The Patea Mail. Established 1875. FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1030, 4 May 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

There Is now no doubt that William Dale has left the Colony. At the Supreme Court this morning, he failed to answer when called on, and His Honour ordered the recognisances of his sureties to be estreated. Neither Captain Odgers nor Mr Mace were in attendance at Court. The Fanner’s Club will meet to-morrow afternoon. Captain Gibbons writes to Mr D. M. Harris, that owing to bad weather the completion of the Waverley has been delayed, and that it will probably be three weeks or a month before the steamer is ready for sea. We notice-that tenders for 100 acres in the estate of Mr Armstrong, Kakaramea, will close on Tuesday. Particulars are gi/en in an advertisement and further information may be obtained from Mr North, the trustee. Footballers will meet at the Albion Hotel, to-morrow evening at 7.30. Mr Cowern will sell to-morrow, 59 sacks of oats and a large quantity of Sundries. Sale at 2 o’clock. The Hospital is still open, but at present it is not known what arrangements will be made to carry it ou, or whether the Government will close it. The latter, however, is hardly probable. Dr Keating has telegraphed to the Colonial Secretary for instructions, but up to this afternoon no reply had been received. On Sunday next services at St George’s Church will be conducted by the Rev P. L, Cameron who in the evening will take for the subject of his discourse Science and the Bible.” A baptism will take place in the afternoon, and will be followed by a special sermon to children. On Monday the Rev gentleman will, deliver a lecture in the Harmonic Hall, in aid of the Church Funds. Sir William Jervois has expressed an opinion that the. Waitemata-Manakau Canal, to cut the Auckland isthmus, is not a work of pressing necessity, or essential to the prosperity of the city. His Excellency has visited Whau and Tamaki Creeks, at the points where they approach Manakau Harbor, but has not come to any determination as to which would be the best route for the canal. He does not see that the construction of the canal will be of sufficient importance at present to warrant a large sum being spent on the work. A building contractor in Auckland, was the victim of a neat little joke the other day. The men employed on one. of bis jobs were called on for some special work, and the contractor “ shouted” for them. He accordingly ordered from the nearest public-house sufficient buckets to quench the thirst of his employees. To his astonishment, when the beer arrived, he found that more than half his men were Good Templars (for that occasion only), so the messenger had to return for the requisite quantity of gingerbeer and lemonade. The prudent workmen mixed all together, and so had double quantities; of shandygaff. They enjoyed the joke and;the liquor, but nobody enjoyed the former so much as “the boss” when he became acquainted with the transaction, Our reporter was in error in saying that the County Council had an offer of £4OO from the Government for the road between Waverley and Patea. The letter was an old one and was handed to our representative by mistake. Speaking at a public meeting at New Plymouth on Tuesday evening, Mr Hector McLean said that it was high time a refrigerating company was in order that the produce of the district might be sent away to the best market. There could be no doubt as to the success of the scheme, as the refrigerating com-; panics of Australia had realised 400 per cent profit. It is whispered that the Manawapou contract is likely to be given to a Hawera tenderer. One of the Agricultural Associations in Canterbury has just established a public sheep dip. The charge is 2d per head for flocks of 500 and upwards, and owners of small flocks can join together and so obtain the advantage of the larger number. The dip has met with extensive patronage. It is stated that Major Atkinson will give an address in Wellington at an early date similar to those he has delivered in the South, and that ho will, in addition, deliver an entirely new speech, dealing with the objections that have been raised to his National Insurance scheme since he laid it before the public. Hawera tradesmen are taking steps to form a Trade Protection Society. Under the Property Assessment Act, the valuation for Hawera riding is in round numbers £450,000. According to the Star this will give a rateable value at the full value of fd in the £ of about £1450. The previous value was about £950. , . „ , A valuable addition to the merino flocks of Otago (says the Witness') has been received by the Tarawera, being a number of animals purchased at the sale of the stud sheep of Mr James Gibson, of Epping Forest, Tasmania, (a well-known breeder) by Mr W. H. Teschemaker, of Taipo Hill Maheno. They comprise ten first-class ewes and one valuable stud ram. The ewes are in lamb to the pion ram King William (for which Mr Gibson has refused an offer of 1000 guineas). These are, we believe, the first ewes ever imported to this colony from Mr Gibson’s renowned flock. Hawera County is in a flourishing state. They have a credit balance of £3OO, and an equal amount of rates not yet collected. A very peculiar suicide was committed by a schoolmaster at Mangalore (Victoria) recently. He purchased a gimblet at a store at Mangalore, and was very particular in its selection. He then returned home, and actually bored with the gimblet through his left breast, piercing the heart, and thereby ending his earthly career.

