CARTERTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4963, 17 February 1877, Page 3

CARTERTON.

♦ (FROM ODK OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Carterton, February 14. We had the Wairarapa West County Council meeting here for the first time to-day. There was a full meeting and a fair attendance of the general public. On the motion of Councillor Barton, seconded by Councillor Booth, it was unanimously decided to decline at present the third schedule of the Counties Act. I believe this. decision will be received with general satisfaction. The local government required 1 in the Wairarapa is at present fairly supplied by the Highway and Local Boards-and the Greytown River , Board, and many people think the adoption of the full powers of the Couhties Act would involve an official'expenditure out. of proportion to the advantage secured.

The step the Council has taken, since it accords with the venerable gentleman who presides over the Wairarapa Standard, may be Expected to qualify the unfriendly bitterness he has shown towards the Coupcil since they declined a Greytown chairman and Greytown its the place of meeting. Should this result not follow, it is to be hoped the Council,will go further and repudiate everything Vogelitvn in the past and present Government of the country, and join the Standard in expressing unlimited faith in the faultless capacity of the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse aud Sir George Grey as the only statesmen who can save the land from the reign of chaos and Old Night,

At the conference held at Masterton a short time ago by the members of both counties, it was decided to send a deputation to the Minister of Public Works with a view to further the railway interests of the valley, and at the Council meeting to-day Councillors Barton, Booth, Rutherford, and Perry, with the Chairman, were appointed a deputation to unite 'with the gentlemen sent from the East County in jvaiting upon the Minister of Public Works'on- the subject not only of the railway but 'as to the amount of help that may be expected froixxithe Government towards opening up the bush country beyond Masterton. : ■ v ! . After the deputation had been appointed,, the Council went into committee to consider some fourteen applications sent in for the office of secretary. A vote taken by ballot gave the office to Mr. Gole, a law clerk residing in Carterton, and representing Messrs. Izard and Board there ; the salary, while the Counties Act is in abeyance, to be £lO per annum. I am glad to report that Greytown is likely to escape further ravages from the \\ aiohine, as the river takes kindly to the new bed provided' for it on the judicious advice of Messrs. Blackett and Baird.

The new bridge over the new course is making fair progress, and should the river continue submissive to the will now guiding it, the Board of Conservators will have conferred a great benefit upon Greytown and the travelling public generally. The In vestment, Loan, and Building Society at Carterton is making good progress. About 140 shares are taken up. The registration is completed, and the account books and books of rules are expected up in a few days. A large amount of building is going forward at the upper end of Carterton. Mr. Fairbrother is erecting a largo branch store at the comer of Belvedere-road ; Mr. McGuire is putting up a large drapery establishment; Mr. Peters has just finished a handsome boot and shoe store, and a fine building is just completed by Mr. Hooker, for Mr. Elsou, chemist; a number of smaller buildings are also going up, and we believe the Bank of New Zealand have decided to remove their present building, already inadequate though but a year or so old, and to erect larger and more commodious premises. The ground tor the extension is already bought.

We only want the railway over the hill and up the vailey to ensure a large and continued increase to the general prosperity of the district ; but to no part of the Wairarapa will more direct aud immediate benefit come from railway extension than to Carterton. The Taratahi-Carterton Highway District is very limited in extent, but its general rates are nearly equal in amount to what come to the Greytown aud Masterton Boards. With the x’ailway thx’ough the valley the timber forests in and accessible to Carterton would make the Carterton Biding of the West County the most popular riding in the Valley. Thei’e is some foundation, I believe, for a report that a bi-weekly newspaper is to be started in Carterton. We may then look put for Standard squalls. .