WAIRARAPA AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 5, 25 February 1871, Page 11

WAIRARAPA AFFAIRS.

Under this heading we shall insert all the Wairarapa hews of the week, together with such remarks as may be deemed advisable on the affairs of the Wairarapa and East Coast*

• . . THE HARVEST n - J- . v, in this district is nbw concluded, and on the whole the feather has been most favorable. The. crops in most localities have been abundant, and it is anticipated that almost as inuch wheat has been grown as will suffice! for the wants of the settlers. The Hour, however, is not on the average so good as that obtained from Wellington and Canterbury, but whether this is the fault of the miller or the grain yet remains to be decided, The wool season is now nearly ended, the lambs only remaining to be shorn, which will soon be accomplished. The farmers .are now busy burning off and preparing ground for next ; season’s crop. , • / ' LOST IN THE BUSH. The man you referred to in your local columns as being missing and supposed to have been drowned, was discovered on Friday morning in. a very state on Mr Bidwell’s run, having been four days and five nights without food. His name is James Noble, and he was in the employment of Mr Harris at Waihenga. On leaving the Bush Inn on Sunday evening, he says he felt giddy and dismounting from his horse lay down alongside of him. Oh partly recovering his senses he could not see the horse, though it was afterwards found near the place where he had laid down. He followed in pursuit, and entered the bush, where he lost his way, and was fortunately discovered just in time to have his life spared to him. WAIRARAPA TOWN LANDS. These lands are, I am happy to learn, soon likely to be placed on a more satisfactory footing than has hitherto been the case, as the Provincial Solicitor, at the instance of Mr Masters; has consented to draft a bill founded on the resolutions passed at the recent meeting at Greytown, and to introduce the same, into the Provincial-Council in the forth--coming session. Six trustees will be elected for each township, J\yo to go out eVery year in rotation, and of. course to. be eligible for re-election. It is much better that 1 the Provincial Solicitor should prepare and introduce a bill of the kind than a private member, and if petty jealousies did not interfere the inhabitants of the two townships would unanimously thank Mr Masters for his exertions, oh their behalf. Mr Renal! will no doubt be glad that Mr Brandon has undertaken the work instead of himself. THE SEVENTY-MILE BUSH. Mr T. Gibson, accompanied by hi#’ brother recently took a trip from Alfredton to the Manawatu Gorge, and a correspondent of the “ Mercury” gives some interesting particulars of the journey ':—• ’ “ Mr Gibson states the country is of the most glorious description, consisting of a vast amount of level land, heavily timbered with magnificient totara and pine, open or free from undergrowth, permitting wild horses and wild cattle, of which he saw considerable numbers, to roam about with the greatest freedom. The Maoris stated that they were quite unable to do anything with them, as they invariably took to the bush the moment they were disturbed. He camped two days and two nights with the Maoris, who showed him every kind of attention, even to supplying him with food for the journey. They expressed satisfaction at the prospect of a road being made through their country, spoke of their love for the pakeha, and of their detestation of the Maori King, and one old chief (Apier) with uplifted arm, and brandishing a whalebone mere above hi* head, highly excited, said he regretted the introduction of fireams, as he did not like-them, but if fighting was as it used to be in his young days, he would like nothing better than a slap or go in at that imposter of a king. Mr Gibson j ■> however, noticed, notwithstanding his 1 dislike to such weapons, no less than fourteen suspended about the whare, four of which were Government rifles, and two revolvers. • IEATHEESTON HOAD MEETING. The annual meeting of the ratepayers of tW ' Eeatherston Boad District was held at th* Courthouse oh Saturday last. At : the sugfettioa of Me Buony the meeting was - for three monthly in trader to aßceitaiii whether r thp jPranapjitf CohacU la its next wjj|

place the lair on the subject on a more satisfactory footing. ' - GREYTOWN ROAD BO ABB. Tho wardens of this distriot met at their board-room, Greytown, on Tuesday last, Mr Revans, the chairman, read a letter to his Honor the Superintendent protesting against the proposed division of the district by constituting that portion of it lying on the west side of the Rumahunga a separate district under the designation of .the west Rumahunga district. * On the motion of Mr Tocker, the Chairman, was requested to forward the letter to the Superintendent, but as there was one of the Wardens absent the motion was only carried - by the casting vote of the chairman,. , Messrs Braithwaite and Walker voting 7 against it. The following important resolution was carried:—“That the chairman be empowered to proceed for the recovery of rates under the 20th clause of the District Highways Act, 1867,” and it is understood that Mr Hirschberg will be visited by the Board’s bailiffs to levy the rates alleged to be due from him to the Beard, which will cause some excitement and no little ill feeling, and, though I do not doubt that the course adopted by the Board is perfectly legal. The opinion of two eminent lawyers is in opposition to this view of the case, which opinion was supported by the decision of a bench of magistrates, and, though at a subsequent sitting of the bench this decision was reversed, 1 think, under the circumstances, the conclusion which the Board arrived at, however legal, is scarcely justifiable, seeing that it was known to them that it was the intention of the Government to amend the-law during the ensuing session of the Provincial Council.-

