NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1027, 27 April 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Services at the Wesleyan Church on Sunday will be held by the llev J. Mather. Mr E. E, Gilbert, pianoforte tuner, announces his intention to visit Patea about the sth of next month.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last night, when the only business transacted was the signing of the Burgess Roll by the Mayor and Crs Mahony and Williams. A meeting of the Patea Shipping Company was held at Mr Horner’s offices yesterday afternoon. Present : Mr Tennent (in the chair), Captain Wray, Messrs Richards, Gibson, Lundberg, Adams, Haywood, Williams, Balraforth, and Mrs Tauroa, The report and balance sheet were read and adopted. In answer to Mr Balmforth, the Chairman stated that it was the intention of the Company to claim damages from the contractors for the s.s.* Waverley on account of the vessel not being finished in the time arranged upon. A letter from Mr Pairclough, complaining of not receiving sufficient information as regarded the affairs of the Company, was read, and the Manager was instructed to reply thereto. After a long and desultory discussion regarding reducing the qualification for directorship to the holding of three shares, and afterwards to one share, the qualification was allowed to remain as at present, vis , the holding of five shares. On the motion of Mr Adams, seconded by Mr Lundberg, Messrs Gibson, Tennent, Richards, Patterson, and Williamson were elected directors ; and T Eyton was appointed auditor on the motion of Mr Gibson. This being all the business, the meeting then adjourned. Major Atkinson telegraphed to the chairman of the Harbour Board on Wednesday as follows :—“ Bill in print containing provisions asked for when I was at Patea. Alterations now being made in accordance with last request. Will forward copy as soon as read}*. Shall be up shortly to address my constituents when we shall be able to go through the Bill and consider alterations if necessary.” When the mail left, preparations of all kinds for the ceremony at Moscow were going on in the Russian capital. The Mint is striking a commemorative medal, which is to be in gold for the highest personages present, in silver for the others. The Crown jewels are being put in order. The Crown, which was made for the Empress Catherine 11, is said to be worth £BOO,OOO, and is studded with fine diamonds, pearls, and rubies, while the sceptre is adorned with the celebrated Orloff diamond, said to be worth £BOO,OOO. The total value of the jewels is estimated at £3,200,000. It is also stated that a million handkerchiefs are to be distributed with a representation of the Goddess of Abundance printed thereon. As during the ceremony sixteen fountains are to gush forth beer to the extent of 40,000 bottles each, a playful contemporary remarks that the goddess is likely to bo pourtrayed as a masculine divinity—namely, Bacchus. Mrs Atkinson, who accompanied the Major on his recent Southern tour, has been taken ill, having caught cold, and is now suffering from an attack of pleurisy. In the three months ended 31st ultimo, 99 ,423 postal money orders were issued in New Zealand for an aggregate amount £124,753, and 33,154 (for £102,747) were paid. These figures show a large increase on 1882. The Savings Bunk withdrawals exceeded the deposits by £73,127 in the past quarter, whereas in the March quarter of 1882, the deposits exceeded the withdrawals by £84,031. Hera is a' difference of £157,000 to account for : a nut for financial and social theorists to crack. For aught we knovy (says the N.Z. Times) there may be at the present time in the Scottish town of Montrose a young lad}* who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her wedding trousseau from London, which she ordered some five or six months ago. It is, at any rate, extremely unlikely that she has the slightest idea that a bos which- contained a quantity of the finery alluded to is at present lying in an ugly, matter-of-fact-looking warehouse in New Zealand, some 16,000 miles from its destinationr The facts simply told are that someone in London mistook the name of the place to which the article was to be sent for that of the barque Montrose, which was then lying in one of the docks ; that it was duly shipped aboard that vessel ; and that the mistake was not discovered until its arrival in Wellington. The New Zealand Shipping Company ordered it to be sent Homo again by the steamer British King, but for some un known reason it was short shipped, and will now probably await the departure of 'the Fenstanton, from Port Chalmers. It is to be hoped that the young lady has found consolation in another and equally handsome garment, and that those who are responsible for the mistake have duly accounted