HALCOMBE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5271, 14 February 1878, Page 3

HALCOMBE.

(from our own correspondent.) Though this is penned on Monday, 4th February, and posted the following morning-, it will lie at'Feilding until the following Friday, finally arriving in Wellington on Saturday morning, having traversed ninety miles in four days some odd hours. Then, again, your files containing this will reach me (if posted on Monday) on the following Friday, at 4 p.m. In the course of the same post a correspondent could get an answer from the most southern town in New Zealand. This state of affairs would never have been tolerated if their had been a “Feilding Chronicle” ora“Halcorabe Mercury” to touch up our local member. But, alas ! we have none of these. However, the iron horse is coming this way, and in its train many benefit* will be brought to

our doors. Foremost amongst them may be named a tri-weekly mail service, cheap necessaries, a ready market for our produce, anil last, but not least of a great number of other benefits, your Hies frequently to hand. The completion and opening of the line will be a great service to Wanganui, and that flourishing town will in many respects absorb a good deal of the custom and which have previously been assigned to Wellington. Already the benefits of the new line of railway are beginning to be felt. Settlers who have hitherto allowed their land to remain idle for want of au incentive to their industry, have this year sown cereal crops, and are now, thanks to the present fine weather, reaping an abundant harvest. Messrs. Nathan and Wilkie, the contractors, state that the line will be ready, as far as they are concerned, during the early part of next month, and with this view the ballast-engine and men are working early and late. The new station is to be a very large building, with a platform UiOft. long, atul a spacious refreshment room attached. It is rumored that an enterprising local storekeeper is about to assume the lesseeship of the Haloombe sawmills. These mills have been closed for the last twelve mouths. It will be quite pleasant, to again hear the sound of its machinery in motion. I hear that the powers who administer church affairs in this diocese have in their wisdom declared that all that area of country extending from Foxton to .Marten shall form one parochial district. If this be true, can there be anything more absurd ? A parochial district covering more than forty miles ! Where is the muscular Christian who could efficiently administer so vast a cure? I have heard that one reverend gentleman did contemplate trying bis’haud at the work, but he very wisely went back to the place he came from, after examining the situation. While the clergy of the Roman Catholic aud of the Methodist Churches hold services at regular intervals, the people of the Church of England have no such privilege. This is a state of affairs that is not satisfactory. If every male adult belonging to the Church of England in this huge parociiial district would contribute £1 pier annum towards the maintenance of the Church, two parishes could be made out of one, with ample endowments for two churches, two clergymen, aud two parsonages. . At a meeting of the school committee held here on the 25th ultimo, there were present —Messrs. Linton (chairman), Farley, Calhara, Longhurst, and Woodhead. The committee decided to adopt the compulsory clauses of the Education Act. The new teacher was introduced to the committee by the Chairman, and reported to the meeting that he had taken a careful census of the Halcombe District, and found that the children of au age to be sent to school numbered 130. Proposals were made relative to the proper furnishing of the schoolhouse,—fitting up a lavatory for the use of the children, and making other necessary improvements. These several propositions were all carried, the Chairman being instructed to write to the Board to obtain the requisite sanction. The committee then proceeded to discuss the different clauses of the new Education Act. The committee then adj'ourned until 7 p.m. on Wednesday the 20th instant. The school was opened on Monday, January 21. There were present seventy-three scholars, being nearly double the number that attended the previous quarter. This number has siuce increased to eighty-six.