NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1046, 13 June 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mr F. R. Jackson will hold a sale at Kakararnea on Friday next at 1 o’clock, when a large number of Lincoln and cross-bred ewes, besides several steers will be offered. Section 183, township of Kakararnea, and one‘timber waggon will also be submitted. The perpetual leasing system is not in favour in central Otago. A gentleman in Oamaru sent Horae by the Dunedin a present of game, which was put in the freezing room, and arrived in excellent condition. A Chinaman has commenced business as a draper at Stratford. A general impression prevails in “ political circles ” that every facility will be afforded the Opposition to join issue with the Government at the earliest possible moment after Parliament meets, preferably on the Address-in-Reply, when the whole Ministerial policy could be directly attacked. If, however, no dssposition is manifested then to “ fight it out at once and have it over,” a strenuous effort will be made to get on steadily with the work, and to avoid loss of /'time by idle obstruction. The - Post anticipates that, failing any waste of time in impotent want of confidence motions, the business of this session can be got through in a couple of months or little more. Mr Solomon Hemus, Temperance Lecturer, is in Wellington. A correspondent writing to the Dunedin Star, says—“An evil has existed for a considerable lime, and is still rampant among some owners of racehorses who have favorites for races that are run in New Zealand and on which a consultation is held. It is this :As soon as a consultation is drawn the lucky drawer of the favorite has to arrange before the race .is run to allow- the. ownerAo.i.stand_ in,’ in_ order'to ensure a start. . Special attention is directed to Messrs Nolan* Tonka and Co.’s sale at Matiaia to-morrow at one o’clock. A large number of entries will be submitted, and, from the choice description of most of these \ve think it would be well worth the while of farmers who are stock owners to give their attention to this sale.

The directors of the Oil and Fibre Company held a meeting on Saturday. Present—Messrs Shield (chairman), Honeyfield, Gibson, and Barker. The business was mostly of a routine nature. It was resolved to allow Mr Barker the use of the breaker and scutcher when they arrive from America, rate not to exceed 50s per month. After passing the accounts, the meeting adjourned. For the last three or four days considerable excitement has been evinced by the theatre-attending portion of the Patea community, on account of the forthcoming appearance of Mr F.' M. 'Willmott’s Combination, at the Harmonic Hall. The which stay here - two nights, opened last evening to a very well filled house. There was a. slight delay at the first, but this was caused by on unfortunate accident to the vehicle containing most of the baggage of the; Company, which broke down about two miles _ from town. The evening’s entertainment opened with a drama in four acts, entitled, “ Lost in London,” in which it would be useless to individualise any member of the troop, as all ably sustained their characters, Tho burlesque ei Cinderella concluded the evening. In this Mr. James Wilkinson, who assumed the part of Cinderella, kept the audience in one almost -continual 5 roar of laughter. - All the characters were (rue to. nature as the loud and frequent; applause of the audience testified. “ East Lynne ’’ will be presented; this evening and we would advise those; who have not yet seen the company not 1 to miss the opportunity for doing so as this may be the last occasion on, which they will appear here,_ although ; Mr Willrnoft said it was possible that they might revisit Patea in.the course of a few weeks. ' Those who delight in taking stock of; our Colonial defences maj 7 be interested to hear that four torpedo boats are pre-; paring for the Government of New Zealand, being designed respectively for Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington, They are good boats of the usual type, but likely to be useful* and although torpedoes have hitherto . not effected much in tho positive way, they have been admittedly of immense preventive use. The fear they naturally inspire constitutes, in truth, a great part of their practical value.—“ Anglo-Australian ”in th e European Mail. Under the impression that the late Mr Firth—the young tourist who recently met his death through drowning, under very melancholy circumstances in the far North ■—had no friends or agents in this country, the Government deemed it well to telegraph to his relatives in Englahd the sad news of his decease. A reply has been received requesting that full particulars might be forwarded, and says the Post of the 9th instant, this was done by cable last night. The particulars are necessarily very meagre, for but little is known about the occurrence, Mr Firth was swimming across a small warm pool when he suddenly threw up his hands and sank (o the bottom. It is unlikely he could have been seized with cramp in that tepid water, and a move feasible theory is considered to be that there was a sudden and stifling uprush of carbonic acid gas from one of the many “blow holes” which exist in that locality. Such a jet striking him in the face would probably produce (lie sudden collapse which occurred. Mr Firth was only just of age, and came' into a fine property at his majority.

