WAIROA NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 93, 29 April 1901, Page 3

WAIROA NEWS.

(Times Travelling Correspondent.) Wairoa, Saturday. A largely attended meeting of settlers was held in the County Hall, on Wednesday evening, for the purpose of considering the question of procuring land for close settlement. Mr G. Perkins presided. After considerable discussion, the meeting elected the fowolling committee to draw ! up a petition to the Minister of Lands Messrs G. Britnell, A. Poyzer, T. W Briggs, G. Perkin 3, Pi. Neill, J. W. Sarrisson, J. Corkhill, E. Hallett, C. Roberts,°A. Hague, C. Scott-Smith. Mr .J. W. Sargisson was appointed .Secretary. The following is a copy of the petition, which has been drawn up, and is now being largely signed : " The Honorable the Minister of Lands : We, the undersigned, your petitioners, having been appointed a committee at a public meeting held at the Countv Hall. Wairoa, on the 24th April, 1901, “by the settlers of the district, for the purpose of urging upon the Government the necessity of acquiring land for close settlement in the neighborhood of the township of Wairoa and Frasertown, do respectively I desire to draw your attention to the thou- | sands of acres of good land in the said ! districts, admirably adapted for close j settlement, and which arc now ]yim r idle ■ j aJtd uncultivated. The settlers aforesaid 1 j are conscious that if these and other I a, J ljo acquired and cut up into suitable I holdings, an incalculable benefit will re suit to the whole of the district.” Subjoined is the resolution passed at the public meeting aforesaid :—- ” That, in the opinion of this meeting, the time has arrived when close settlement should obtain; that a committee be formed to prepare a petition to the Government (or otherwise), asking them to cut up for close settlement Mr Hull's land 011 the North side of the Wairoa river; also, the Native land on both sides of the n airoa-1' rasertown road. Your petitioners therefore, pray that the Department will take the matter in hand as speedily as possible, so as to satisfy this long-felt want on the part of the settlors. Signed I on behalf of the mooting of settlers, as aforesaid:—George Britnell, Arthur Fovi/. 01 '.’ H Briggs, George Perkins, R. A fill, .J. W. Sargissou, Joseph Corkhill, L. Hallett, C. Roberts, A. Hague. T. ! Scott. Smith, Members of Committee.” This is practically the outcome of the Minister of Land’s visit to the Wairoa district, and it is to be hoped the Government will make an early move in the matter, as it will mean the opening up for settlement of between 8000 and 10000 acres of good land within two miles of Wairoa, which, cut up into small blocks, would make first-class dairy farms, whereas at present a considerable portion of it is quite uncultivated

1,-| WIIAKAKI, i- The large Native gathering at Whakaki d ,lils lj cen brought to a close. The Natives say the new meeting-house is the largest 1 ol its kind in the colony. To show how t up-to-date --they are in their ideas, they ! have had it lighted with acotylinu ('as. • Most of tlie Natives have left for their i j lo i' les > whilst those remaining expect to , leave to-day, Mr.J. A. Harding, of Gisborne, and Mr , Parker, of To Arai, arrived hero on Friday afternoon. They leave again this afternoon, arriving in Gisborne on Sunday evening. • J The bar has been in a bad state for the last week, the steamer being unable to get into the river, and consequently passengers and cargo have to bo landed on the bench. Matters in connection with the Caledonian Hall, which is to bo held on May •Flth, are now in a forward state. The strong committee appointed have been working hard to make it a big success, and each week a night is set apart for < practising the Scotch dances, Mr l’cter ] \\ ilson acting as instructor, and judgin' 7 1 by the largo attendance at the practices i there is every reason to believe that there ’ will bo a record attendance at the ball. 1 Iho committee have an energetic socrc- i tary in the person of Mr T. H. Bax. s The proceeds tire to bo handed over to the t hospital. The Wairoa Council is at present form- i t ing the main road in the township, and t has already completed a concrete drain 1 about half the length of the street. These add considerable to the cleanly appear- t unco of the town, and when completed a will make Wairoa look quite up-to-date. 1