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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 88, 17 September 1873, Page 2

Native School Teacher.—We learn that Mr. George Goldsmith has been appointed teacher at the Native School, Turanganui. Deposits on Oil Shares.—Notice is given that the first deposit of ten shillings per share on sha-es held in the Poverty Bay Petroleum and he osi ie Company, must be paid to the Secretary by t! e 31st inst. The Company is now registered, aii. ’.vi ng are daily expected of the shipment of tmj machinery ordered from New York.

Auction Sale of Gisborne Lands. —An advertisement in this morning’s issue announces a Government Sale of sections in the Township of Gisborne, to take place at the Waste Lands Office, Auckland, on Tuesday, the 7th October proximo. Superintendent*!. Election.—-Mr. J. S. Macfarlane has intimated his intention of paying an early visit to Gisborne for the purpose of addressing the electors on the subject of his candidature for the office of Superintendent. So far the other candidates have held aloof, but we suppose they will “ show up ” in due course.

Ix a Provincial Government Gazette to hand per Comerang, a notification appears that J. B. Povnter (Chairman) ; William King; S. Parsons; J. W. Johnson; and M. Hall have been elected Members of the Poverty Bay Highway Board. The appointment of R. M. Skeet, C.E., as Collector to the Board, is also announced.

The Late Fire in Auckland. —The following remarks from the New Zealand Herald will help to lay bare some of the hidden agents of those endemial diseases which now and then attack frail humanity, and decimate households and peoples without their special knowledge of the cause. Our greatest sympathy is with the sufferers in this extended calamity, but much good will evidently come of it. Philosophy is a capital article to trade upon when we can exercise it in the interests of others. We have, fortunately, no pecuniary loss to mourn over in common with the sufferers whose businesses are broken up, and they and their families cast to the winds. Our opinion, then, than great as the calamity is, it might have been worse, may fall harshly on the ear ; but it is not so intended, far, very far from it! This is certainly, for them, no time to moralize over what might have happened. But it is their duty, while seeking to ameliorate their present condition, to take advantage of the discovery just made, and which might have been revealed in much more hideous and epidemical form t han it has been:— “ The destruction of the blocks brought to naked light many hidden abominations cesspools under dwelling-rooms sending forth foul odours ; stagnant drains soaking into the earth ; dangerously constructed chimneys in alarmingly close proximity to partitions of wood, dry and inflammable as tinder; so the wonder is, not that many buildings have been destroyed by fire, as that the calamity did not occur long since. Under civic regulations these dangerously-constructed tenements will not be permitted when new erections are commenced ; and for the safety of the city it is only right that this should be so ordered. We believe the losses sustained in the destruction of buildings, merchandise and general effects, have been over estimated. But, making allowances for exaggerated statements, the losses cannot be put at any sum less than £60,000 ; and, as the total of insurances does not exceed, including consequential damages, £lB,OOO, there will be a clear loss to the sufferers in the aggregate of no less a sum than £42,000 after the salvage has been taken into account.”

