The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1105, 29 October 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Entries fcr the Agricultural Show do not close until Saturday next at. 4 p.m. The date of closing was given in our last issue as Saturday, October 27, but that was a mistake. Several more specif prizes have been promised, and from what wc can bear we think the Show will be* an improvement on that of last year. rife l special prize-list will be published in a' few days.

The committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association met on Saturday at 6.45 p.m. Present: Messrs Sheild (chair), J Boss, W Wilson, Pearce, Hamilton and W Balmforth. Letters were read from gentlemen accepting or declining the office of judges, and in the latter case fresh appointments were made. Mr J A McKenna was appointed a class steward in place of Mr Tapiin. Mr J W Bright wrote, stating that the N Z L mid M A. Co purposed giving a silver enp, value £ls, for the best pen of 5 long-wooled’ owe hoggets. Committees were appointed as follow : —Luncheon, Messrs Balmforth and Tapiin. Yards: Messrs Pettit, W C Symes, it E Mcßae and J H Whishaw. It was resolved to engage the services of the Band for the afternoon of the show. A shearing competition will be held on the same conditions as last year. Messrs Sheild and Wilson were appointed judges and Mr G D Hamcrton offered a prize of £1 Is, and Mr P Wilson one of 10» 6d. A prize of £1 Is was offered by Messrs Arundel) and Ross for the best pen of 3 yearling heifers; with not less than 2 strains of pure blood by bulls entered in the N Z Herd-book ; donors not to bo exhibitors, and 3 exhibits or no prize. Mr W. Balmforth offered £1 Is for the best pen of five fat lambs, 3 exhibits or no prize. The meeting then adjourned.

The Directors of the West Coast Meat and Produce Export Company held their first meeting on Saturday, all being present. Mr W. Wilson was unanimously elected chairman. Mr Eyton was appointed secretary for a period of four months, it being thought that at the end of_that_lime-whcn the company gets more. Tnto working nrrW ih» froegrolary ~and manager might he combined, or at any rate some re-arrangement might he necessary. It was decided not to appoint a permanent solicitor at present. On the motion of Mr Norman, the Bank of New Zealand was appointed banker to the Company, cheques to be signed by any two directors, and countersigned by the Secretary. Messrs W. Cowern and E. C. Horner were selected as Auditors. It was resolved.-to n vitc tenders for printing tho Articles “of Associaton, and to procure a seal. £6OO were ordered to be placed on fixed deposit for three months. It was resolved to collect the allotrnent.fee immediately, and to make file first call payable on Jan. 31st, 1884. The directors will inspect the company’s lease before finally agreeing upon the site for the works, and they will also inspect other sites deemed worthy of consideration. In connection with the Company’s lease the action of the provisional directors was confirmed. Mr Livingstone gave notice of motion that Messrs Wilson and Livingstone be appointed to proceed to Wellington and the South Island to collect information necessary for establishing and working refrigerating and other works. After passing some accounts the Board adjourned for a week. The usukl weekly parade of the Patea Rifles will be held to-morrow evening, and, if weather permits, the men will march out, accompanied by their band.

We have arranged for a special telegram giving the latest training notes and betting on the Melbourne Cup and Derby. The first telegram appears in another column, and our sporting readers may accept as reliable anything published under that heading.

Edwards beat Scott in the walking match at Christchurch on Saturday. The distances covered were, Edwards, 192 miles 16 laps ; Scott, 191 miles 15 laps.

Mr F. R. Jackson holds an extensive sale of cattle at Waverley to-morrow, to the order of Mr John Hair. Over 1000 head of cattle will be offered, besides a quantity of ewes and iambs.

Services at the Catholic Church yester. day were conducted by the Rev. Father le Menant des Chesnais. Mass was said in Patea at 9 a.m., and at Waverley at 11 a.m. Vespers were held in Patea at 6 p.m. Very earnest and impressive discourses were delivered by the rev, gentleman en the occasion.

Large congregations assembled at the English Church yesterday morning and evening on the occasion of the Rev. Mr Keating, conducting the services. The rev. gentleman delivered eloquent, sermons which were attentively listened to throughout, The hymns sung during the morning were 232, 287, and 260, and in the evening 281, 285, and 289, Ancient and Modern.

Messrs Nolan, Tonks and Co hold a sale of stock at the Normanby sale yards on Wednesday.

The schooner Queen, just arrived at Auckland from Raratonga, reports that a large French warship has been cruising about, and officers are ashore every day making inquiries regarding the proddeeof the Island. The natives feared that they intended annexing the island.

Mr Kemvorthy has just received his supply of diaries for 1884. He has also to hand some of the lithograph cards issued by Mr Willis, Wanganui, and these form a suitable and interesting gift to send to friends at Horne.

lii order to meet the demands of Ids constantly increasing business, Mr J. Graham, saddler, has been making extensive purchases of all classes of goods in bis particular line. These have come to hand, and are now being opened up. They comprise ladies and gentlemen’s saddles of the latest design, bridles &c., stirrup irons and other fittings in bright metal" and a host of oilier things which we need not trouble to mention. People in want of any requisites in the saddlery line would do well to pay Mr Graham a visit

In connection with the Riccarton shoot, ing affair Mr Beellinni,j K.M. at Christchurch, heard on Saturday the evidence of the.claimanls for the £2OO reward offered by Mr John Deans for the conviction of Jackson, who f-bot at him. Seven lawyers pleaded, so that when costs are paid not much will be loft for the claimants. Tim decision was postponed till November Ist-

The University Reserve, Whcnnakura is for lease. Particulars can bo seen in our advertisement columns.

