WAIROA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1609, 8 September 1874, Page 351

WAIROA.

(FROM OUR COnHESPOHDEHT.) Clyde, 4tli September. The 8.8. Fairy arrived yesterday (Tlmisday) punctually, with mail and gcrs. She steams up the river to morrow, as far as Scamperdown, to land goods I'or Maney's new store. Among the passengers I noticed Messrs Cable, Lambert, &e., and a cadet for the telegraph office. - An effort is being made to establish a library and reading-room here. The Secretary of the Napier Athenaeum has linen communicated with on the subject. It is proposed, if sufficient funds can be raised for the purpose, to obtain a parcel of books from lie Napier Institute, monthly or quarterly, as occasion demands. A notice to this effect has been posted up, requesting all who are desirous of supporting the movement to subscribe. The object is most praiseworthy, and subscriptions should flow in freely. So the Wairoa correspondents " indulge too freely in generalities and personalities." The accusation is true to a certain extent, but surely anything—personality always excepted—is preferable to stale news. There are certain topics, such as roads, punts, &c, which every wise scribe would do well to eschew. They have in truth become utterly flat, stale, and unprofitable. Provincial or General Government authorities care very little what " our own " or any other correspondent may think of things in general, or highways and by-ways in particular. True., ventilating a subject in the columns of a newspaper may oftentimes remedy an evil or correct an abuse ; but the piteous moans about " our roads," and ghoul-like outcries anent the state of" our cemetery," which appear to be the stock-in-trade of most correspondents, have little result beyond nauseating the general reader. The remedy for such matters is to be found elsewhere than in the letters of correspondents ; it rests with the settlers themselves. "The Gods help those who help themselves," says an ancient adage ; to make it more applicable to the occasion we might say the "Government help those who help themselves." A correspondent pays a just tribute of respect to two gallant officers, viz., Major Richardson and Captain Carlyon; he, however, omitted to mention that Captain Ferris had also been promoted to a firstclass sub-inspectorship. "Where, 0 where ?" A Sydney paper gravely informs its readers that "the giant geyser at Waikaremoana is in active operation." Startling intelligence. I wonder if many people will go to look at it, and if so, how many, and in what state of activity will the geyser be. Seriously, Waikaremoana has recently become a source of attraction to travellers. One or two visitors who have been "doing"it express themselves highly delighted with the scenery, placing it far before Taupo in that respect. Readers of Colonel St. John's "Pakeha Kambles " would doubtless be deterred from visiting this erstwhile terra incognita of the Uriwera country by the unpleasant description therein given of the road. The gallant Colonel, however, wrote of the old road, which has long fallen into disuse. A good road has 6ince been formed, under the supervision of the Public Works department. [FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.] 3rd September. Among the events of this week the arrival of the favor.te s.s. Fairy may, I think, be deemed principal; shepioceeded up the river as far as Scamperdown Creek, landing there a quantity of goods for Mr Maney, and returns to Napier to-day with a number of passengers. Truly the value of this vessel is becoming more appreciable daily; and when considered in connection with telegraphic communication with your port, reduces the once somewhat arduous voyage to Wairoa to a delightful pleasure trip in the summer months. Our punt is rapidly becoming notorious, and will, I think, soon rival your once famous steam dredge in the estimation of the public; it constitutes at present our local " bubbly jock." There is, I believe, something wrong with the winch, or the rapidity of the tide has not been properly allowed for in the locomotive apparatus; at any rate, even during its first transits (despite that " a new broom" proverbially " sweeps clean,'' spectators grew tired of watching its slow progress, and retired somewhat disappointed, wondering whether an anchor had been let go by mistake. Koads throughout the district are favorably spoken of by travellers, certainly those from here to Te Kapu, and hence to Mohaka, are very worthy of commendation to those employed in their superTision. I wish I could say as much of the approaches to the punt: rumors are rife that they are finished; I trust not; if so, pedestrians had better invest in jack-boots at once. Ihaka Whanga, Paora Apatu, Toha, and Paora Eerepu of Mohaka, have been decorated with the New Zealand war medal; accepted and deserved by the first as his right; received and acknowledged by the second as Native Assessor of weight and influence ; chaffily (if such a word is admissable) by the third, and made a subject of momentous import by the fourth, who, you will remember, has made himself conspicuous lately by various eccentricities. Toha—who, by the way, is a bit of a wag—has said that he does not remember any valorous action of his own whereby he should be thus distinguished ; and attributes Paora's elevation to the rank of medallist to his exploits in chopping telegraph poles and burning a part of his own pah. Until the last souther we were tempted to coincide with the old Maoris, who have a tradition that an earthquake precedes change of seasons; for since the last we felt, the weather has been roach warmer. The last few days have, however, dispelled the agreeable illusion, and we think the Fairy " well in" at the commencement of the southerly weather now prevailing. Although slowly, we are I think progressing surely here; business men who hybernated during the dull times returning to their wonted places, and contributing by competition to the increase of trade and general prosperity. Among others I notice Mt E. Carter, who is, I believe, about to re-open his store, and Mr J. Carrol, junr., who has commenced business as a butcher in the most central part of the town. Messrs Anderson and . Shaw are also constructing a large store near the Ferryage, on the Kapu side, while a sort of gulf stream of commerce is continually flowing towards Mr Maney's new and spacious establishment at Frasertown. Slight interruption of the telegraphic commnnication with Napier last week. Native obituary at Mohaka.—Henare Pakura, and Ahitere Enha, of pulmonary consumption. , .