for it in the light of pounds, shillings, and pence. In the course of his annual address on Thursday Mr J. R. George, the ex-Chair-man of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, called attention to the “ extraordinary action of the Government in causing to be.sold by public auction, at 6s per gallon, the whisky seized from the illicit still at Porirua.” He pointed out that a quantity of bad spirits was thus placed on the market at 6s per gallon, whereas honest traders had to pay a duty of 14s per gallon, besides the cost of the spirit. In this instance certainly “ someone had blundered,” and if such a course were to be continued it would be necessary to take some action in the matter. The seizure of a largo still in the Manawatu implied that the inducement to this, class of crime was so great as to lead to the inevitable conclusion that the duty on spirits was now raised beyond a safo limit. In an article on the San Francisco mail service the Argus of April 10 remarks : “ The question is of so much importance as to challenge the attention of all the colonies. At the present moment the San Francisco line is regarded as existing for the special benefit of New South Wales and New Zealand ; but it should be needless to point out that tho other colonies are also deeply concerned. Apart from the value of tho American trade, wo have to consider that war in the East, and the closing of tho Suez Canal in consequence, might at any moment block our chief means of communication with Great Britain, in which case an Auslral-Americnn service would afford a valuable alternative route,” Tho New Zealand telegraphic receipts lor tho March quarter amounted to £23,914, as compared with £20,590 for the corresponding quarter of 1882. Tho number of telegrams sent was 360,429, as against 330,089. Tho largest meeting of creditors ever held in Sydney was in connection with tho bankruptcy of Kura Yoon Loy, a Chinese storekeeper. His statement of accounts showed liabilities, £29,239 ; assets, £17,502 ; deficiency, £11,737. We (Manawatu Daily Times') hear on good authority that a powerful evening paper, in the interests of the Grey party, is likely to be started at Wellington. Several prominent business men are giving the proposal their hearty support, and the promoters confidently expect having tho affair ready for working in about two months.

Mr W. H. Skeet, Dental Surgeon of New Plymouth, will visit Patea on May 7, and may be consulted at Mr Gower’s. Mr James Laird, seedsman, Taupe Quay, Wanganui, has forwarded us a copy of his new calendar, which has just issued from the press. It is a neatly got up and well arranged pamphlet of some twentyfive pages, and contains a vast quantity of interesting information. Everybody who is fond of gai'dening should write to Mr Laird for a copy. Nautical life at the best of times is a hard one, but when accompanied by bad weather the unfortunate mariner and his vessel are more often than not the subjects of compliments the reverse of polite. Passengers mentally, sometimes verbally, consign the skipper and his ship to—anywhere, as though present discomforts were a direct result brought about by the captain and his officers. There are exceptions, howsver, and their scarcity renders them all the sweeter when they come. Captain Fisk has just experienced one of the latter. It will be remembered that last week the Napier had a very rough passage up, being compelled to shelter for a couple of days in Queen Charlotte Sound. Amongst the passengers were two young ladies, and' their treatment on board has called forth a very high compliment to the Captain and his officers from their -father, who, by the way, is a leading gentleman in Wellington, and a total stranger personally to Captain Fisk. He writes to that gentleman on April 23, and, after referring to the trying passage, says : “ We experienced great anxiety about them (the young ladies), but had we known that they were in such good hands, our fears would have been greatly relieved. Both young people speak highly of the kind manner in which they were treated, and we cannot but feel grateful to you under the circumstances.”l - The letter concludes with the writer’s best wishes for many speedy and pleasant trips in future. Attention is drawn to an advertisement of the Hawera Acclimatisation Society, notifying the issue of licenses to kill and sell game within the Hawera district. The Secretary of the Society writes to us to- say that he has telegraphed to the Colonial Secretary, requesting him to supply the Postmaster at Patea with a book of forms, so that lie hopes settlers will be able to obtain their licenses at Patea. In the meantime applications must be made to Hawera. The Synod on the 18th (says fhej Hawke's Bay Herald) went into committee to consolidate the statutes and canons of the Church, “ Now,” said a right rev gentleman, “ the Synod has a tax greater than that of the ostrich, which is said to digest nails, for we have to digest canons,” Mr Milner Stephen is said to have forwarded a cablegram condoling the Queen on her late accident. Her leg has been constantly rubbed with the cablegram, and bydatest advices you see she is better. More joy for Steve!