The increase in the passenger traffic on the New Plymouth section of railway, as shown by the last four weekly returns, is decided!}' satisfactory. The number of passengers has increased from 5770 up to 9351, as compared[with the corresponding four weeks last year. The receipts from passengers, however, were only £735, as against £747. The reduction in fares probably accounts for this difference.

A “Constant Reader” writes to the New Zealand Times that he has received great relief from attacks of asthma by drying and smoking blue gum leaves.

The Maoris (says the 'Hawke's Bay Herald ) seem to get lazier as years roll on. There was not a single competitor in the class for Maoris at the Pnketapu ploughing matches, although prizes'araounting to £8 were offered; •

At the R.M. Court yesterday morning, the only business was two civil cases. In one of these, Chadwick Bros., v. McGrath, judgment went for plaintiff, by default; and in the>other, Tapp v, Wilkie, an adjournment for a week was granted conditional on payment of costs, on account of the plaintiff having been “ in the wars” the previous evening. A boy, aged eight years, son of- Rev. Mr Yelland (Melbourne), was recently poisoned by a tablespbonful of carbonic acid being giver, him instead of medicine. He died in ten minutes. In Beilin, with a population of 1,145,000, the church attendance is less than 35,000. An extraordinary phenomenon (says the Hawera Star) is now on view at Messrs Nicols and Mclntosh’s, butcher’s shop. A hind quarter of ,beef, part of a young heifer, bred by Mi- Mdore Hunter, is now on view there. The kidney suet attached is abnormally developed, and weighs,-fully 1121bs, tlie quarter weighing about 3ewt. According to rumor, the Colonial Treasurer Mas found lime, notwithstanding ;his stumping'tOurs and National Insurance scheme, to make good progress with the preparation of his Budget, which is likely to be introduced at an unusually early date. We ( Post) hear, too, that the Estimates—both General and Public Works —are in a forward state of compilation, and are likely to be brought dowir verv shortly after Parliament gets to work. Further, it is reported that the Public Works Statement will be delivered - during the first month of the session.

A large iron bridge is to be built in connection with the railway works at Dunedin. Government were going to order this and some other bridges: from Home, but representations having been made upon the subject, it has been decided to call for tenders in the Colony. The bridge, is for cart and foot traffic, and crosses the station yards. Its length is 660 ft long, 12 spans of 55ft. It will be fourteen or 15ft above the ground level, and will have a roadway 25ft wide, with a path in each side. About 550 tons of iron will bo required for the bridge so that it will be a large work for a Colonial firm to undertake. It is much better, however, to call for tenders in New Zealand, instead of sending Horn* without knowing if any firm in the country could do the work.

Tho St. James' Gazette records that much interest was excited in sporting circles at Philadelphia on the 17th of February by the unusual spectacle of “ Celestials in the prize-ring.” About forty sporting men put up two dollars each and induced two Chinaman to fight a catch-weight battle according to the prize-ring rules. .. The fight took place in a large room hired for the purpose. The combatants were Loo Hing and Hi Sing.Foon, and up to .a cer'tain pnided success. Eleven rounds were fought, anHT73a~Hliig--had decidedly the best of the encounter, pummelling his opponent severely,, and escaping himself With but a few slight bruises. The betting was altogether in his favour, when, to the surprise of all present, fit tli© close of the eleventh round, Loo Ring deliberately sat down, and, in wearied tone, murmured, “Me catchee plenty.” As nothing would induce this Chinaman to stand up again, there was no alternative but to hand over the stakes to Hi Sing Foon, jvho was thoroughly exhausted, while Loo Hing was, as one of his backers indignantly expressed it, “as fresh as a daisy,” Hi Sing Foon was much pleased at the result of tho contest, and expressed his readiness to meet Loo Hing again in the ring whenever called upon to do so. :, . :