NEW PLYMOUTH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2008, 5 June 1885, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH.

[from our own correspondent.]

Monday, the day on. which was celebrated the 67th birthday of our Queen, passed away quietly here. The day was very damp, showers of rain falling at intervals, and so preventing the usual picnic excursions indulged in by holiday-makers. About 10,30.a,m, the Volunteers assembled on the reclaimed land, and fired a/e« dejoie in honor of Her Majesty, but no further manoeuvres were indulged in, the weather not permitting of such. In the afternoon, the weather clearing for a time, a shooting match was indulged in by the corps, the prize being a cap, given by the Captain. During the afternoon a football match between the Hawera and New Plymouth clubs was play between the showers. There was a fair attendance of visitors from Hawera and- town, and the play was a good as could be expected from the sticky state of the ground. After about an hour's hard play, the honors were carried off by tlio visitors, by a goal to a try. In the evening a Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball was held in aid of the funds of the Firo Brigade. The affair was got up wholly by public contribution, and so was, as might be expected, an unqalified success. About 9p. m, the juveniles gave up the floor to the adults, and the fun was kept up till the small hours. The Brigade intend devoting the funds obtained from the above ball to building stations in the East and West Wards of the town, a want that has been long felt. Beyond a poorly attended race meeting at the Waitara township, and a tea meeting in town, there was really nothing else worth' chronicling—the holiday in fact was one of the dullest pased here. Since I last wrote, we have had a large, fire here—one 'of the largest ever re membered—by which some eighteen buildings were completely destroyed, and a loss of about £20,000 experienced. The fire broke out in-some of the old buildings in the centre of the town, and there being a breeze blowing at the time, it of course rapidly spread, Happily, it came on to rain heavily shortly after'the breaking out of the fire, but for which I believe half the town would have succumbed to the fiery monarch. The Fire Brigade worked well, but the fire had obtained too good a hold before discovered to permit of them staying its course, The origin is a mystery, but is strongly believed to have been caused by incendiarism. At the inquiry, a verdict was returned by the jury, " That there was no evidence to show how the fire originated."

Affairs between the settlers and natives in the West Coast district still appear to be very serious. Almost daily we hear of some fresh annoyance created by the Maories, I'hear that "tie-ups" have been erected across several roads, and many of the settlers' fences pulled down. Yesterday 1 heai'd that some Maories had deliberately driven a herd of horses over a settler's fence into a paddock, and then, after mixing the herd with others grazing there, drove the whole off, breaking down the fences in the operation. They refused to give up the horses until the police were sent for, and on the arrival of an A.C,' and a constable, they replaced the horses and rode off. It is next to impossible to bring the culprits to law, as, if a Maori is " wanted," he immediately hides, and does not show up again till the affair has somewhat blown over. The settlers are getting desperate, and I daily expect to'hear of them taking the law into their own hands, in which latter caso the natives may "look .out for squalls," MrO. Samuel, M.H.R;, addressed his constituents here last week. -After the delivery of his address, the subject of the disturbance with the natives cropped up, The lion, gentleman then promised to intercede with the Native Minister for tho settler, as far as lay in his power. He received a vote of thanks and confidence.

The annual ploughing match of the Bel} Block Farmers' Club came off on Wednesday. • There were a large number of competitors in all classes,'and some really splendid work was done, The boys' classwerewell|representedthisyear,'special attention having been given to this particular class by the' Committee. A dinner was given in tho evening, and tho whole thing is said to have been an unqualified success, ' '

On Friday evening an experiment was made under the supervision of His Worship the Mayor, and Police-Inspector Pardy with the famous Harden Star Hand Grenade Fire Extinguisher. A framework of pipe hoards had been erected upon tho site of the late fire, and this, with aheap of sjiayjngs, etc., was well saturated with kerosene; The whole was then ignited, and when tho woodwork had thoroughly caught fire, one of the grenades' was thrown upon the burning mass, The effect was instantaneous, and the flames were at once subdued. A second grenade effectually extinguished the whole, The structure was then again well saturated with kerosene, and once more was enveloped in flames. When it seemed that the whole erection must collapse, a couple of tlje grenades were thrown, and the effect was'magical, the flames dying away immediately.' The'exjiibjtipn.wasa thoroughly convincing proof pf tlfe worth of this wonderful invention,. It is very simple in construction and method of using, being a glass globe containing about a pint of chemical fluid, which, on coming in contact with heat, gives forth aeas which suffocates the flames. This is thrown with just sufficient force to break the glass, and allow the contents to evaporate.