WAIROA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3144, 26 July 1881, Page 2

WAIROA.

(rEOM A CORRESPONDENT.) % I suppose it is the duty of every village scribe to chronicle with due regularity, and regard for the interests of his district, every noteworthy improvement in the moral, social, religious*, commercial, and political sphere which goes to form the community. As such I shall endeavor to be found a faithful chronicler of passing notes, and trust your readers may not be too much "" wearied in their perusal. The weather this winter has been extremely mild; indeed! it is many years since we had similar weather at this time of the year. Feed everywhere is abundant, and the young green crops look surprisingly fine. Mr Maney has put down at Te Awamate over one hundred and fifty acres of wheat this year. lam sorry more of our settlers cannot be induced to follow his example. Mr Maloney has about twenty-five acres down at North Clyde, and it looks extremely well. It has been estimated that the maize crop for the county this year will be very deficient, not exceeding five hundred sacks. This, lam credibly informed, is quite a mistake, as in the neighbourhood of Te Kapu I have seen nearly that quantity Btored in two watus. The past season was certainly not a favorable one, but nevertheless I think the crop will reach the average, if it does not indeed exceeed it. The County Council meets 'to-day " for the despatch of business." Ido not know that there is anything of RE/l/k importance to transact, but of will be advised by the wire. eally speaking there is little or no money v to spend, and unless the Government bring in and carry a measure to place the County Councils on a good financial footing I can see nothing but utter chaos in the distance. The rates in a thinlypopulated district like ours are not sufficiently large to maintain, much less construct the main roads of the county. Speaking of rates, and the unequal manner in which they press upon the people, I may mention that our local body has incurred great odium in giving the Wairoa ferry to a native, when there were plenty of European tenderers to the fore, none of them so extremely low either. It would be different if the Maoris were ratepayers. The Native Lands Rating Bill, though still too favorable to the Maori, is a step in the right direction—that of equalising, and lesseniDg by extension, the burden of taxation. The people of Frasertown have had k mild excitement during the last week or ten days. The occasion of the stir was the action taken by the chairman of the school committee, who took steps, on his own responsibility, to forward to the Education Board a number of letters, signed by the residents, bringing certain charges against the schoolmaster, and praying for his removal. The committee objected, and called a meeting, at which a resolution was passed calling upon the chairman to resign. This he refused to do. A public meeting was then called to consider theadvisability of removing the master, and obtaining the services of a female teacher. The ing came off on Saturday, 16th instant, and on the whole must be considered a lively one in every respect. The chairman of the school committee delivered a written speech, of which the least said the better, containing a defence of his action regarding the schoolmaster. After he had been duly catechised by Mr Tunks, a resolution was put carried by 14 votes to 8 calling on chairman to resign,, an expression of opinion to which, with a courage worthy of a better cause, he declined to bow. A ballot was then taken, and resulted in a majority of ten votes in favor of Mr Taylor, the schoolmaster in whom much interest is manifested. Mr Couper, chairman of the Frasertown School Committee, has carried his point after all, the unfortunate teacher having received three month's notice from the Board of Education. Mr Taylor is a widower, with eight little children to support, and in losing the means of earning their daily bread will have the sympathy of all the settlers.