DISTRICT PBIZE BERING. The Carterton Volunteers fired for the district prizes on Tuesday last. For the fi rs t ®et Corporal Bassett scored 45 ; H. Eagle, 40; and D. M‘Kenzie, 40. For the second set D. M'Kenzie scored 41, L. Stewart, and J. Oates 40 each, and 0. Jury 39. At Featherston I believe, the highest scores were, 43,40, and 39 respectively. At Greytown, the firing of both the cavalry and rifle volunteers was not up to the mark, the highest score made by the first being 36, and by the last 30. Corporal Bassett’s score of 45 is believed to be the highest score yet made in the province for the first set of prizes. BLAX V- TIMBER. The steam engine recently employed at Mr Collin’s flax works has been removed to Masterton for the purpose of turning a saw mill, as there is in that district a large local demand for sawn timber. LIME. I have muoh pleasure in recording the fact that lime is coming into general use in the Wairarapa, as it can now be obtained m any quantity, either for building or agricultural purposes, at 4s per bushel, which is less than what was paid for the carriage of it when it had to be brought from Wellington. Limestone rocks run all along the coast, and to a considerable distance inward, from Te Kupi to Tu pura pura, which will eventually prove a vast source of wealth to the district and the province. THE SUPERINTENDENCE. It is made no secret of here that Mr Revans will be a candidate for the Superintendency, if the support he has been promised at Wellirgton turns - out as favorable as it has been repreeented it will be. Who are to be the other candidates ? Surely the Independent might enlighten its readers on that point, and also as to the probable policy and measures which wiir be recommended by the Provincial Government for the adoption of the Provincial Council in its next session. A CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY. It will be proposed shortly to establish a Co-operative Society in the Wairarapa, similar to the onewhieh had been established in Wellington. IN MEMORIAM.

Mr John Collins, the brother of Bichard Collins, Esq., J.P., of To Ore Ore, died last week after a lingering illness, and was buried at Masterton on Monday last, when a large number of settlers from different parts of the district followed his remains to the grave. Captain Fendall, lately chairman of the Whareama Petty Sessions, died in Wellington Hospital on the evening of the 21st mst. Captain Feudal had been an officer in the Indian Navy, and some twenty years ago he accidently received a gun shot wound m the shoulder, the charge severing an artery, from which he, however, apparently recovered, experiencing no ill effects from the wound until a short time ago, when he had his arm •trained bya horse he was leadin g,which resulted in re-opening the wound in his Bhoulder, and ultimately, after a painful illnes causing his death. The deceased was much and deservedly respected. : WELLINGTON TO NAPIER. We are requested to call the attention of the members of the Provincial Council, and of hotji the General and Provincial Government to the desirability of at once constructing the road from Masterton through the Seventy. Mile Bush towards Napier, which was once thrprivate property of His Honor, and which would long before this time have been carried into effect, had it not been for the separation of the district of Hawke's. Bay from the proTinee of Wellington. This is a matter in which the Wellington public and the settlers of th« Wairarapa are alike interested. We understand that for a fair subsidy, when the Toad is. forced, to the construction of which no difficulties exist, Mr Hastwell will l b’e prepared to run a mail coach through from Wellington to Napier, for which work he has already the necessary plant. It will not do for the Wairarapa and Wellington people to he asleep and dreaming, while those of Wanganui the West. Coast are up and stirring, or there, will he a ‘coach running, and. overland. Intercourse established, across the .island be* twoco Ifcpiey M JUagitikw before these ad-

vantages are secured to Wellington and the Wairarapa. Is it because the West Coast has always had the advantage of being represented either in the General Assembly or the Provincial Executive ? ODD BELLOWS’ DODGE. We have a Court of the Ancient Order of Foresters at Greytown, which has been a great success; and Mr Marriott, jun., is now endsßiVoring to lows’ at Greytown. A meeting is to be held on Saturday evening at the Rising Sun for that object. '