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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 315, 13 October 1875, Page 2

Celtic Meeting and Dinner, Ormond.— The meeting and dinner at Mr. Buchanan’s Hotel, Ormond, take place this (Wednesday) evening. Farm Laborers— Country settlers are informed that two married Farm Labourers are waiting employment at the Immigration Barracks: Bismarck. —We learn that this well-known entire horse has just changed hands—Captain Read having purchased it from its former owner, Mr. W. S. Greene. Sale of Horses. —We call attention to Mr. M. Hall’s sale of horses and working bullocks, at Mr. Steggall’s, Makaraka, on Saturday next, at 12 o'clock. Amongst the former are light harness, paek, and saddle horses. Mr. Hall also holds an auction in Gisborne to-morrow. Assessment Roll. — The Road Board Assessment Roll for the ensuing" year is now ready for inspection, on the landing of the staircase leading to the office of the Board, Court-house buildings. The Board will hold a court for hearing and determining objections onthelstli November next. Gabbick Theatre, Ormond. —The “ Harvest Storm,” and the “ Illustrious Stranger,” will be performed at this theatre on Monday evening next. Owing to the inclemency of ths weather and the wretched state of the roads, the last performances were but sparsely attended. Wetrust, however, that there will be a full house, on Monday. Mb. Vesey Stewart’s Immigrants. —We learn from a private source that the recent settlement of these immigrants at Kati Kati, near Tauranga, is regarded in that part of the country, as quite a new era incur colonisation. The immigrants, without exception, are a most desirable class, in every respect, and the acquisition of such people cannot fail to exercise u salutary influence on the community by which they are immediately surrounded. Indeed, this influence is said to have been already felt, and the result is so satisfactory that hopes are entertained that the Government will make arrangements for the introduction of many more'of a similar class. Mr. Stewart’s immigrants are not only capitalists, but well educated, moral, and thrifty people, who, like the early Puritan settlers of New England, North America, are resolutely determined to make the land of their adoption a happy home for themselves and their offspring. What a boon the settlement of a score or two of families of such a class on the Patutehi Block, would be to this district ?

Agricultural and Pastoral Society.— The Secretary announces that persons desirous of exhibiting stock, produce, &c.;’at the forthcoming show, must send full particulars of the same to him on or before Monday next, the 18th inst. • . . • Subsidy to the Waka Jfaori.—The Wananga says that £3BO 3s 6d as a subsidy to the Waka Maori is a high price for the colony to pay for the limping English and halting Maori filling its columns. Grants from the Church or Scotland.— The Presbyterian. Church tiemfot last month states that the Church of Scotland has made a grant of £5O per annum for the support of Presbyterian Ordinances in Poverty Bay ; and that £5O a year is also available for Opotiki, as soon as it gets a minister. Taranaki receives an annual grant of £lOO from the same source, and the Rev, Mr. Scott of Ngaruawahia is guaranteed a salary of £l5O.

Poverty Bay And Opotiki Road. —We learn that this road—-which has been longer in its construction than either the Government or the public ever anticipated—is likely to be completed in about five or six months hence. The contractors have had much difficulty to contend with in the procurement of an adequate supply of labor ; and this is what has principally prolonged the execution of the work. It was, we believe, a condition of the contract that Maori labor should, if possible, be employed in preference to Euro- - pean labor, but this arrangement, it was' found, could not be carried out., The Maor is demanded a greater amount of remfineration than their labor 1 was actually worth, I and far more than the contractors were in. a position to afford—hence the impossibility Of complcfing the contract within the specified time. There only now remains about five or six miles of the track to complete, and as the best time of the year for roadmaking is fast 1 approaching, the contractors expect to finish the work by March next. The completion of this thoroughfare will, of 'course, facilitate traffic between this district and Opotiki and Tauranga, which traffic may be already said to be somewhat considerable! In process of time the track will, no doubt, have to be widened, to admit of vehicle traffic thereon.