NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1020, 11 April 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

tfy, • The Napier took her departure for Wellington this morning. She is expected back again on Fridaj 7 . The Harbour Board engineer is to be instructed to prepare plans for the construction of the west pier, so that the Chairman can obtain an order in Council for the work. We remind settlers that Mr F R Jackeon’s Hawera sale takes place on Friday. Judging from the improvement shown at the last Waver!ey sale, the entries should be readily disposed of.

Mr R. A. Adams is opening up his new goods, ex British King and Cioseburn. Mr J. J. Paterson has signed the contract for carting metal for the Manawapou hill. The amount of the tender was £440, equivalent to 13s lOd per yard. His Honor Judge Rawson arrived from New Plymouth by coach this afternoon, and a sitting of the District Court was held at half-past three. Our Kakaramea correspondent writes: Arrangements for the forthcoming entertainment in aid of the Institute are proceeding apace. Patea will, it is rumoured, combine with Kakaramea to render it completely successful. Wiggins is the only man that causes us any uneasiness. We hear that a further subsidence of the swamp, across which the railway embankment is being carried, has taken place. At present it has not sunk much, but it' will probably go down further yet. The meeting of creditors in the estate of T. Irwin, which was to have been held at the Courthouse yesterday afternoon, to consider an offer made by the debtor, lapsed from want of a quorum. Waitara is going in for another loan the amount being £IO,OOO. _ Wanganui is moving in the same or at any rate 1 for the purpose of obtaining endowments. ; Patea people should take a note of, the efforts for harbour improvements being made on both sides of them. The Harbour Board have instructed their solicitor to take proceedings against Messrs Wilkie and Crawford, the railway contractors, for depositing earth in the river. Prom the report of the pilot, it appears that considerable injury has been done by silting up. The members of the Board were unanimous in condemning the way the railway works were being carried on, the opinion being that it was the Government, not the contractors who were to blame. It certainly does seem ridiculous to face an embankment, said to he within reach of the wash of the sea, with anything else than stone, but this has been done, and ns a consequence, a large quantity of earth has been washed down the river and in one part raised the bed a foot. Yet anotherßoroughCouncillor’s resignation. This time it is the redoubtable “Billy” himself who has resigned, at least he got some one to do it for him. It would he interesting to know what it took to “square” Billy. When he was elected to the old Town Board Billy says the members promised him S to resign, and that when he did so they would not give him the money. Billy thought that too bad and declared that if he got in this time and (hey wished him to resign he should want the money m advance. It is to be hoped he has got it. The new police station at Hawera is to be erected in the police paddock. The local paper is urging the change of site to the new Court-house in Albion street. The Patea Fire Brigade held their usual monthly practice on Monday night. There was a fair attendance of members, and the Captain put the men through wet drill, which resulted in bursting two lengths of delivery hose. The men were served out with helmets, which will be at all events a good distinguishing badge. After the practice, the Brigade held their monthly meeting. The Captain’s resignation was not accepted, and he was requested to withdraw it. A lengthy discussion took place relative to the action of the Borough Council in not giving a grant of money to purchase plant with ; and it was resolved that the Council should be asked again, failing which it would be necessary to disband-the Brigade and ‘ hand over the present plant to the Council. Sundry accounts were passed for payment. Two members were proposed, and the meeting then adjourned. We should be sorry to see the Brigade disbanded for the sake of a few lengths of hose, because there is no saying when they may be wanted. Perhaps their next application to the Council may be more successful. The pilot’s house must be one of the most uncomfortable places imaginable. One bed-room and one fire-place, the latter like a cavern, a sitting room and a kitchen cannot be said to be a luxurious dwelling, indeed, the committee appointed to inspect the building, consider it unfit for family use. Borne additions are to he made so as to make the pilot’s family tolerably comfortable during the coming winter. The Hawera County Council have agreed to allow their engineer to supervise the metalling contract on the Hawera side of the Manawapou. The Anniversary of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Waverley, will be celebrated on Sunday next and the following Tuesday. On the former day the services will be con ducted by the Rev. James Duncan, of Foxton, who will preach morning; and evening. On Tuesday a Conversazione will be held in the Town Hall, when addresses, readings, and musical selections will be given. Refreshments will, of course, form part of the evening’s entertainment. No doubt there will be a large attendance at the gathering, as the tickets are going off rapidly. Mr A, A. Gower, chemist, has just replenished his stock with a large assortment of goods, many of which are new to Patea. A few of the articles are enumerated in an advertisement. Mr Lundberg has some capital musical boxes which he intends disposing of by an easy method of time payments. A novelty to be seen in his shop is the children’s gem combination chair, which is convertible into half a dozen different articles for the convenience and amusement of the exttemcly juvenile. The Sta/>' says that “ a movement in favor of a Manaia cheese factory is being made. About 300 cow’s milk has been promised. It is not intended to run in opposition to, but in conjunction with the Hawera movement. Mi Geo. Horner has undertaken to collect signatures.” A movement is also on foot to form a company at Waveilcy, and we hope it will be successful. Perhaps if Waverley and Patea joined forces a substantial company might be got up. We are very glad to see that the Chairman of the Harbour Board brought forward at last meeting, a motion asking the co-opcration of the Hawera and Wanganui people, towards protesting against the dilatory way in which the trunk line is being constructed. There is no doubt that unnecessary delay’ has taken place, and it has been pointed out in the Press with little result. The public should now make themselves heard, and as there is no obstacle in the way of the completion of the line, we have no doubt meetings in the centres of population would have a good effect. The receipt of a “ fat letter ” by the English mail has great charms for expectant heirs, and colonists generally. The charmed link of the ancestral chain which unites so many here with fond memories of the Old Country, was, says the Wait nr a Press, nearly dashed to the ground the other day by one of our townsmen on the receipt of an interesting missive from Kent. Before receiving same, stamped to the value of Bsd, he had to pay B£d deficient postage, and a fine of 6d. In the envelope was an ordinary penny tract book, entitled “ The forgiveness of sins,” He is prepared to negotiate with his Home Mends for more substantial remittances.