Messrs Fisher and Perrin’s Australian ami American Combination opened at the Harmonic Hall on Friday night last. The ‘audience was small, but.enthusiastic in its applause during the evening. Part of the entertainment was made up by a number of small pieces, in which Messrs Fisher and Alexander proved their ability as comedians. Several songs were introduced with felling effect, and in some cases a re-demand was made. One of the most interesting items on the programme was the trapeze performance by Mdllo Yiolette and Mr Lizelle, and the skill and daring with which the manoeuvres wore executed called forth considerable applause. The company made their second arid last appearance on Saturday night, when the audience was even smaller than that of the previous evening. The various items were again gone through with success, and the feats on the trapeze were loudly-applauded. Wellington has been suffering from what the Times calls an intolerable nuisance occasioned by small steamers blowing their fog-horns to intimate to the inhabitants of the city, between the hours of 10 p.m, and any period subsequent thereto up to the time that “daylight doth appear,” their departure. The matter was brought under the notice of the Harbour Board on Thursday OTr-Whecior, whoTn a humorous and semi-pathetic dilated manner upon the evils attendant upon the scroechings of the little fleet, the loudness of whose whistles appeared to be in an inverse ratio to their tonnage. Mr Wheeler said that the fog horn of the s.s. Napier was far and away louder than was the whistle of the s.s. Wakatipu. Another member of the Board remarked (bat the latest importation, from the Clyde, Williams’ s.s. Koranui, was—d«oidodly~ -worse Hran' aiiy "she appeared to possess two whistles either of which was a veritable instrument of torture to citizens, more especially to the unhappy residents of the Terrace. Capt. Williams remarked that he would issue instructions to his masters not to blow their whistles after 10 o’clock at night before proceeding to sea, but of course it was frequently necessary to sound whistles when a steamer was coming in, in order that the watchman ashore might hoist the berthing signal. Captain Holliday (the Harbourmaster) said that no . by-law existed to prevent masters of Steamers from sounding their whistles at night, but he would communicate the wish of the Board on the subject to the captains of the various steamers, when no doubt (he nuisance would be abated.

Writing on the Annexation question, the at. James’ Gazette of August 28 observes: —“ A conference of the whole of the Australasian provinces is to be held in Melbourne shortly with the view of pressing the Imperial Government to give effect to the Colonial policy in the Western Pacific. The Colonial Governments seem resolute ‘to see. the thing through,’ and; they are unquestionably supported by public opinion. In New Zealand, at the instance of Sir George Grey, the Hopse of« Representatives has read a second time and referred to a Select Committee a bill introduced by him to enable the Governor-in-Council to open up political relations with the natives of islands adjoining New Zealand who may desire to cast in their lot with that Colony. Already a lucrative trade has been established with several of these groups, and it is capable of great expansion ; but .Sir George Grey believes that the commercial relations would be strengthened if the political, ties were drawn closer. On the principle that the trade follows the flag, he is probably right. It will, however, only complicate the situation if New Zealand imitates the example of Queensland and attempts to play a 1 lone hand ’in the game of Pacific annexation. If the whole of the Australasian Colonies agree to act together in this, the first really great question on which common action has been attempted, it will be difficult to neglect their appeal. But if dissension prevails, the colonies will themselves justify the objection already urged that it is premature to increase their territorial responsibilities.” The Timaru Herald, writing about Baron Hubner’s passage through Timaru, says :—“ When the train starting the station-master touched his hat to his Excellency, just as he would to one of our Ministers —Mr Dick or any of those fellows ; but Baron Hnbner raised his hat with a graceful flourish, and made Mr Jones the sort of bow that wo seldom see in this part of the world. Mr Jones, we were pleased to see, was quite equal to the occasion. Ho® too, removed his hat in true courtly style, and showed the famous diplomat that we colonists know how to behave when we meet a man who can appreciate good manners,”

Mr Skcef, Dentist, has arrived in Patea, and may be consulted at Mr Gower’s, The Governor arrived at New Plymouth on Saturday, and was landed at the breakwater, which he spoke highly of. Uc was well received by the inhabitants of the lown, who turned out en masse. His Excellency expressed himself as being pleased with what he had seen. Thers has long been much anxiety in Russia concerning the great increase of German colonisation in the western provinces of the Empire. “There is a whole German corps d'armee settled within dnr frontier ” has been the cry of the a’armist for some time past, and it would.seem his voice has not been raised in vain. The St. Petersburg Gazette announces that the Minister of Ihe Interior has ordered the German population of the provinces of Volbynia and Podolia to bo counted in order (o ascertain how long each German colonist has been living in Russia. All those Germans who have been in Russia for more, (ban five years arc to be naturalised as Russian subjects, otherwise they will be expelled from Russia. The St. Petersburg Gazette highly .approves of ibis drastic measure against the “disease of German colonisation,” on the ground that “Russia belongs to the Russians.” Prince Bismarck probably looks at the subject in a very different light. As showing the vicissitude) and perils attending “ a life on the ocean wave,’ 1 Captain Eckford, of the Mohaka, informed us ihis morning (writes the Marlborough Times of the 6th inst) that as he was coming out of Wellington harbour the previous night a cutter made signals of distress. Captain Eckford steamed up to the vessel, and found she was the Days Bay, 17 days out from Wellington.- The Days Bay was bound for the East Coast, a two days journey ; but she had met with a succession of bad weather from the start, and running short of provisions ok the 13th day out, the captain determined to run to Wellington. When boarded by the crew, those on board the cutter were literally ravenous, the whole of them not having tasted food for three days. Captain Eckford kindly gave them a loaf and a lot of cold beef, and to see those poor hungry mariners eat was a treat an epicure might have envied. But the strangest request of all was asking for tobacco, a want the genial commander of the steamboat supplied. There must be some hidden virtue in tobacco when starving men crave for it.