Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 216, 22 August 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Supplement.—Our illustrated supplement with to-morrow’s issue will contain “ A string of similes,” “ Fedora Jensen,” The “ Sounders,” “ Antiquarian reserches,” “ Winning a wife and a Steeplechase,” “ The lay of a man of forty,” “ Hints for housewives,” Faceti®, the miscellaneous column, poetry, &c., &c.

A Warning.—The County Clerk has issued a warning to settlers who are in the habit of killing cattle and disposing of the meat without having first conformed to the bye-law in that case made and provided. Settlers will do well to read the advertisement in another column having reference to the matter.

Common & Co.—The special committee of the Harbor Board deputed to consider and arrange with Mr, Rees as to the Common Shelton business met after the Conference concluded last night, and remained closeted till midnight.

Facts.—During the reading of part of the petition referring to the Native Land Court Judges last night, Mr. Rees pointed out that while the Government were squabling about the opening of the King Country there were in our own district half-a-million of acres already open, but which could not be made use of for purposes of settlement, for want of being passed by the Native Land Court.

Does it Pay. —The Waikato Dairy Factory made 94,211 lbs. of cheese from 101,131 gallons of milk, or rather less than 15 ozs. to the gallon. The price paid for milk was 4d per gallon, and a loss of £B2 lesulted on the season’s operations. The payment to those who supplied miik ranged from £5 17s to £8 2s per cow. From account sales just received the North Otago Times learns that the first consignment of cheese sent by the Waiareka Dairy Factory to London was sold at very satisfactory rates, namely, 62s to 66s per cwt. At the same time good American cheese was only bringing 56s per cwt. in the same market.

To Measure Land.—ln the absence of a chain, you may make a measuring cord with which to measure off acres. To make one procure 67 feet of strong rope 1 inch round, make a loop or fasten a ring or bar at each end and make these exactly 66 feet apart. This is 4 rods. Then tie a piece of red rag in the centre. One acre of ground will be a piece four of the cords (chains) long and two and one-half wide, equal to 16 by 10 rods, making 160 square rods to the acre. The advantage of the ring or loop is that one person can measure along by driving a stake in the ground to hold the rope while he stretehes it out. The rope should be soaked in tar and dried, which will prevent its shrinking when wet.

Under the Yellow Flag.—The first number of this literary venture has reached us. Whether we shall receive any more is doubtful, for we observe that “ our next issue will appear as circumstances may permit.” We have excised the following :—lt was a matter of contention as to the real ingredients of the tea served up at the first meal taken by the passengers in the Quarantine Buildings on Friday evening. Investigation led to the conclusion that the coppers in which the water was boiled contained a strong solution of lime, and a japanned tin thrown in by way of a change.—The plentiful supply of oysters on the rocks has attracted a considerable number of visitors to the spot. The after results have not transpired. Consultations.—The attention of sporting readers is directed to Musket’s consultation on the Melbourne Cup, made up of 1000 subscribers of ten shillings each, which will be divided as follows :—First horse, £150; secund horse, £75 ; third horse, £5O ; otherhorses divided, £75; one cash prize, £2O ; five cash prizes £lO each, £5O ; sixteen cash prizes £5 each, £BO. Each ticket has four chances, and one ticket can win the first prize in the race event, and also three separate cash awards. The drawing will be under the supervision of a committee chosen from the subscribers, and will also include representatives from the Press. Intending investors will do well to secure tickets at once as a large number have already been disposed of. Mr. J. R. Scott will personally superintend the drawing. Native Matters.—ln his last report Mr. Booth, R.M., says:—l have much pleasure in reporting that the Natives in this district have, during the past year, been quiet and and orderly, and there has been less crime amongst them than for some years past. The crops this year have been abundant and good, and in the Northern parts of the district more grain has been grown than for many years past (as I am informed by the local officers and persons long resident in the district). This is, no doubt, owing to the fact that there has been very little drunkenness, and that they are becoming more cleanly in their habits. At most, if not all, of the villages may now be seen comfortable weatherboard cottages, with windows and chimneys, and the wharepuni, which used to be the common sleeping-room, is now only used for meetings, or to lodge strangers in. At most of the villages also they have now erected very neat churches, which seem to be well attended.

Education.—The Natives, says Mr. Booth, seem at last to have become alive to the advantages of obtaining a sound English education for their children. Most earnest applications for schools have been sent in to the Education Department from various parts of the district, and the applicants are willing, in all cases, to convey the necessary school sites to Government under the provisions of the School Sites Act. I visited recently the schools at Wai-o-matatini and Akuaku. At the former school every pupil was present, the reason for this being that the School Committee, of which Major Ropata is Chairman, have made a regulation by which the parents of absent children, except in cases of sickness, are fined 10s. for the first absence, £1 for the second, and so on. The result is, that at the Wai-o-matatini school there are no absentees. At Akuaku they have not adopted the same regulation, and the attendance is consequently rather irregular. Two schools have been closed during the last quarter at Tokomaru and Tologa Bay. The Natives are praying to have them re-opened. Hip, Hip, Hooray.—Many years ago an amusing story was related to the writer by an old colonist who had lived the greater part of his life amongst the Maories. In those good old times, when pork and potatoes were the chief articles of diet that the old settlers could indulge in, some of the more enterprising and well-to-do were fortunate enough in procuring a few sheep at exorbitant prices, much to the envy of their less fortunate neighbors, and it was not for years after that even they could afford to indulge in the luxury of mutton as a general article of diet. Well, the above mentioned gentleman was the fortunate possessor of a few score sheep which had to be strictly guarded by a trustworthy Maori to prevent them being destroyed by the hordes of Maori dogs which in those days were not restricted in numbers, or allowed to be destroyed, no matter what damage they did. It so happened one day that a hungry Maori dog succeeded in capturing one of these valuable sheep, notwithstanding the vigilance of the faithful dusky shepherd, and to his utter dismay and grief killed the poor animal before he could rescue it. Now the amusing part comes in. The shepherd in his anguish went off to acquaint his master of the sad event, and receiving instructions from him to bury the sheep, he carried it off to a decent burying place, and there in the most solmen manner interred the body. After carefully covering up the grave and securing it against the dogs he erected a monument to mark its resting place, and painted in quaint letters this most pathetic inscription. “ Hipi, Hipi, Hurei,” imagining of course in his happy ignorance, that it was a most appropriate motto for such an occasion.