Poverty Bay.—At a recent meeting of the New Zealand Agricultural Society held at the Criterion Hotel at Otahuhu, Mr. Goodfellow the Vice President read a paper giving his impressions as the result of his visit to this district. The following extracts will interest most of our readers : —“ At Poverty Bay there is a valley or plain, whieh may be about 10 miles wide at the sea, extending back, triangle-shape, about the same distance of 10 miles. Supposing these figures to be nearly correct, would give an area, of 50 miles, or about 30,000 acres; from which would have to be deducted the river-beds, swamps, and sand-hills near the track. There are three rivers, the Turanga river, already referred to, the Waupawa or big river, the bed of this river may be four or five chains, with limestone gravel bottom, while the running water may be two or three chains wide and quite up to the saddle-flaps in places. The third river is a small one, situated at the south end of the bay. The valley is so flat that back from the rivers the water can neither sink nor run off. Where the land is dry, however, it is very superior, and indeed not to be surpassed. Ryegrass there kills everything 1 before it, and I never saw anything like as much stock on as little land anywhere. On the south bank of the big river the Government have 5,000 acres, which is known as the Paratutai block, for which I heard the natives were paid £2 an acre. About half of it is very wet —not swampy, but water lying on it as above explained. Whether it is yet handed over to the Provincial Government or not, Ido not know, nor does it signify. Either from defects in our Land Act, or the peculiar way the Provincial Government carry it out, I have come to look upon it as far more difficult to obtain a fair size farm of, say, 1,000 acres, from the Government that it is from the natives. I can see plainly enough where land in large blocks get into private hands settlement, and population may be retarded ; but, on the other hand, what is the use of having a large population unless in easy and comfortable circumstances. In our province the error, undoubtedly, has always been in having too small farms. The hills, no doubt, will ultimately become good sheep-feeding land, but in the meantime, and fora long time to come, will carry but little stock. Without at least a sprinkling of fair-sized farms we could not have men of sufficient capital to keep up the quality of our stock by importations. So far as I could, learn, little or no land could be bought at present at Poverty Bay. Most of the land is leased from the natives as sheep runs, the runs ranging from 4,000 or 5,000 to 30,000 or 40,000 acres, and the effect of putting the land through the Court is to secure their leases to the present holders. Titles do not appear to be in a satisfactory state from some unknown cause. A number of natives hold a large quantity of land as joint tenants, not as tenants in common. The effect of this is as they die off. their heirs do not succeed to them, the survivors only do. I think, everything considered, the settlers there pay the natives high rents. A well-known stockman was down there killing 200 head of cattle, and salting them down. This may give some idea of the difficulty of getting stock of any kind to Auckland—their only market. The price would be about half the Auckland price.

Anniversary.—The Bay of Plenty Tunes, of the 3rd instant, notifies the completion of the first year of its existence ; and takes no unmerited satisfaction to itself in “ having done some good in its vocation.” We congratulate our contemporary on the success of its mission, and in the words of its editor trust that by “ a consistent maintenance of the course it has hitherto pursued,” it may be able “ to do worthy service in the future towards the prosperity and advancement of the Bay of Plenty.” Station Property.— An old and highly esteemed settler, Mr. Chambers of Te Mata, in the Province of Hawke’s Bay, has, we are informed, become the purchaser of the Ripongaere station from Messrs. Johnson brothers and Westrup. There are peculiar reasons for not making too public the terms on which private land transactions are negotiated in this district, — neither is it our desire to pry impertinently into the private affairs of our neighbours ; but we are permitted to say that the sale has been effected on the most satisfactory terms. We congratulate Mr. Chambers on his good fortune and the district in being able to rank that gentleman amongst the number of its landed proprietors. We believe Mr. Chambers junior will reside on the property. National Fire and Marine Insurance Company.—We notice that Captain Baldwin, one of the Directors of the new National Insurance Company arrived by the Rangatira yesterday. The success of this Company has been unprecedented. Already 175,000 shares have been applied for, and there seems little doubt but that over 200,000 applications will be made before the share list closes on the 20th. Three of the directors it appears are visiting various parts ef the colony, not to float the Company, for that could have been done within a week after its first starting, but to spread the shares over a large surface, and to get as shareholders business men who can influence business and make the Company a commercial success. Our readers can see the success which has attended this course of action when we tell them that, in all probability there will be over 3,000 shareholders in the Company which is thus assured a large business at first starting. We commend the matter to the settlers of this district, and trust that the undertaking will be warmly supported, feeling satisfied that as an investment it is thoroughly sound and will yield a large return to its shareholders; whilst the results of its starting an ageney here will tend to lower the rates of Insurance. There are only 100,000 shares in the Company, but Captain Baldwin informs tie that every applicant will receive a fair proportion of the shares applied for. He also authorizes us to say that not more than 10s per share will be called up—viz. 5s on application and 5s on allotment.