LOCAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 41, 14 October 1867, Page 3

LOCAL NEWS.

Tahatahi Road Meeting.—A meeting of voters will take place this day at Carterton to form a Board of Wardens for the Taratahi District, when hope all will be arranged satisfactory. The valley settlers have awakened np ond seem now in earnest about roads, the construction of which will add so much to the value of property that the business will in future he quite popular we feel assured.

Boarding Slhool. —We recently announced on the best authority that Mr W. Mantell contemplated opening a Boarding and Grammar school in the Wairarapa; but it will be seen from a notice in our advertising columns that Mr Mantell has changed his mind and intends to open such an establishment at the Taitai. We trust that lie will be as successful at the Hutt as we believe he would have been at the Wairarapa. He obtained a high position at the examinations of the College of Preceptors in Loudon, and appears, from the success which has invariably attended his efforts, to have been born for the work he lias undertaken. Mrs Mantell has been associated withjher husband in superintending the domestic arrangements of former schools with which they have been connected, and from the testimonials we have seen the domestic comfort and happiness, as well as the moral intellectual and physical training of the pupils entrusted to their care, will be duly regarded. Incendiarism on the Takatahi. —An inquest on the late fire at the West Taratahi was held on Monday before Dr Spratt, the Coroner for the district and a_ respectable jury. The evidence was very’ conflicting. Mr Leydon stated that he saw a youth by the name of Charles Gawler in the vicinity of the fire immediately after it broke out, who hid himself in some manuku scrub. On the other hand both the father and brother of the

accused swore he was in bed at the time, and that several other witnesses could he brought forward to prove the truth of their statement. C. Gawler, though summoned, did not attend, and his absence caused considerable delay. During the adjournment some of the jury went to examine into another act of Incendiarism in the same neighborhood, who reported that a quantity of fencing stuff had been set fire to in two places belonging to Mr W. Francis, and had the fire run the damage would have been considerable; as it was the jury estimated the loss at £5. In the case of Leydon‘s property they returned a verdict of arson against some person or persons unknown.

Greytown Board op Wardens. —The Board at their meeting on the sth October, estimated the probable means they should' have to open the four roads leading from Greytown towards the Waiohine—and think the assessment will yield sufficient for this purpose, which may easily be accomplished before the ensuing winter. They also suggested the propriety of getting up a subscription with which to make a foot path on one side of Greytown so much required for the comfort and safty of the women and children. The board then entertained a proposition for opening No 1 line leading to the Heifer Station. Another meeting of the Board was held on Friday, October 11th when a large map of the district was exhibited. Immediate steps will be taken for levying the rate, and for commencing the various roads most required. Land Sale.— -We direct the attention of those who are desirous of purchasing Aricultural or Pastoral Land to an advertisement of Mr G. 11, Vennell’s calling a sale for Tuesday next.

Road Contract.— We call attention to an advertisement for tenders for the formation of a road between the Waiohine and Tauherinikau rivers. The road will we believe be called Underhill as it is a portion of a road which it is hoped will be carried from Feaiherston up the valley as near as may be to the hills. One or two portions on the whole of the work may be taken by a contractor ; ande ther is a provision for depositing ten per cent instead of furnishinosecurities. This is to enable strangers coming to the Province, who could make a deposit but not find securities, to compete for the work which is a very just and useful arrangement. Copies of plan and specifications it will be seen by the advertisement are deposited with Mr John Puller at the Rising Sun, in Greytown and at the Engineer’s Office Wellington, and tenders must be declared on Friday the 18th October addressed to the Chairman of the Board.

Featheeston.— At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, May 8, William Magee was charged with obtaining goods under false pretences. The evidence of Mr Jones, Hotel Keeper, at Masterton went to prove that prisoner obtained from him a supper, bed and breakfast by representing he had a cheque for £22 in the hands of Mr Bannister. The Bench held that Mr Jones had not produced sufficient evidence to support the charge and consequently dismissed the case. The same pei son was then fined 5s and costs for an assault committed on Mr Jones on the same day. Bungababee. —lt will be seen from an announcement in our advertising columns that this very thorough-bred horse is now in the Wairarapa. He is decidedly the largest and most beautiful black horse that has ever been in this district, and for his beauty alone is well worth a journey to see. He appears more like a hunter than a racer, but we are assured by his owner that his pedigree is of the first character, as indeed is proved by the “Stud Book,’’ to which we beg the curious in such matters to refer.

Who are the Snobs. —The following remarks made by Mr Moorhouse answer this question, and show that the aim of the Centralists is to compel theProvincialists to have recourse to direct taxation in order to render them odious in the sight of the people. He said:—‘l can see what the honorable members are aiming at; we, the aristocratic section of the House, the centralists, who are entitled more than any other to the epithet of snobs, go to our Provinces, and say, “ Now, gentlemen, we have taken the burden of direct taxation, which presses even on the infant sucking at the breast—for it is estimated at £4 per head—off your shoulders; while these democrats, who have humbugged you for so many years, declined to do it.” The consequence will be condemned. But no one knows better than I and some other honorable members how the public interest would suffer if these institutions were destroyed. They have brought Canterbury to the position it now occupies as a commercial, farming, and pastoral Province. The greater portion of the weal thof Canterbury is invested in landed property, as a direct consequence of the wisdom which has ruled its legislation.”

Gold ! Gold !! Gold !!! — We take the following from the “Evening Post.”—The two islands seem to be running a neck-and-neck race in the development of their new gold fields. The papers to hand this morning from both North and South are about equally joyful on the subject. From Auckland we learn that 157 ounces of gold were sent up on Sunday last from Barry’s claim, on the Kuranui reef; 500 ounces were expected to be the out-come from two and a-half tons of stone sent to Coromandel to he crushed. From all hands there came accounts of great heaps of stone piled up awaiting only the arrival of crushing machinery, to yield up their golden store. It appears that the nature of the ground is such as to enable the miner to get out stone quicker than the machines can crush it. The great wants at present seem to be men and machinery, as an old Victorian miner is reported to have given it as his opinion that there are claims for fully 10,000 men on the score of rich reefs already opened, while there is a vast extent of country, believed to be equally auriferous, at present unexplored, the country being covered with dense scrub, and so dfficult that prospectors have hitherto contented themselves with what they can find within the compass of a day’s journey from Shortland, which is their actual headquarters While the news from Thames is thus golden hued, there comes in from Nelson intelligence almost equally encouraging. The Collingwood diggings are stated to be turning out so rich that the Warden had refused a lease to the holders of one particular claim, and a place called Appo’s Gully is said to possess such peculiar features as to promise the richest deep lead of gold yet found in New Zealand. We would suggest that it would he wise to get up a subscription asking aid from the Government

to enable some competent diggers to sink one or two holes to the bed rock to see what there is beneath the valley. Timber is in abundance so there would be no difficulty about slabbing the pits should such be foud necessary and the want of which has been attended with so much expense in other parts of New Zealand. It has been said that the formation of this •Province is coal lying above gold and we should think all settlers would be anxious to test the merit of this statement.