— Society. The New Zealand Postal Revenue for the past quarter was £29,822, as against £44,672 for the March quarter of 1882. The decrease is due to a diminution in the amount of postages received from foreign offices, Mr McCarthy, the host of the Railway Hotel, is not likely to be “ had up ” for not keeping his light burning. The genial skipper of the Napier informs us that the hotel lamp acts as a spleiidid beacon for mariners, in fact it can be seen some three miles further out at sea than the red light at the Heads. After this we shall not be surprised to hear of Captain Fisk knocking at the hotel door with the bow of his steamer some morning. “ Mac.” would make him welcome. The work of gravelling Bedford street was commenced on Wednesday. The kerbing is now almost completed, and some progress has been made towards the channelling. When all are finished the street will present a fine appearance. We notice that the sale of jewellery, which has been going on during the past week, will close to-morrow, when some new goods will be shown. The proprietors mean business, so that anyone in want of articles of personal adornment, or as presents, had better give a call, for according to the advertisement “ No reasonable offer will be refused.” The Napier leaves for Wellington tomorrow morning with a largo cargo. _ The principal portion of the freight consists of some 80 casks of tallow from the Patea Boiling Down Works, which have been leased by Messrs Bremer Brothers. We noticed tallow being brought down from the country for shipment to Wellington, and in one sense it is gratifjdng to note that cargo will be shut out on this trip. The very small rise and fall of the tide in Wellington during the past three or four days has caused a great deal of mental speculation among nautical men and others who take an interest in such subjects. The rise and fall of spring tides at the wharf is as a rule a trifle over sft, but on Tuesday and the day before it was scarcely more than 2ft. A local paper has been informed that / at least one other port, namely, that of Blenheim, is similarly affected. No feasible solution has as yet been found for the extraordinary change. After the result of the late action against Messrs Wilkie and Crawford, the railway contractors, the Harbour Board lost no time in communicating with the Public Works department and stating the damage that had been done. A reply has been received that the matter had been referred to the Marine Engineer to report upon, In the course of events wc suppose Mr Blackett will visit Patea, and it would be well for the Board to bring under his notice the matters they complain of. The contractors arc now busy facing the embankment with papa rock, and had this been done in the first instance the cause of complaint would not have arisen. Burgesses arc reminded that nominations for the three vacant scats in the Borough Council close 10-morrow, at noon. It is to-be hoped that suitable candidates will be forthcoming, so that the Council may be raised to its full strength, and further expense caused by these delays avoided. At the Synod one night the Rev. Mr Jordan raised a hearty laugh, in which he joined most merrily, by a genuine "bull.” He said he bad in his church "many dissenters who were members of the church of England.” and when the laugh subsided added, “ The Synod must remember I’m an Irishman, and privilodged accordingly.” Mr F. E. Doncghnc has just turned out from the Palea Coach Factory a very commodious, light, and yet substantial van for Mr S. Taplin. The workmanship generally is such as would reflect credit on any establishment, and the painting has also been very neatly done. Mr ’Taplin is evidently one of those who like to keep the money in the place instead of sending it away,and in this case his judgment lias proved correct, for lie is the possessor of a vehicle which is a credit to his taste, as well as that of the builder, and quite in accordance with the appearance of the new building about to be occupied as a store. A lire was occasioned in a peculiar way in a hotel in Sydney recently. The landlady was lighting the gas in her bedroom, when a rat running across the room startled her. She dropped the light near the bed and ignited the curtains, which blazed np instantly the whole bed becoming enveloped in flames. The fire was extinguished by the inmates, the only damage done being the complete destruction of the bed and bedding.

