NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1090, 24 September 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The usual weekly parade of the Patea Rifles will take place to-morrow evening. The parade will be conducted entirely by the non-commissioned officers, who will drill the, men.

The well known chief Mete Kingi died at Putiki at 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon. A great tangi is to be held, and will be attended by natives from all parts of the Coast. The attention of lessees of Native Reserves is directed to an advertisement by the West Coast Commissioner in another column.

Steam was got up at the Sawmill today, and at 12 o’clock the once familiar whistle announced the dinner hour for the mill hands, and those employed in the various establishments in the neighbourhood. Planing was commenced this afternoon, Mr Handley having a fair quantity of orders to execute. A telegram from Wellington conveys the news of the Premier’s resignation. It has long been no secret that Mr Whitaker was anxious to sever his connection with active political life, private affairs requiring so much of his attention. Major Atkinson is engaged in the task of forming a new Ministry and will submit their names to the Governor to-day or . tomorrow. The necessity for a retaining wall at the Boiling-down works is daily becoming more apparent. The encroachment of the river is assuming serious proportions, and from the cracked appearance of the bank a large slip may take place at any time.

The Provisional Directors of the Meat Freezing Company met on Saturday and transacted, a quantity of routine business. Mr R. H. Nolan wrote that he would be willing to make a canvass of Hawera district and the Plains if two of the Provisional Directors accompanied him. Messrs W. Wilson and R. B. Hamilton were appointed, and it is thought that these gentlemen, together with Mr Nolan will be able to dispose of the remaining shares. It was decided to register the Memorandum of Association forthwith, and the company therefore may be said to be floated. The share list will close on Monday next, and the Provisional directors will meet next day at 3 p.m. The annual meeting of settlers for the purpose of electing a new committee to manage the Kakaramea Town Hall was held on Friday evening last. There was plenty of room in the hall, those present being Messrs Clover, Hunter, John and James Paterson, Gilbert Pearce, Payne and Wood. Mr John Paterson was elected ,chairman. The minutes of the previous annual meeting were read and confirmed, and the accounts for the year read over showing a credit balance of £5 Os 4d. After considerable discussion the following resolution was passed, .“That the different religious bodies using the hall contribute £1 per annum each, towards cleaning the same, and that a charge of 5s be imposed for all other meetings held in the daytime and 10s for such meetings held at night, (meetings in connection with the hall management excepted) and travelling companies £l. The outgoing committee, Messrs Hunter, James Paterson, G. Pearce, Payne, and J, Williamson were re-elected, Messrs Hunter and Pajme being chosen chairman and secretary respectively. Owing to the time of the mortgage ou the hall (£6O) having expired it was considered necessary to do something. This something has taken the form of a subscription list which will be taken round to settlers at Kakaramea, and on which they will be respectfully requested to place their names and thereby assist in reducing the debt as much as possible.

It is reported that a comet was seen at Rangiora (Canterbury) on Wednesday evening last. A meeting of gentlemen interested in the formation of a swimming club, will bo held at the Albion Hotel on Wednesday evening. The need of an organised club is much felt amongst bathers in Patea, as the shed is becoming dilapidated through having nobody to look after it. A wanton piece of mischief was also perpetrated the other day, the life buoy at the bathing place having been almost cut to pieces with a knife. We are very pleased to hear of the complete success of the last “burn” at Mr Smith’s drain tile works. The glazing has turned out excellently and the proprietor feels greatly encouraged to push on with developing the industry. A powerful engine is now in position and machinery is daily expected from Wanganui which will enable the work to be turned out quicker than has hitherto been the case. The Borough Council should encourage this industry as much as possible. The disheartening difficulties incidental to starting a new thing have been got over, and future-productions from the works will compare favourably with anything to be procured outside.

There are three or four people who signified their intention in writing or otherwise) of taking a number of shares in the Meat Freezing'' Company. Now they want to back out altogether, or take up a less number of shares than they first said they would. Their action, if it had been generally followed, would have placed the Company in a very false position, and. we hear that at the next meeting of Directors the matter is to be brought up for discussion. Our reporter will be bn hand.

In connection with grain growing we are pleased to note a step taken in the right direction by at least one settler at Kakaramea, who has obtained some rye for the purpose of growing it to thatch his stacks with next harvest. The wholesale damage done to grain in the stack every wet season has shown the necessity of thatch, or some other covering, very few stacks being made rain-proof without it.

The ship St Leonards, which was sunk in the English Channel last week, was on her way to Lyttelton, where she Was to load frozen meat. She had been a regular trader to Wellington for years, and the refrigerating machinery had just been put into her. Some valuable railway material belonging to the Government went down in the ship, and the Agent-General has been instructed to have the order duplicated as quickly as possible. The material lost includes a powerful locomotive, 200 tons of steel rails and fastenings ; 125 sets of ironwork for “high-side” waggons; wheels, axles, lamps, &c. A hedgehog has been found in the Pleasant Point district, and the Timaru Heraldm writing about it heads the “local” a rara avis. It is the first time we have heard of a hedgehog being a “ rare bird.” Evidently there is a “ rare bird” in the Herald office.,