmaster’s house on a section of land, which, is ho remcmlercd rightly, was set apart a few years ago, in case any alterations to the bridge were contemplated. If the house were erected there it would be impossible to shift the bridge into a line with Bedford street, Cr Gibson endorsed the remarks of the last speaker and proposed when altering the name of the Mayor on the placards at the bridge to add a few lines cautioning persons against (browing lighted matches on the bridge as the coat would, be only a few shillings, and it would be better to incur that than run the risk of having the bridge destroyed, an event which would be an inconceivable loss to the County, , As the nex.t general meeting of the Council falls on New Year’s day, it was adjourned to the Bth prox., (on which date a special meeting will also be held) on the motion of Mr Barton. Mr Gibson, in seconding the motion, said he hoped the comfort of Councillors would be more studied in the future than it was in the past, as it was a great inconvenience to them to be continually attending special meetings. The Patea Boiling Down works are advertised for sale. Particulars can be obtained on application to M T Nicholson or Mr Harris. A reward of £1 is offered for the recovery of a chestnut pony branded R B U on off shoulder, which has been, lost from Patea. A special general meeting of the Waverley and Waitotara Racing Club will beheld on Saturday evening next at Ballam’s Commercial Hotel. Mr F. R. Jackson announces a sale of stock at the Kakaramea yards on Friday next. • The claims of the doctor who was commis stoned by the Victorian. Government to in. vestigate the supposed outbreak of smallpox at Hamilton amount to £932. The Board of Health has referred the accounts to the Chief Secretary. The Australian Frozen Meat Company’s new works at Williamstown are almost com- ' pleted. The greatest attention has been paid , to every detail necessai y to secure the success- | ful working of the Company’s business. The , buildings will cost £OOOO. | The Patea S.S. Company have decided to ' name their new steamer the “ Waverley.” The Catholic picnic will be held in Mr Me Carty’s paddock on Tuesday next, Boxing Day. It is a curious coincidence that Sir Julius , Vogel should have landed in New Zealand | the very day after our three years’ period of pledged abstinence from borrowing ex--1 pired.