NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1136, 9 January 1884, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The dog-tax in the Boiough for the ensuing year will bo 10s per head. A race meeting will he held at Kai Iwi on April 16. The Natives there are the promoters. The Borough Council met on Monday night, and transacted some routine business, besides appointing Works and Finance Committees for the ensuing year. The Borough Council have decided to take over the engine and belongings of the late Fire Brigade in trust. They will be removed to the Council section, and will be placed in the shed, which will be enlarged should it be found necessary. The Triumph enquiry was finished on Monday afternoon. Captain Brotherton’s certificate was suspended for three years, and he has to pay three-fourths of the costs —1*72. The chief officer, Owen’s, certificate Ims been suspended for six months, and ho has to pay ono-fourth of the costs—£24.

Service will bo held at St, James’ Hal! this evening. The ballance sheets of Patca County Council appear in another column. There is a movement on foot at Waitara to form a local steam shipping company. Mr F R Jackson’s Hawera sale will be held on Friday. List of entries elsewhere, Mr Sherwood sailed from Auckland for America per mail steamer yesterday. Mr McGuire and a number of friends gathered to see him off. The formation of Road Boards in Palea County seems (o bo the older of Die day. Several notices of petitions to the County Council have been published in the Mail., and another one appears in this issue. A serious affray occurred on Boxing Day on the Mackay racecourse in Queensland, between whites and Kanakas. About 100 Kanakas attacked the Europeans on the course, several of whom were injured. Fifty horsemen then gave chase to tiic blacks, who fled, and some of them were knocked down and seriously wounded. An agitation is going on in Melbourne in reference to the Pollard Juvenile Opera Troupe, parents their stating that Pollard took there children to India without their knowledge or consent. It is probable that a delegate will be sent to bring the children back. It is understood that 25,000 or 30,000 acres of land at the back of Otakeho and Piharna will bo put into the market during the last week of February next, and that immediately afterwards, 10,000 to 16,000 acres near Opunake will be offered for lease. Professor Sample, of horse-training fame, had a presentation made to him by his pupils in Melbourne of a silver cup valued at £3l, a diamond solitaire stud valued at £75, a handsome four-in-hand whip, and an illuminated adress. We (Hmvera Star) understand that the proposal to establish an Agricultural Society for this district lias again been taken up, and from what we bear there is every reason to believe that it will be given effect to. A meeting to consider the matter will probably be held on Friday. The subject of the means of escape from the Harmonic and St James’ Halls, in case of fire, came up at the Borough Council meeting on Monday night. It was decided not to grant fresh licenses for the halls in question till the means of exit had been adjusted to the satisfaction of the newly-appointed Inspector. Ibe order for the Haslam Refrigerator has been sent to Mr Coxon. That gentleman will cable to England, and two months after, lhe machine will be ready for shipment. It will come to the colony by steamer, so that in about four months from date wc may hope to see it in course of being erected in the Company’s works bore. The Hospital Board met yesterday afternoon at Mr Kyton’s office. Present: Mr Adams (chairman), Cowcrn, Williams and Brown. There was no correspondence to deal with. Some accounts were passed for payment and it was decided to make some improvements in two of the rooms. These will bo papered, and generally made more comfortable. A draft of by-laws was submitted and approved. This was all the business. A municipal office, which lias been heretofore in, the background, was brought under the notice of the Borough Council on Monday. While a discussion with regard to the licenses of the public halls was proceeding, a Councillor made the remark that the exit from the Harmonic Hall would not be safe in case of fire, and that the Inspector of Halls should see to the matter. Most of the Councillors expressed ignorance of that gentleman’s identity, when Mr Eyton said that he had been appointed to the office for one year, but that it had been allowed to sink quietly into oblivion lately. Councillor Paul was subsequently appointed honorary Inspector of Halls, The police have at last takfn a very necessary step, for which the}’deserve the thanks of the community, viz., in bringing before the Court two y-oung scamps who have been offending public decency by scribbling on a number of walls in the town. One of these youths was fined 40s, but the other bad to bo discharged in consequence of the evidence brought against him not being sufficiently strong. It is to bo hoped this will prove a salutary lesson. The Borough Council are contemplating the repainting of the notice boards on the bridge, and as this is a favourite place for scoundrels of this stamp to parade their obscenity, it would be well for the police to keep a sharp look-out for any recurrence of this offence. The solitary Borough lamp at the corner of Egmont and Bedford streets was a subject of discussion in the Council on Monday night,andconsideriugtheatoicalin difference with which the guardians of the Borough interests would usually treat the matter, the number of arguments in favour of lighting the lamp and against was somewhat surprising. It was debated in a grave manner whether it was possible to get any person benevolent enough to gel up at four o’clock or so in the morning for the purpose of extinguishing the light, any burning of oil after daylight being considered wilful extravagance. Doubts being thrown upon any Patea resident being in the habit of “rising with the lark ” one councillor asked whether they could arrange the supply of oil so that the lamp would burn out of its own accord, when another said that would burst the lamp. A third to prevent an explosion suggested the use of candles. The Council was almost going the length of asking a resident upon what terms he would undertake the lighting and trimming of the lamp, when members discovered that they were placing themselves in a somewhat foolish position and suddenly knocked the subject on the head by withdrawing two motions which had been advanced. This matter might well have been brought before the Council months ago when the lamp was really needed, and when it remained unlighted, never making its presence known to any unfortunate benighted individual till he cannoned up against it. The light is not much needed now but when winter again comes round if the Council could see their way to keep the lamp clean and regularly lighted they would be conferring a boon upon townspeople, which wo have no doubt would be duly appreciated.