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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 325, 17 November 1875, Page 2

Assessment Ron.—Notice is given that the Assessment Roll having been completed, the Rates must be paid to Mr. F. J. Piesse, the collector. Native Land.—The following blocks of Native Lands, in Poverty Bay, have been gazetted for rehearing at the ensuing Native Land Court to be held in Gisborne: —Gazette No. 53, dated 30th September, Takopa. Gazette No. 60, dated 28th October, Te Rua-otaua, ditto Okirau. Poison. —Mr. A-F. Hardy notifies thaL Poison is now laid ofc in hft paddocks an Toroa. \ \ I \ Road Board AssKfltMBjtT.*-The Road' Board met on Monday fertile purpose of hearing and determining, objections to the Assessment Roll for th.\'current year. There were sixty five objections, and about two thirds of these were sustained, and the assessment reduced Accordingly. These reductions amount, in th* aggregate, to about £lOO. 7 Scab on the East Coast.—Captain Porter received a telegram from the Native Department, last .evening, fully approving of liis proposition for the purchase of the East Coast scabby sheep, and authorising him to take steps to that effect, as soon as practicable. Sudden Death or Mr. Jefebets at Ormond. —An old resident of the district (Mr. Jeffreys, Ormond) has just gone the way of all the earth. He was, we believe, in his usual health till Friday last, when he took ill, hu( did not apprehend immediate dissolution. On Saturday he got worse; and on the following day (Sunday) he expired. Dr. Goold was called in, but too late to render-any aid. Mr.'Jeffreys—who was a man of active habits—was formerly a member of the Melbourne Escort Constabulary, and on his arrival in this Colony, he joined the Armed Constabulary, with which he was connected for several years. After leaving the Constabulary he, for some time discharged the duties of Postmaster at Ormond. He latterly kept* store there. The cause of death was, we hear, congestion of the lungs. The deceased was much respected. His funeral took place on Monday afternoon. The burial service having been impressively read by the Rev. E. Williams, Dr. Goold, Master Mason, proceeded to perform the usual ceremony observed at the burial of Master Masons, commenting upon the death of the Grand Master of King Solomon’s Temple; and in feeling and touching language commended the soul of the deceased to the Great Architect of the Universe, praying at the same time, that he might be received into that glorious lodge above where all good Masons expect to be admitted. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the sprig of acacia, and the ribbon were laid on the coffin —the brethren reverently bending towards it at the same time.

Street Accidents—On Saturday morning last, a boy named James Stevenson, son of Mr. Stevenson of this town, accidentally fell from a horse he was riding bareback, opposite the Court-house, and was picked up in a state of insensibility. We are glad, however, to have to report that he sustained no injury beyond that of a severe shaking. On Monday evening as Mr. Graham was proceeding home on horseback, from his place of business, the animal suddenly bolted, thereby unseating its rider, who was precipitated, with some violence, on to the road, and sustained some injury about the head. On inquiry yesterday, we were glad to find that Mr. Graham was able to attend to his business, although suffering considerably from pain consequent upon the mishap.

Gisborne School.—At a meeting of the Board of Education held at Auckland on the Bth inst, the consideration of tenders for the purchase of the Gisborne School Buildings and the erection of new ones, was deferred until the Board is in possession of the promised building fund from the General Government. The Board approved of the conditions of the lease of certain sections at Gisborne, and sent them to the local commissioners to take action thereon.

Masonic Hotel,—This hotel will shortly change landlords, it having been let to Mr. Page, head steward of the Pretty Jane who is an experienced hotelkeeper, and who takes possession on the Ist proximo. The present landlord, (Mr. Caulton) intend s, we understand, to remove to his station at Ormond.

