To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. August 27, 1845.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 47, 30 August 1845, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. August 27, 1845.

Sir, —Permit me to call your attention and that of the authorities, to a species of illegal nuisance which has already been, and threatens houily to become again the cause of the most disastrous loss of property to the inhabitants of Wellington ; I allude to the thatched houses which are to he seen planted in every part of the town. Cast your eye on that assemblage of dwellings near Mr. Hort's ; follow down Willis Street, not omitting to glance at a heap of filthy hovels in the neighbourhood of Mr. Ludlam's brick-kiln ; and opposite to Frances' Hotel the eye may again be allowed to rest upon more of these dunghill tenements. Regale yourself with a view of Maori Row. Pass along the beach, when, until very lately, you might have seen one or two samples of this aboriginal architecture, and on arriving at Thorn don Flat, in the rear of Major Hornbrook's house, the same nuisance is still repeated. In all these instances, I wish it to be observed, that were a spark of fire to catch any one from amongst the heaps of inflammable nests I have pointed to, no available power could prevent the conflagration from extending to the valuable property with which they are placed in such close proximity: and yet so little do the holders of these worthless rubbish-heaps appear aware of this danger, or so callous are they to the interests of their fellow townsmen, that the dry rushes which peiform the office of shingles, are left bristling up, skyhigh, to interrupt, as it were, and playfully detain the first welcome spark which the passing breeze might waft by from the neighbouring chimneys. Now, Mr. St. Hill, chief police magistrate, ' mount that fleet Pegasus ofi which you love to ride, and occupy a small portion of your time in visiting the localities I have above named; consider the amount of loss of property, and perhaps of life, which one single night might and threatens to beget in these neighbourhoods: big, as I am sure you would become, with these reflections, return to your office, and there again inquire if a lavr has not been enacted, by which the holder of a thatched dwelling within the precincts of a town is subjected to many pounds penalty. — Peimit me to inform you, that such a law has been in foice for three jears past, and although on the very day of its coming into operation, not a single raupo house was to be seen in the town of Auckland (poor Auckland!) yet in Wellington, where there is ten times the amount of property at stake, not a step has yet been taken by you or 3'our predecessors, to rid this town of these pestilential dwellings. One word more, Mr. Editor. Whose duty is it to look after the weights and measures used in this town? Does every Government-man discard this duty? If any one of them comes forward to claim it, I will eugage to give them a string of names as long as my arm, of persons who are at this moment using weights which want from 5 to 10 per cent, of the correct amount. Surely a fraud so palpable, so wholesale, ought to be seen into ; and I hold it to be Major Richmond's duty to appoint some person to perform this office, whose vigilance might guarantee the public against such crying imposture. I must add, that on this head our bakers have taken a somewhat more exalted position ; for they do not even profess to give weight, —at least so I understand. I am, Sir, yours respectfully, G.