WOODVILLE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4136, 24 October 1884, Page 4

WOODVILLE.

JFEOM OUE OWS COERESPONDENT.]

There is a lot of timber lying by the roadside at Tahoraito which ix, I am told, intended for building a Maori Church with. The pah is close by, and there is usually a considerable number of natives in the vicinity, so that it may be much used when completed. It will stand, I suppose, near to the Otiin-o Homo of which I scut you a, description some time ago. I see by tho local print that a sum of money has been placed upon the estimates for opening up the Mangahao Block. This is the Block that we have been clamoring and praying for for so long past. It is to be hoped that this may be the first step towards its settlement. Tho secretary of the Settlers' Association has visited Wellington and spared no time in endeavoring to place our wants beforo Ministers. In fact it seems that the opening of this new Block may bo one of tho results of his exertions. Why was this not done beforo is what we ask up here. Perhaps if the secretary of tho Settlers' Association had been our representative in Parliament we should have fared better than we have done in the past. The Mangahao Block certainly doos not lie geographically in our district, but practically it Is one of the most important features in it. I notice that several of the suggestions made by the Settlers' Association with regard to the settlement of land are going to be adopted in the amended Laud Acts.

Danevirke look's busy to a passer by. There are several shops and stores on each side of the main road and all seem fairly busy. The saw-mills and brick and pipe manufactory add to tho stir in the place, and at the railway crossing there is such a stack of sawn timber and sleepers, etc., turned out by Messrs Henderson Bros, and Wratt, that is getting to be quite imposing in appearance. Talking of that station business tho bungle that seems to have been made over it strikes one more and more as the township grows and the lino- gets completed. On the North side of Danevirke is the Station, and on the South side, about half or three quarters of a mile, from the township is the other. To the centre of tho towu.ship, where tho line crosses thu road, and where all the timber lies and where all the goods consigned to tho place could be easily unloaded, there is a bank. I believe there is to be a ilag station here ultimately, but what will lie the good of thatr . No we will use the terminus, and the il.i" , citation will bo the centre of business. I do not think anyone there blames the engineers, but only deplores the want of an inlluenlial representative in parliament. Another suburban section is being subdivided into quarter acres with a view, presumably, to being placed in the market VCiy shortly. We are gradually beginning to have hopes that our township will some d;iy reach a convenient size, so that over crowding of houses may bo avoided. But the sections are in a very commanding position and will, I believe, realize good prices, Those that front tho main road are extremely valuable, and those behind are near enough to it to bo made into comfortable and handsome building sites. I have not heard of any rural land changing hands this week. Tho demand seems to come iv iita and starts.

The railway will be 02>ened as far as Tahoraito iv a few weeks' time. This extension will bo of immense value to tho place. At present the carriage on goods is very heavy indeed, and tho inconveniences of coaching are also great. When the line runs to Tahoraite, tho whole of the road to Woodville is nearly a continuous dead iiafc, so that the time occupied over the journey will be considerably lessened.

A brother correspondent to a Wellington paper disapproves of the Gorge Raihvay beiil" , made. I cannot agree with him. That railway will be of great assistance to the place in many ways. I understand that it will not be actually made through tho Gorge, but over a low spur to the north of rTin preference. There is an old track somewhere in that locality, made by the Maoris years ago, which quite avoids the Gorge, and is a really passable route. It will°bo along this track that tho lino may be taken. Palmerston Avill now be the junction instead of Bunnythorpo. When on tho electioneering platform Mr Donald Eraser was in favor of allowing compensation to owners of town sections in Bunnythorpo, if the junction were made at Palmerston, not as he considered the Government would have sold them under false pretences it that wore to take place. The other candidate, Mr Macarthur, agreed that the mistake was an unfortunate one, but considered that the owners of these sections had bought them purely to make speculation out of them, and were not, therefore, entitled to any consideration at the hands of the Government.

The weather has been most unpleasant for some time past, and there is very little to show that summer is near.