Napier Electorate.— A telegram in ' the Daily Southern Cross of Friday last says: —“Sir Donald McLean has just issued an address to the electors of Napier. The only contest expected is for the other seat, but Mr. Ormond’s return for Clive is considered almost certain." Celtic Chair Meeting.—We notice that Mr. Duncan Fraser’s Gaelic speech, at the meeting at Ormond, for aiding the endowment of the Celtic chair, and which speech appeared in our issue of the 16th ultimo, is reproduced in full, in the New 'Zealand Presbyterian Church News for the current month. The Argyll Hotel.—The contractor, Mr. Berry, commenced making the additions and improvements to this Hotel, on Monday morning last, and we notice that the work has already made considerable progress. of Education.—lt will be seen on reference to our advertising columns that the examination of candidates for Provincial Scholarships, and for certificates of proficiency, will begin at Auckland on the 15th December, proximo, and the examination of candidates for certificates of competency as teachers, and for the classification of assistant pupil teachers, on the 21st of that month. Improvement to thb Shamrock Hotel. —We notice that a considerable addition is being made to the Shamrock Hotel, by which it will be much improved. A spacious dining room, is in course of erection in rear of the premises.

Street Obstruction. —We do not wish to make any unnecessary complaint against the Road Board; but we really cannot refrain from pointing out the great inconvenience to which foot passengers are subjected iu crossing from one side of Gladstone-road to the other,, through the uninterrupted obstruction caused by the depositing of metalling stone on the thoroughfare. We think this is an unnecessary blocking up of the street, and as it causes considerable annoyance to the public, we trust the nuisance will soon be abated. Ancient Order of Foresters.—A preliminary meeting of members of the Ancient Order of Foresters, will be held at the Excelsior Bakery, on Saturday the 27th instant, for the purpose of opening a branch Lodge in Gisborne. there being no jail here, wherein prisoners could be confined for a time, all ■ offenders sentenced at Gisborne and Waiapu, have to be sent to Auckland for safe custody until the respective terms of their imprisonment expire ; and thus not only is the country put to unnecessary expense, but we are deprived of the labor of the prisoners, which would be of considerable advantage to us in making and repairing our roads and streets. There are now in Mount Eden several strong and healthy natives from this district, who, were local jail accommodation provided for them, could be employed in useful works, under the direction of the Road Board; and as there would always be a sufficient number of constables available to take charge of and guard them whilst at work, there would be no difficulty in controlling them. Until, however, we are provided with proper jail buildings it will be impossible to utilise the labor of our prisoners. The Resident Magistrate of Waiapu, suggested to the Government, in his last annual report but one, that natives sentenced to terms of imprisonment varying from three to twelve or eighteen months, should not be sent to Auckland—where there is little or no work for them to do —but kept in the district, and made to work on the roads, — a suggestion, which, we should like to see acted upon. Hard labor on the roads would produce greater effect upon those fellows, in the way of deterring them from the future commission of crime, than the comparative light punishment to which they are subjected in Auckland would produce. Some of them have been known to say that they liked their jail life so well that they would have no objection to return to it.

New Weekly Paper at Napier.—On Saturday next will be published, in connection with the Napier Daily Telegraph, the first number of a new journal entitled the Weekly Mercury and .Hawke’s Day Advertiser -, and the publication of the bi-weekly issue of’the Telegraph will cease on that date. The prospectus states that the want of a weekly paper has been long felt by the people of Hawke’s Bay, and a hope is expressed that the Mercury —in the columns of which will be found not only the news of the week, hut tales written by the most celebrated writers at home—will shortly be found on the table of every settler in the province. The Mercury is to be under the management of Mr. H. E. Grigg, whose long connection with the Napier press admirably qualifies him for such an undertaking. We wish our new contemporary every success.

Dissolution of Partnership.—The partnership hitherto carried on by Messrs. Harrison and Matthewson, has been dissolved by mutual consent. Grant to Minister at Waipukubau. —As another instance of the liberality of the Church of Scotland, we learn that it has agreed to aid the stipend of the Presbyterian Minister who may be called to the charge of Waipukurau, Hawke’s Bay, by paying £75 towards it, for two years, on endition that the people raise, each year, £l5O towards getting a manse. Stamp Act, 1875. —We call particular attention to advertisements in another column., notifying important alterations iii the Stamp Act, 1875, that are to take effect from the Ist January next. The two departments of public business which these alterations will affect, are those of the “ Transfer of Shares,” and “ Bills of Lading and receipts in lieu thereof."

