WAIRARAPA AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 37, 7 October 1871, Page 15

WAIRARAPA AFFAIRS.

EECHABITE ANNIVERSARY. Thp first anniversary of the Morning Star Tent of the Independent Order of Kechabites was celebrated by a public tea at the Town Hall, Greytown, on Thursday last. The weather was very cold and unfavorable, or the attendance would have been much larger. There was not that animation and enthusiasm which are necessary to make any cause successful. The Hall was much too large for the guests, and there were no flags, no colors, and no music to enliven the place. With few exceptions everybody appeared as gloomy as the weather, and doubtless that itself had a very dispiriting effect. The low price charged for the purpose of securing a large attendance did not prove successful, and, consequently, the promoters of the meeting, who deserve all praise for their efforts, were disappointed and despondent. After tea, which was much too good for the price charged, a meeting was held, over which Mr Hart Udy, sen., presided. Mr Skipper read a very interesting temperance tale which’was listened to with breathless attention. After which the Rev Mr M‘Nichol delivered a lecture on total abstinence, which was warmly applauded. But by far the most pleasant part of the entertainment was the singing of a number of girls and boys under the tuition of the rev. lecturer, which was well worth the charge for admission to have the pleasure to listen to. They deserved the applause they received. SERIOUS ACCIDENT. A fine intelligent boy, some twelve years old, the only son of Mr Robert Wilson, formerly of Bermhampore, met with a very serious accident on the Wharikaka plains, on Thursday last, which was of a more distressing nature than was at first anticipated. It appears that the pony on which he was out riding stumbled and fell, throwing his youthful rider, and then rolling over him. Unfortunately the boy’s leg came in contact with a stone or stump, and the weight of the horse pressing upon it, literally smashed the bone to pieces. It was at first thought that it could be set, but the symptoms appearing more serious, Dr Smith, who had been immediately sent for when the accident became known, consulted with Dr Spratt and Dr Hildebrand, and they at first concluded that the leg would have to be amputated. But subsequently the inflammation was reduced, and it is hoped that the leg will be spared, but the poor fellow is not yet out of danger. A more interesting or a better dispositioned boy, does not exist; and as he is an only son, and much beloved by his parents, I sincerely trust, for their sakes, that he will be restored to health. COACH ACCIDENT. The accident which happened to the mail coach on Saturday was not half so bad as it was at first reported. None of the horses were killed, or even injured, and all the passengers escaped uninjured. No blame is attached to the driver, who has the highest character for skill and carefulness. One of the leading horses slipped down the bank, and dragged, by his weight, the others after him. The passengers, mails, and horses arrived safely at Greytown about 7 o’clock on Saturday evening. SCHOOL RATES. The case of Lucas, collector of rates for the Greytown school committee, against Treethy, for non-payment of rates, came on for hearing at the Court House, Featherston, on Wednesday last, before S. Revans and C. Pharazyn, J.P.’s, Mr Wardell not being sufficiently recovered from his late serious illness to be present. The case excited more than oi din ary interest. The bench stated that if the defendant questioned the legality of the rate, or that of the committee, the case would have to be adjourned. He contended that, without entering into that question, he should be entitled to a verdict, as the collector had claimed the rate without stating for what year it was demanded, and without having given him the required notice before summoning him for its non-payment. On referring to the act it was found that fourteen days’ notice is required to be given after demanding the rate before obtaining a summons, and, as this notice had not been given, the case was dismissed with costs.

The defendant claimed expenses for attending to a previous summons at Greytown, but the hearing was post- , poned. WAIRARAPA TOWN LANDS. I observe with satisfaction that Mr Bunny is about to introduce bills relative to this subject, as it is most desirable that they should he placed on a more satisfactory footing than at present. I wish to remind him, and other hon members, that though the members of the Small Farm Association, of which I am one, in public meeting at Greytown resolved that the management of these lands should be vested in trustees elected by the householders of the township, and that the proceeds should be devoted to educational purposes, it was at the same time distinctly pointed out and understood ihat “ educational purposes” should be considered to embrace, not elementary instruction, but a public library and public grammar school, the one at Rugby being specially referred to by Mr Masters as having been the making of that celebrated town. I myself pointed out that it was most probable that the General Assembly would provide for the elementary instruction of youth, and it was generally agreed that the funds should be devoted to the establishment of a public library and grammar school, to which latter the children of settlers who had distinguished themselves at the primary schools should have free admission. A resolution to this effect was carried unanimously, both at Greytowm and Masterton, in the year 1867, at meetings specially convened for the purpose. lam convinced that if care be taken to prevent these town funds being appropriated for general purposes, and devoted to the objects here indicated, they will be the making of Greytown and Masterton. GRANT TO ROAD BOARDS. As this matter will shortly come under discussion in the Assembly, I wish to direct attention to the fact that the return laid before the Provincial Council by the late Provincial Secretary, purporting to be a “ schedule of rates returned by the various road boards of the Province of Wellington for the year ending the 30th June, 1870, and the proportion of £SOOO allocated to each,” is not correct, and is moreover enough to destroy one’s faith in figures. The sum stated to have been paid by the Greytown road district for the year ending June, 1870, and upon which the grant was apportioned, was never paid by the ratepayers of the district, and the fact was well known at the time to the Provincial Government, their attention having been officially drawn to it by the chairman of the board. I have good grounds for believing that this is not a singular case—that money was allocated out of the General Government grant on the amount of rates, when it was well known to the Provincial Government that no such rates had been paid. The grant, moreover, was not apportioned either in accordance with the recommendations contained in the Colonial Secretary’s circular despatch, nor in accordance with the suggestions on the subject made by the Provincial to the Colonial Government. Instead of a round sum out of the grant being set aside for opening up communication with Alfredton, and other outlying districts, not a penny was thus set aside, nor was a penny devoted to roads in the Whareama and East Coast districts, though it was well

