WAIROA NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 915, 13 June 1903, Page 1

WAIROA NOTES.

'(From Our Own Correspondent.) Notwithstanding tho openness of the season there are sundry indications that winter is upon us, and the shortest day is near.

Tho Tangaroa comes, gets closed in for a week, and then goos, and so on. We are nadly in want of Napier Boll’s or some other scheme which will reduce our chances of being shut in to a minimum. The plebiscite about to be taken will determine tho question. The negotiations being carried on between tho provisional directors of our dairy factory and Mr McGregor, of Gisborne, are approaching maturity, and likely to result in mutual benefit. The headmaster of the Wairoa School, Mr Neill, has been on sick leave for a month, his place having been taken by Mr Kirkpatrick, a new arrival in the colony. There is a rumor in the air that the Government are aDout to assume control of the Nuhaka thermal property. We say “ speod the day 1” if such will lead to its development. On dit that Captain Dan Fernoy has been ordered to remove his small steamer from Lake Waikaremoana, and he is down to know the reason why. Mr Strauchon, road inspector, has had his district extended. In addition to Waikaremoaua he is to have from Tongoio to Opoutatna. Tho Tuhara flaxmill is now at work only during the day, so that hands have been shortened. The Government are judiciously spending a ;CBOO vote in road metal for the Tunauui road, that is the road to the Springs at Nuhaku. The men find the stone in the creek, when spawled, easily broken and very serviceable for macadamization. There is metal enough in the river to more than metal all tho roads within carting distance. Then again there is a limestone bluff at Tahaenui, which would furnish inotal for miles on each side of it; and I daresay there aro other deposits between the Sandhills and Wairoa ready to answer at the call of industry. The sequel to the establishment of tho dairy factory is the demand for close settlement. As soon as the Privy Council gives its decision in the case of J. H. Brown v. tho Maoris, that gentleman, should ho be successful, and it is hoped he may, is prepared to sell his land at Tuhara on very favorable terms to bona-fide settlers, which will thereby givo a fillip to the dairy industry and consequently to the commerce of the district. (From the Guardian.) It is currently reported that a Wairoa resident, of short duration, has “ skipped by the light of the moon 1” Romance is not dead yet 1 A number of men aro at present engaged in the Ruakituri Valley, to connect the Gisborne-Waikaremoana road, which will open up the blocks of land recently surveyed. Mr Mclntyre, the popular driver of the Gisborne-Tiniroto coach, and Mr R. Neill, master of the local school, have derived great benefit from their stay at Morere Hot Springs. Mr H. Parata, Sanitary Inspector of Native Settlements, is visiting the district, i He has found most of the pahs in an unhealthy condition. 1 Tho Native Land Court aro engaged on the Hereherotau partition case. Mr E. Saudeman, solicitor, has com- j menced the practise of his profession in ( this town. It is the intention of the Government to ( put an up-to-date launch on Waikaremoana before noxt summer. Thoro must have been a heavy fall of snow at Waikaremoana on Sunday, aa on Monday morning the ranges in that neighborhood wore covered thickly, presenting a lovely sight when lighted up by - the morning sun. The Natives oarne into Wairoa to go on with the Land Court business on Wednesday, but on seeing tho Flag flying they remembered it was the birthday of “ Te Tuika,” the King's son who visited New Zealand, and they declared their intention of doing no business, but to keep the day as a holiday. At the last meeting of the Town Board 6 a local set-tier applied for permission to cut 8 rushes on the Recreation Ground. Asked 8 why ho selected the Recreation Ground rushes in particular the applicant Baid they j were well grown —in fact they are the best c grown in the district. The Chairman c said tho application was a reflection on the Board, and so, no doubt, it is. Something t should be done in the wet weather in the way of pulling out these rushes. It is somewhat of an anomaly that Wairoa should have 11 o’clock licenses and Dunedin 10 o'clock. Some of 11 the ‘ trade ” here consider the decision of the J Hastings Committee will do more harm j than good, by still further strengthening tho opposition to liquor licenses. The mail contracts, which lapse at the end of the year, are alroady being discussed, and it is considered that it is time wc had a bi-weekly one day service. If this should be taken up by tho Department, it should he specified in the contract that horses should be changed every 20 miles. We hope the Department will not go in for cheapness, but accept the tender of a man who is able to carry the contract through. The Government should send a capable man over the route, and let him give an estimate of what it is worth to carry this mail, and the tenderer whose offer comes nearest to the specified figure should have tho contract. When tho deputation from the Wairoa Harbor Board was interviewing Sir William Russell, that gentleman expressed his belief that the Government would take over the Whakaki property for close settlement-. Sir William Russell advocated, and said he would urge, that a certain proportion of the sale money or rents of that property should be devoted Jo river improvement. We understand that our member has communicated with the Harbor Board to this effect.