Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 96, 1 April 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Harbor Board.—The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Harbor Board will be held in the Council offices to-night. The Egyptian Troops.—The unreliability of the Egyptian troops has again been forcibly demonstrated. By our cables to-day it will be seen that Gordon Pasha made a sortie from the beleagued town of Khartoum, and thafhis cowardly troops “ turned tail ” and fled at the first charge of the Arab Cavalry. The most consoling portion of the news conveyed is that two hundred of the worthless fellows were killed,

The Whabf.—The wharf accommodation was put to its fullest test to-day, there being no less than eight different craft alongside—the Good Templar, Gisborne, OpOtiki, Noko, Bosina, the Scow, the cargo sloop, and The Orpheus. The scene presen ed gave the place quite a busy and important appearance.

Gas Company.—The Gas Company apparently does not intend losing any time now it has made a start, and tenders are called

for the supply of 30,000 bricks to be delive <1 on the Company’s ground Grey Street. This is tl 2 first of a numbjr of beneficial effects which will result to the place from the introduction of gas. Special County Bates, —-We are authorised to state that, although the County Council have to take a poll of the ratepayers, it is not intended to collect the rate if possible this year, and next year provision will be made to meet the payment of the £25 out of the general rates. Thus it will be seen that the proceeding is merely a formal one in order to meet the requirements of the law. The polling will take place on the 6th day of May.

Want of Bain.—The continued drought in Australia is causing much distress, and the want of water is being severely felt in Sydney where the water is scarce, as to only permit of an intermittent supply, whilst the accounts from the country show a most pitiful state of affairs. By last accounts no change in the weather was to be anticipated. Prince Leopold’s Death.—Sunday, the 6th inst., is proclaimed a day of general mourning throughout the Australian colonies.. “Jacob Faithful’s” Consultation.—This consultation on the Napier Handicap was drawn in Napier on the loth March, in the presence of a numerous committee of subscribers. The drawing was conducted with

scrupulous care and fairness, • and gave every satisfaction to those present, which included among their number representatives of the local Press. Most of the horses and cash prizes have gone to well-known residents. Leonora has gone to a resident at Taradale, Sou’wester to a waiter at the Masonic Hotel, Emir Bey to a fortunate resident of Waipawa, The Poet to the son of a well-known coachbuilder and city councillor, Nelson to a hotelkeeper at Clive ; Maori, by a coincidence, to a native of Ohiti pah ; Wapiti to a resident of Havelock, and Badames to a well-sinker at Taradale. The principle-cash prize of £5O was drawn by an employee at Mr. E. Holt’s establishment. It will be observed that “ Jacob Faithful ” has opened a consultation on the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase, particulars of which w’ll be found in another column.

Petitions.—lt will be remembered that, at the last Board meeting of the County Council, a grevious complaint was made by Mr. Sandilant re the hardships suffered by the settlers on the Waimata at being unable to get on to their land on account of the state of the road. The Council took great interest in the complaint and in expressing its sorrow at not being able to assist them advised the complainant to petition Government on the subject and the Council would not alone forward the same but also call earnest attention to the subject. The County clerk, at considerable trouble, drew out the petition and placed the same in due form and all that was left for the aggrieved parties to do was simply to sign the same. Notwithstanding all this, and that the petition has been lying on the table for three weeks, only six have come forward to sign, up to the present time. The same complaint refers in a like degree to the Patutahi drain complaint as only fire have signed that petition. This state of affairs proves most conclusively how useless it is endeavouring to help most people where it requires a little exertion on their part to remedy the cause of complaint. “ The fates help those who Help themselves.” Our American Cousins.—Ourcousins never do anything by halves, even in the rioting line, as will be seen by a reference to our New York cables. It appears that some difference of opinion existed between “ the people ” and the Executive as to the degree of leniency which had been shown to a prisoner who had been tried for murder; and disdaining the slow and uncertain method of constitutional process, they apparently determined to take time by the forelock and justice by the throat. With this view they assembled in large numbers, and attacked and burned -the prison in which the object of their anger was confined. The troops were called out, and a desperate and bloody conflict ensued, in which the most desperate and dogged courage was exhibited by the would-bs lynchers, who continued the contest until large numbers were shot down, and fully 100 persons met their death in a conflict, during which such dogged bravery and courage was shown as to make one feel regret that it was not in a worthier cause. Three hundred of the rioters are suffering from wounds of a serious One cannot help drawing a these people and the Egyptian troops at Khartoum. Proposed Bailway. — The following 'particulars re the proposed sectional line of railway, to be known as the Gisborne-Opotiki line, have been published for the information of contractors and others The first section is about thirteen miles in length, viz., from the Port of Gisborne to the Patutahi Valley. The line will traverse the centre of an alluvial flat of 50,000 acres in extent. The average grade is 1 in 250. The line will require to cross the Waipaoa Biver, a stream of 300 feet span. The rise of flood water is 16 feet. A timber eart bridge has been constructed across-this stream at a cost of £3,000. Puriri Bleepers may be obtained in the district at a minimum cost. Three small stations will be required in the thirteen miles, and it is estimated that £30,000 should place the whole section in running order. The principal returns for the first four years will be from the conveyance of road inetal for the. several local bodies. The Cook County Council has available for this, purpose, for the first year, £B,OOO, and will expend in each after the first year £2,000 for the same purpose. The other local bodies will expend in road metal about £1,500 annually, at such prices as may be agreed upon at the time of acceptance of the proposal. There is no stone available for road metal within ir -. ,y miles of the roads now being constructed, but what is obtainable at the site of the proposed inland terminus of the line. The stone is also of superior quality, and' suitable for buildings, kerbing and manufacture of lime. The Council anticipate no difficulty in being able to guarantee- say £3OO annually for seven years towards making up the interest to 7 per cent, on the outlay on the first section. A township of 500 inhabitants and an occupied county of 200,000 acres may be connected by a branch line of 11 miles. The passenger traffic may be estimated at 50 per day for the first six miles. The annual export of wool is valued at £50,000; grass seed and other produce, including cattle and sheep, £19,000. Coal and all materials for permanent bnildings have to be imported and carried over the district; the total value of imports being about £50,000. Firewood will form a considerable part of the up traffic. The population of the County is 6000, chiefly engaged in pastoral and agricultural pursuits. A Bill will be brought before Parliament during the Session of 1884 to authorise the construction of a breakwater and harbor for the Port of Gisborne, at a cost of £200,000. The present shipping trade of the port is 200,000 tons annually. The whole length of line required to connect with Government trunk line is about 100 miles.