NEW PLYMOUTH

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2055, 31 July 1885, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH

(FROJ4 OCB OWN Cobkespootiot) .■ What glorious weather it-is we ate having, as unlike winter as the proverbial "chalk is unto cheese." During the month, I think we have records of only three or four really wet days. The farmers are jubilant, and are hard at work preparing for the coming season's crop, Every spare moment is now given by them to getting their land under, cultivation, and they are hopeful of a bountiful harvest. Business in town is not over brisk, but we cannot complain, as it is usually slack during the months of July and August, Carpenters are kept pretty busy just now, though, The late.fire made a big vacancy in the main street, and. the work of rebuilding the destroyed structures has commenced in earnest, The new buildings bid fair to be a great improvement upon the old ones, both as regards ornament and; capacity for business, All will be two storeys higlt, and one or two are to be built of brick, For the last two months a large staff of hands have been employed building new premises for tho Bank of New Zealand. 'lt is a wooden structure, built , upon a corner section in the centre of the town, and originally occupied by an old identity—the Masonic Hotel, The block was purchased by the Bank trustee for the sum of £O,OOO. The cost of the new structure, I believe, is Bomewhere about £I4OO. It 'will add considerably to the general appearance of the town, when completed. 1 think I mentioned in my last letter about an information being law against a Native at Pungarehu for stealing some timber belonging to one of the settlers of the district, The offender was arrested shortly after at Parihaka, and brought before the Resident Magistrate and two J .P's at Opunake. After taking considerable evidence, the Bench came to the conclusion that thenmnwasguiltiy,but merely sentenced him to bo ..detained until the rising of the" Court. The action. of the Opunake justices in letting the fellow off io easy, has been much commented upon by the local press, and characterised as an extremely foolish one, giving th© natives the impression that European law is worth very little, and when they wanted a cheap "feed" and a good bed, all they had to do to obtain them was' to commit a small outrage, and their end was accomplished. Several deputations from the different Agricultural Society's met at Hawera.last week, to consider tho advisibility of amalgamating. The amalgamating question was, however, dismissed, and a decision was come to, to hold one combined show annually, each society contributing the sum of £SO towards the expenses of each, It was also recommended that representations be made to the Government to allow free railway passes to all exhibits for such shows throughout the district, A tender of £389 9s 9d has just been accepted for the erection qf a dairy factory at Opunake. Plant for the working of the factory has also been ordered by the Company, ant} operations will be commenced early in isping. A Carriers' Union is in course of formation here. At a meeting the other evening it was decided to make applications to other such societies for copies of their rules,

A lively discussion has been filling the loaal papers lately, oh the subjeut of spiritalism ; the press, in fact, having been literally besieged with correspondence, But for all this, we seem to be as far away from the truth as over. A paragraph appearing in our local journals, intimating that space will not allow of a continuance of the discussion, will, perhaps. put an end to these follies for the nonce. The ship Soukar, from London, via Lyttleton, is expected during the week, with a consignment of 3,000 barrels of cement for the Harbor Board. 4 larrikin was brought jp at the Police Court on Wednesday, chargediyjt)i breaking several of the Borough street lamps. The Bench fined the offender £3, or in default one months' imprisonment, The fine was paid. His Worship intimated that for the future, for such wanton destruction as this, lie would inflict the highest penalty of the law. At a meeting held at Hawera on Saturday the advisableness of starting a meattinning company was considered. After a lengthy discussion a resolution was passed, asking New Plymouth to co-operate with Hawera in carrying out the project. The idea seems fairly well met here, and I have no doubt a company will shortly be formed,