The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1003, 28 February 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Pressure upon our space has compelled us to omit our leading article. The Board of Education hss accepted the Render of Messrs Holden and Lerwell, for the additions to Patea School. The amount is £377. In reference to the application of the Committee to have the School removed, the Board generally considered that it was not an advisable step to take, as the present site only required draining to do away with the water which collected under the building. It was resolved to request the Committee to call for tenders for making the necessary drain.

At a meeting of shareholders in the Patea Steam Shipping Co. held on Tuesday, it was resolved “That tenders be called in the Auckland and Wellington papers for the purchase of the Company’s vessel now building in Auckland, to close 27 th March next; and that the directors be authorised to accept the highest or any other tender that may appear desirable. In the event of none of the tenders being considered suitable by (lie Directors, they may at their discretion run the new steamer in another trade, or make the best arrangement possible to carry on the Patea trade.” At a meeting of the Patea School Committee on Monday evening it was resolved, as no communications had been received from other committees intimating agreement among themselves to any other candidate, to vote lor Mr Samuel Taplin, who has been nominated for the Education Board. It was resolved to request the police to serve notices of summons on the parents or guardians of children of school age whq are not attending the public or any other school. Messrs Howitt and D. Smith were appointed visiting committee for March. Mr F. 11 Jackson will hold an extensive sale of stock at the Kakaramea yards tomorrow, at 1 o’clock. On Friday he will sell at the Manaia yards, the stock belonging to Mr W. L. Martyn, who lias disposed of his farm. The whole of the lots are first class, and the choice .sheep will be sold in small numbers to suit purchasers. We expect to see a large attcndance'at the sale, the particulars of which may be seen elsewhere. The unfortunate fellow James Crowley, who had the upper portion of his face so severely injured by an accident on the railway line on Monday, was sent to the Wanganui hospital on Mondaj'. He lias great difficulty in swallowing food, and will require to have an artificial jaw made. The Whenuakura School District having failed to elect a Committee, the late Committee (Mr Robert Horner’s name being substituted for that of Mr Coutls) have been appointed School Commissioners. An information lias been sworn against Mr George Beamish, late Collector of County Dog Tax, by the Chairman of the County Council, for embezzling monies. The hearing will take place on Friday. A meeting of Justices of the Peace to revise the jury list will be held at the Courthouse, Patea, on Friday, March 16. The police arc trying to find the rcla--tH-cfe-'of clie body of a little half-caste girl which was washed up on the Wanganui beach yesterday afternoon. When found the body was still flexible, and it was evident it had not been many hours in tb« water. The deceased was a fine child, and was dressed in a blue serge dress, flannel petticoat, new elastic side boots and white socks. Present enquiries as to identity have proved unavailing. An officer of the steamer Wallace has informed a Wanganui paper that on their last trip they found the sea strewn with logs of timber and sheaves of grain for a distance of 40 miles out, as a result of the late floods in the river. Fresh water is also said to have been got 20 miles from land. At the Education Board yesterday it was resolved to recommend Mr R. Willis to the Whenuakura Committee for appointment. The application of Miss Williams for appointment at Waverley was ordered to be forwarded to the Committee with the others. The appointment of Mr Ellis to Waverley was confirmed, and it was resolved that the Secretary request the Okoia Committee to release him from his duties at once. The Gazette of February 22 contains particulars of some land taken for a further portion of the Manutahi section of railway. The appointment of Mr E. C. Horner, Patea, as agent for the Public Trustee, is gazetted. Brewers will be interested in the last number of the Gazette , which contains the forms of books to bo kept under the provisions of section 24 of the “ Beer Duty Act, 1880.” Mrs Sait, the oldest teacher in the Nelson district, has resigned her position and intends to reside in Wellington, Mrs Sait has been twenty-six years in the service of the Board.