known how much those roads wanted to be metalled and repaired. These remarks do not apply to the present, but to the late Provincial G-overnment; for the conduct of the present Superintendent has been considerate, just, and courteous, which was not the case previously. agricultural association. A meeting of the Committee of this Association will be held at Greytown on Thursday next, when those who desire to become members will have an opportunity of doing so. The annual subscription is only 10s 6d ; and it has been fixed at this low sum in order to get as many persons to join as possible. It is probable that arrangements will be made, at the forthcoming meeting, for the first exhibition of the season. We trust that this will be the case, and that the arrangements will be as full and complete as possible. The Association has the advantage of having for its secretary, pro. tem., Mr It. Collins, who

has had much experience in matters of this kind. No farmer who wishes well to the district, who believes that unity gives strength, who desires the progress of agriculture, and who is favorable to horticultural, floral, agricultural, and live stock exhibitions should lose the present opportunity or becom’ng a member of this association. EDUCATION BILL. The Greytown schoolhouse still stands in the same unshingled condition as before ; for though tenders were invited for shingles and other improvements, none have been accepted, the treasurer being without funds. This schoolhouse has consequently been closed ; but another has been temporarily opened by Mr. Morton, tho new schoolmaster, at the Town Hall, and he has already fifty scholars on his books. It is a fact worth knowing, that when the Greytown schoolhouse was first opened, in the year 1857, there were only thirty householders in the place, and as it was found that the maximum rate imposed by law would be wholly inadequate, even with the addition of high fees, to cover the salaries of the master and mistress, the committee had to depend on voluntary contributions. The Kaiwaiwai school at the present time is exactly in the same position. The number of houses in the district bears no proportion to the number of children requiring schooling; though, therefore, as pointed out by Mr. Fox, a uniform rate of £1 per house over the whole colony would realise a very handsome sum, it does not at all follow that, if locally applied, it would meet the requirements of the settlers in rural districts. In towns, such a rate would be more than sufficient to pay teachers’ salaries ; but in outlying districts it would not be half sufficient for that purpose. In one of the school districts, adjoining that of Greytown, there are only twenty householders, but nearly sixty children under fourteen years of age. Suppose thirty of these went regularly to school, and paid the high fee of Is. per week, it would only realize £75 per annum ; add £2O for school rates, and there would then only be a sum of £95 to pay school expenses and teachers’ salary; a sum not adequate for those purposes. But when it is understood that children do not, and cannot in country places, go to school regularly, it will be seen that no school committee, without Government aid, could guarantee a teacher a sufficient salary; yet surely it will not be contended that a district containing so many children, most of whom live more than three miles from the next schoolhouse, ought not to have a school of its own. Take again the district in which the Hon Mr Waterhouse resides. There are only about thirty ratepayers extending over a district of nearly as many miles. It is without a schoolhouse; nor could a school be supported which had to depend on fees and a house rate alone, and yet there are a large number of children that require schooling. I submit that facts like these are more to the purpose than those collected out of books and special reports published in Europe. I am acquainted with a person who was once a teacher in Canada and also in Western New York; who has been a Government Immigration Agent, and also a Government school teacher; who is now, and has been for years, the chairman of a school committee; who has succeeded in getting erected the best teacher’s residence in the valley ; and who, in addition to his own personal experience, has had for years two sons Government school teachers. I submit, therefore, that his opinions are deserving of some weight and consideration. He assures me that the knowledge that there is a school in some out of the way place to which he can send his children is a great inducement for the immigrant to go there; that if a uniform house rate be imposed the Education Bill, will, if passed by the House, be negatived by the country; that a capitation tax would be better than school fees, as realizing a larger revenue, as being less onerous, and as affording inducements, instead of distinctions for children to be sent to school; and that in granting aid, unless a marked distinction be made between town, village, and rural schools, the object desired to be secured by that measure will to a great extent be defeated.