MANAWATU.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 51, 13 January 1872, Page 4

MANAWATU.

(feom our own cobkespondent.) The settlers here are looking forward with brighter hopes to the New Year just come io, and believe we are at last going to see that " silver lining" which Mr Halcombe lias so often told us is beneath every dark cloud. The reasons on which the settlers build their hopes of better business and more stirring times are these :—The completion of the tramway from Palmerston to E'oxton, which has been ordered to be pushed on with, that it may be finished before the winter sets in ; the coaches having been ordered to come into Foxton instead of stopping only at the mouth of the river; and the probable completion of the road between here and Napier. These various works when finished will place us in easy communication with all the important points of the province, and will tend not only to let the district be more fully known, but will bring a stream of traffic through and into it. Futhermore, the prospect of some number of settlers who may be expected out under the Hon Colonel Fielding's exertions is remarkably pleasing, and"'will no doubt tend to bring others, who are without the circle of that company's operations. I look to the completion of the purchase of the large block of land behind Motoa and Otaki as being m the future an immense help to the prosperity of not only Foxton, but the whole of the "West Coast. In writing the above Tdo not wish to mislead settlers coming to the district, as I know too well many have been so misled; but these are facts, which if not fully carried out, are in the fair way of soon being so, and if they believe such works are likely to be beneficial, the sooner they come in the better for themselves, as the price of land in advantageous situations must soon rise. But whatever they may intend, let me advise future residents to incur the little extra expense of inspection before purchase, as otherwise they may dearly rue it. This Christmas has been a remarkably dull one here, not any amusements of any sort taking place to mark the day, and such being so, utter absence of any inebriate was the consequence, making a delightful contrast to our neighbor Palmerston, where since our stout minded Provincial Secretary's visit, and his granting licenses, against the expressed wish of the magistrate and the resident settlers, a horrid state of disgusting scenes of drunkenness has been exhibited. The last time I was up (a week before Christmas) during a dull day I counted five men lying hopelessly drunk on the verandah of Eaton's house, and saw one man dead drunk carried by his head and heels from the bar into the only sitting room, and two or three supporting themselves as upright as they could against the fence —whilst Waldegrave's windows were all smashed, and had himself, so I was told, been pitched out of the door. So much for the advantages as held foith by Mr Bunny of competition in public-houses,—which can be the most rowdy shop ? The settlers in Foxton have frequently pointed out to the resident engineer, Mr Stewart, the advantages which it would be to them if the wharf and tramway through the town, which it is proposed to build, should be built at once, instead of waiting till the whole line is completed, and have requested him to place the matter before the Government. It seems strange (as it has not been done) that he should have such a strong objection to start this work, which, unless begun immediately, will delay tha use of the line for some time ; &nd were not his high character so well-known, and his abstaining from any speculations whatever, it would lead one to suppose he had an interest in the old ricketty private wharf that we are obliged to use, to the great danger of our heavy goods. We can only hope that as he has now instructions to push this line on he may also start the erection of the wharf, and also increase the number of men who are at work on the fourteen miles of road from Foxton to Ngawakerau, there being a fortnight ago the miserable number of three; something tantamount to the celebrated "one man and a wheelbarrow" that was engaged some two or three years ago to metal all the soft places in the Palmerston road, and which occasioned some eccentric letters in your columns from various settlers at that time, .