Boat Building.—We understand that Mr. Shearer of this town intends shortly to commence boat building upon a somewhat large—he having been repeatedly requested to do so. He will be prepared to build boats of all sizes, including skiffs, to which latter he purposes devoting particular attention. Now that the rowing season has arrived, and that boating excursions and exercises on our rivers may be expected to be daily occurrences for several months hence, at least, we have no doubt Mr. Shearer will be well patronised. Armed Constabulary Labor on Opotiki Road.—We have been informed, upon pretty good authority, that in all probability, a detachment of the Armed Constabulary stationed in tins district, will shortly be ordered to render assistance in constructing the unfinished portion of the Poverty Bay and Opotiki road, which is expected to be completedin about six months. The difficulty of procuring European labor for this work, has, no doubt, caused the contractors to apply to the Government for Constabulary labor. We noticed, about a month ago, that one of the West Coast papers strongly advocated the propriety of employing as many of the Armed Constabulary as could be spared for the purpose, in making bridle tracks in the North Island; adverting, at the same time, to the fact that in the early days of the Colony, the imperial troops were employed in constructing the public roads. We perceive by the Daily Southern. Cross of the 9th instant that the Armed Constabulary stationed at Ohinemutu have been placed at the disgisal of Captain Turner, the District ngineer, by the Government, in order that they may proceed with the work of widening the Oropi bush road. As some thirty men will be employed on the work during the summer months, it may reasonably be supposed that a large quantity of the superfluous bush will be made to disappear before the wet weather sets in again. Building Improvements on the East Coast. —Since the beginning of the year an unusually large number of stores, inns, dwelling houses, and other buildings, have been erected on the East Coast, between Tologa Bay and Waiapu, chiefly by Mr. C. D. Berry of Gisborne, who seems to have secured.to himself, by giving satisfaction in his work, nearly all the building trade in that part of the district. At Tologa Bay, Mr. Berry has just completed a commodious, and most comfortable cottage for Captain Trimmer, which is an important addition to the European houses already there. This cottage presents a very neat appearance externally, and may be considered an ornament to the place. At Kaiou—about seven miles jnorth of Tologa Bay —Mr. Berry is buildI ing an accommodation house, containing I six rooms, for a native named Hata, who I expects to do a good business there. Tms house—which is on the eve of completion —supplies a desideratum long felt I in that part of the coast. The same builder I has lately finished a new store for Mr. J. I Bahington at Tokomaru, where competition lin the combined business of store aud I accommdation-house-keeping, is likely to I be very keen ere long—there being some talk of another store being erected there soon. From Henare Fotae of the same place Mr. Berry has instructions to proceed, as speedily as possible, with extensive alterations required in his accommodation house and store there, in order to render both more adapted for their respective purposes than they are. Henare contemplates further improvements as soon as possible, not only at Tokomaru, but at two or three other places on the coast where he has branch stores. Mr. Berry is about to send up materials for the erection of a store at Marau, for a native whose Anglicised name is Redmond, and who is said to be desirous of conducting his business in pakeha style. Major Ropata —who has been in Gisborne since the beginning of last month —has arranged with Mr Berry to complete his dwelling house at Waiomatatim, in the Waiapu valley, previous to the sitting of the Land Court there. Considerable alterations and additions are to be made, and when the house is finished it will be an imposing structure. Waiomatatini is one of the most delightful localities on the East Coast, and the worthy Major, no doubt, contemplates the enjoyment of his otium cum dignitate, for many days in his new mansion. Mr. Berry is also under agreement to build a nice dwelling house on the station recently purchased by Major Westrup from Mr. Parker.