The Nelson Harmonic Society is the oldest of the kind in New Zealand. Mr Akers, a gentleman from Christchurch, will take the conductorship, and the weekly practices are to be revived. The same gentleman has been appointed organist of All Saints Church. The fixing of the electric light for Lyttelton harbour began on Monday. Sixteen Brush lights, each of 2000 candle power are to be erected. At Timaru on Monday, a man named Leonard McNain, while harnessing horses was kicked in the stomach, and before he could recover himself had his thigh bone broken by a second kick from the same horse. He was conveyed to the Hospital. On Sunday evening, the 26th of November last, between the hours of 6 and 8 o’clock, a public worship and public-house census was taken in Kilburn (England), under the auspices of the Kilburn Temperance Council, with the following result .-—There are 25 places of public worship in Kilburn, and the number of persons attending on’ that evening was 5570. There are 35 public-houses in Kilburn, and the number of persons who entered them on that evening between the hours of 6 and 8 o’clock was 5591. There are 33 students at the Lincoln Agricultural School, 15 from Canterbury ; s,°Auckland ; 2, Nelson ; 2, Invercargill ; 1, Lawrence ,* 2, Napier; 3, Gisborne ; 1* Victoria ; 1, Dunedin ; 1, Wellington.

Mr Crosse, surgeon dentist, of Wanganui,: will visit Waverley on Tuesday next, and may bo consulted at Ballam’s Hotel.

At the District Court held at Napier on the 19th instant, one juryman was excused on the ground that lie was a member of the Spit Fire Brigade, but the excuse that he was the secretary of the Harbour Board and had work to prepare for the meeting of that body next day was of no avail to another. , 7- 7 An .American paper states that a New Zealamkr who applied a poultice of gumdeaves to his head, in order to cure an attack of neuralgia, found, upon removing it, that his hair was turned a peacock blue, and that the dye was fast and would not yield, to any amount of washing. A special to the Auckland Star says : “ 1 have heard it said that the natives who accompanied Te Kooti and met'Mr Bryce yesterday, had arms and ammunition concealed in the fern to rely upon if required. This rumour originated among the natives themselves. Mr Thomas Sfruthcrs, of Okaiawa, the local agent for the Deering Twine binder, notifies elsewhere that he is now taking orders for these celebrated machines in time for the harvest of 1884. Owing to (he demand that exists for the Deering Binder, it is necessary, in order to ensure delivery, that orders should be sent in by Apiil 20tb, so that time may be given to construct the machines. The price has been reduced to £6O. A Timarn paper states that the heat there bas been so excessive that it has scorched: up the apples upon the trees at Parcora until they have the appearance of o r dinary baked apples, and the trees look as if they had been burnt. The Auckland Evening Star says that Mr Bryce is reported to have promised his patronage to a native race meeting, to be held at Kopua on the 6th March next. 111-natured people are wondering if he will “ enter” on the white steed he used at Parihaka. We should hardly have thought that Maoris were so rare in the streets of Masterton that one of them could have been mistaken for a Japanese. Yet that this was actually done is related by the Wairarapa Daily. A few days ago, five Maori lads were accused of the heinous offence of stealing fruit from the orchard of Mr John Newman, at Awahuri. The suspected culprits were brought before a Maori tribunal, which was presided over by Hoeta, a native Rangitira. The ploceedings were conducted in the most regular manner, witnesses being called and evidence heard with all the formalities customary in European Courts. After a patient hearing, which lasted for upwards of an hour, the culprits were found guilty of the charge, and sentenced to be chastised with the rod. The fiat of the court went forth, and the victims to justice were tied up and flogged in a manner that reflected great credit on the executioners, and elicited yells of appreciation from the thieves. We venture to opine that Mr Newman’s fruit will not be touched illegally again. We also think our Maori friends have shown an example that might be followed with advantage by their white neighbours. —Fielding Star.