The Rangitilcei Advocate slates that trading has already commenced with the new township of Kawhia, A steamer brought into Waitara a cargo of pipis and fruit from that place recently, which found a ready market. The captain of the steamer spoke very highly of tne Natives at Kawhia. Up to the Ist instant and since the 31st March, 1857, that is to say in exactly 26 years, 10,144,926 ounces of gold have been exported from New Zealand, the value being no leas than £39,747,940, or very nearly 40 millions sterling. The Westport Times says that the champion mean man has been found. He owns Reefton as his dwelling-place, and proves his claim to the 4 boss’ position by stealing a dead Chinaman ! The Chinese resurrectionists, who are removing the bones of their countrymen from the Reefton cemetery for shipment to Canton, had raised five bodies, and having enclosed them in rough coffins, left them there until the following day, when they were to be removed to Greymouth. During the night, however, one of the coffins was surreptitiously removed, and despite a search made by hundreds of people, no trace can be found of it. The general impression is that the body was taken for a ‘ lark,’ but others believe it was snatched in the hope of 1 duffing’ a few pounds out of the living Chinese. “ Advertising,” said the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, speaking apropos of this subject, is undoubted!}' very effective; its power is enormous. It appears, if we consult those who have made successful use of this extraordinary instrument, that it depends wholly on producing an impression on the public mind by iteration or by the constant repitition of the same thing. This shows a very singular state of the public mind ; it shows there is relative to those matters a certain amount of dullness, a great eagerness to compete for attention, and no one gets it except by giving, as it were, so many strokes of the hammer to compel people to notice what is going on.” The Feliding Star of Tuesday says Mr Cleary,’ the gentleman appointed to succeed Mr Brebner as stalionmaster at Feilding, arrived by the noon train to-day, and was accompanied by his family. Mr Jones, who was for some time in the employ of Messrs P. and J. Bartholomew, also accompanied Mr Cleary to assist in the office until Mr Cleary recovers from the effects of a fall from a horse some time ago. Mr Brebner will proceed to Foxton to-morrow to take charge of the railway, station and custom house there. Mr Dawson, the station-master at Foxton, will leave for Wanganui in a few days, where he will reside until Palea station is opened, when he will proceed to that place to act as stationmaster and collector of customs. During the month of March the stock shipped, from Waitara was as follows Sheep, 2,496 ; horses, 108 ; cattle, 390. There are several reasons why butter won’t always come when churned. The most frequent one is the cream is too sour. This may happen from too long keeping the cream, or too warm a place, or from the food. When the fall season changes the pasture it may have the effect of producing acidity in the milk instead of its usual alkalinity. It will very probably remove the trouble to give the cow 2ozs of epsom salts in a pail of bran slop twice a week for two days running, putting a little molasses or a teaspoonful of ginger in to disguise the taste. This will remove any acidity of the stomach, and change the tone of the system. The next time the ci’eam foams up, pour in two quarts of cold water in which a teaspoonful of saltpetre and one of salt have been dissolved. Long churning oxidises the butter and makes it rancid. A Sydney telegram in the Melbourne Argus says The sale of Californian sheep held at Shark Island. attracted a large representative attendance of buyers. Competition was unusually brisk, and prices throughout exceeded those hitherto reached in the colony. One ewe lamb was purchased by Messrs McNicol and Bailey for 1000 guineas; a four-tooth ram was knocked down to Messrs Gibson and Son for _ 450 guineas, and a ram lamb to Mr, A. Wilson for 300 guineas. Mr Wilson also purchased a four-tooth ram for 220 guineas. Mr E. P. Simpson secured a ram lamb for 230 guineas, and Mr J. Cooper purchased another ram of the same class for 200 guineas. The total amount of the sale was £3559. j; Nearly the whole of the brickwork in connection with the new post and telegraph offices at Wellington, has been finished, and on Wednesday the roof was commenced. Seen from the harbour, the structure, even in its unfinished state, is one of the most prominent in the whole of the city, and there are few strangers arriving by sea who do not ask questions as to its purpose. Messrs Barry and McDowell, the contractors, anticipate that they will be in position to hand it over in nine or ten months.— N.Z. Mail.