During the last twelve months no less than 14,800 sheep and 2900 cattle have been shipped from Waitara to Auckland ; 648 horses had also been shipped. There are still some merchant princes. “ Heywood’s,” one of the sound old private banks, transferred their business to the Bank of Liverpool. The whole of the clerks were taken over by the larger establishment, and the Hey woods, true to the traditions of the family, presented to each clerk a parting gift equal to five years’ current salary. On Tuesday evening a public meeting was held at New Plymouth to consider the advisableness of forming a Refrigerating Company, and also sending Home n special immigration agent. Mr W. Courtney was the principal speaker, and commenced by saying that as he might be selected as the agent, ho felt diffident at addressing them. He pointed out the advantages to be gained by having a special representative in the old country. At present they were supplying Auckland with meat, and he thought they ought to take steps to advertise themselves, and attract capital to the province. The Refrigerating Company would open up a market for their meat and produce, and would be a great benefit to the settlers. On the motion of Mr H. R. Richmond, the following resolution was adopted by 10 to 2: —“ That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that a special agent should be despatched to England for tiie purpose of promoting immigration to this part of the Colony ; and for assisting in floating a Refrigerating Company for this country ; and that a subscription list be opened forthwith towards defraj’ing the agent’s expenses.” Mr Courtney said he intended to canvass Hawera, Paten, Opnnake, Inglewood and Waitara for subscriptions. He intended to be away 12 months, and thought £SOO or £6OO would be required, of which sum ho would contribute £2OO. The Herald report states that the majority of those present, appeared not to take the slightest interest in the resolution or object of the meeting. The Wellington Tramway Company is a sharp body. On Saturday a little College boy, who holds n tram ticket, was made pay extra for riding in the tram in the afternoon, because it was College half-holidaj r . The wife of a well-known Wellington contractor was arrested in Manners street about 10 o’clock on Friday night, attired in male clothing, and taken to the lockup. She wore false side whiskers and a moustache, was smoking a cigar, and carried a cane in her hand. She was bailed out during the evening, and when the case was called on next morning, at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, certain representations were made, and the information was dismissed by the presiding Justice. The lady is the mother of a numerous family. , Wednesday’s Taranaki Herald saj's : A man named Edward Lyttelton was brought up this morning at the Police Court on suspicion of being of unsound mind. He was arrested yesterday at Normanby, where he bad been creating a disturbance. The answers which he gave to questions put to him by the Court were coherent and rational, and not the least symptom of insanity was apparent. He stated that he had been brought into a row, and had been locked up. He was not drunk at the time, as he had only taken three glasses of sarsaparilla. He had been in the Patea Hospital recently for ten weeks. His Worship remanded him until Tuesday for medical examination. The Stratford correspondent of our Hawera contemporary writes : As illustrating the high rate of speed attained on our railway, it is worthy of note that the train on Thursday morning actually caught up and passed a youth who was cantering along the Mountain road. It is but just to all parties, however, to remark that the horse showed the train the way for nearly a mile, in spite of the violent exertions of the engine, and that that it was only when a down grade was reached that the driver was able to attain the dangerous speed required to distance the horse. From Sentry Hill to New Plymouth, however, slow as the rate of speed is, it is quite fast enough for comfort; and, indeed, there is to the unsophisticated mind almost a spice of danger in the violent rockings and bumpings that are there encountered. The existing bankruptcy laws have frequently formed the subject of adverse comment, and numerous suggestions have been made from time to time with a view to their amelioration. It appears, however, from Judge Richmond’s point of view, that past attempts to improve them have only made them worse. His Honor took occasion to remark, at a recent sitting of the Bankruptcy Court, at Wellington, that it ought to be understood that the bankruptcy law had by degrees apparently been rendered more and more ineffective by withdrawing such powers of investigation as once existed. Imperfect as the law was at one. time, it had become more and more so down to the present time. The following is the portion of Mr Rusden’s “ History of New Zealand,” of which Mr Bryce complained in his recent speech “ The literary cravers for blood were soon to be gratified on the West and East Coasts by events of which some were not officially reported, nor told in Mr Gudgeon’s ‘ Reminiscences of War.’ Lieutenant Bryce, who was in after years a Native Minister, distinguished himself. Some women and young children emerged from a pah to hunt pigs. Lieutenant Bryce and Sergeant Maxwell of the Kai lui Cavalry dashed upon them, and cut them, down gleefully, and with ease. This exploit will be looked for in vain in Mr Gudgeon’* book, which records a rash and unfortunate affair, in which, subsequently (Dec 28), Sergeant Maxwell, riding up to Titokowaru’s pah, Tanranga-ika, was shot. But the treatment of (he children was not unkliown. Dr Feathcrston, the Superintendent of the Province of Wellington, expressed his horror ; Eangihiwinui declared that he would not have joined the local forces if he had thought them capable of such acts. He earned thereby the hatred of Bryce, who, long afterwards, when Native Minister, dismissed llaugihiwinui from office. Bryce earned among the Maoris a title which will cling to him. They called him kohuru (the murderer).”