A rather bad case of sunstroke occurred at Greymouth on Monday to a man named John Thomas Kiele, the effect of which was to render him violent and maniacal. An unusual spectacle was presented at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, on Monday, of a bishop occupying the position of defendant in an action by one of his clergy, for stipend alleged to be due. The plaintiff was the Rev. Cams Wilson, until recently stationed at Palmerston North, the defendant being His Lordship the Bishop of Wellington, and the suit was instituted for the recovery of a balance of stipend said to be owing. The plaintiff was examined at considerable length, and judgement was given against him on the ground that the wrong party had been proceeded against. The Hawkes Bay Herald says that it has good authority for saying that not only was Te Kooti’s pardon fully discussed at the Cabinet, but that Ministers, before taking any decisive step, consulted his Excellency, and obtained from him the promise of a dissolution in the event of an adverse vote in the House on the question. At the Dunedin Police Court on Monday, William Minter was committed for trial on a charge of embezzling moneys belonging to the New Zealand Insurance Company. It is stated that the prisoner’s defalcations amount to £6OO. A couple of drowning cases are reported from Auckland, the first being Joseph Mills, son of Joseph Mills, a railway platelayer, who was drowned while crossing the Waipawa creek in flood, and the second Alexander McLeod, son of Captain McLeod, at the loading ground, Russell. The father of Mills nearly lost his life in attempting to save his son. It lias been decided that the match between the English eleven and the combined Australian team shall be played at Melbourne, and arrangements have been made for commencing on March 9th. A dancing competition is the latest novelty in Wellington. The contest was between Mr Devine and Miss Mitchell, and Mr Grotty and Mias Lairey, and the arrangement was that both couples should dance against time, the stakes (£3 a side) to I e awarded to the two who waltzed the longest and displayed the most proficiency. At the end of three-quarters of an hour, Miss Lairey was obliged to desist, and a moment or so afterwards she fainted. Mr Devine and his partner wore consequently declared the winners. Ihe competition which took place in the Foresters’ Hall excited considerable interest.

Dr Schwarzbach, the well-known oculist and auirist, is.at present'in-Wanganui. He: may, be consulted at the llutland 'Hotel. :- The Hawera Star, referring to Mr Tallin's nomination as a member of the Wanganui Education Board, says ;—There is some misunderstanding about this, for at last meeting ’ of Hawera School Committee a letter was received from the Secretary of the Pa!ea Committee stating that Mr Tapliri would not stand if anyone from Hawera were nominated. Mr Root was therefore nominated. It seems there will be a contest between the Rev..Mr Rootj-ofiHawera, and Mr Taplin, of. Patea, a 'most undesirable state of affairs brought about simply by_the Hawera School Committee having been misled,

The ways of the swindler arc as numerous as the leaves-in the forest. Here are two very neat dodges : A young doctor who found himself in a Dakota village without a dollar to pay a heavy board bill, concocted a plan by which a wandering tramp played the part of a small-pox patient,:; and the doctor vaccinated the entire population of the town with some inocuous acid at 2dols. each. The swindle was discovered too late, for the enterprising physician and his bogus patient skipped out with 300 dollars each, A western circus manager arranged to have a wax : baby dropped from a second-storey window in every town which his show visited, just in time to be caught by one of his athletes. The performance was successful several times, and crowds went to see the hero of the rescue until the newspapers exposed the trick. In an article upon the Candidates for the Education Board, the Wanganui Herald refers to Mr Taplin and the Rev. Mr Root, who have been nominated for Patea, as follows :—Of the qualifications of the latter gentleman we know very little. Clergymen, as a rule, do not make good administrators, but Mr Root may bo -an-exception. Mr Taplin, however, has so many good' qualities that wo think there can be no doubt of his return. Whatever ho puts his hand to, he carries it through with energy. He is practical and direct, fair and conciliatory, and will make a very good member indeed; Mr Fcarnley, the resident master at Nelson College, met with an accident on Thursday. It appears that with his son, a little boy four years old, he had driven up the Maitai to the bathing hole where the College swimming matches were taking place. There was firing going on at the rifle butts, and Mr Fearnley got out to soothe his horse, which was alarmed by reports, when it kicked him and bolted. In turning the corner near Mr Huddleston’s a little girl named Bayliss was run over, and immediately after the trap was capsized, and the little boy thrown out. The shafts came adrift, and the horse, with one of these swinging against his sides, madly bolted down Hardy street. Fortunately, cuts and bruises' were the worst injuries sustained by all concerned.