GREYTOWN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5581, 17 February 1879, Page 2

GREYTOWN.

(from our own correspondent). February 10. The concourse of visitors to the race meet* ing at Tauherinikau this week was far larger than on any previous occasion. The facility for travelling now offered by the railway running to Featherston induced a great number of Wellingtonians to make holiday and pay the Wairarapa a visit, and, from all appearances, they evidently enjoyed the excursion fully. The weather was unexceptional on both days. The whole of the Wairarapa seemed to be en fete , even as far as the Whareama. Altogether, the meeting was a great success, and passed off without accidents or disturbances of any kind. Dr. Ferrari and Madame Moeller gave entertainments in the Town Hall on two successive nights to crowded houses. The Grey town Horticultural and Industrial

Society’s show was held on Wednesday, but cannot be said to have been a very good exhition. The display as a whole was poor and limited in quantity. This was owing to the absence of sufficient publicity, the programme not being advertised as usual. A Scandinavian woman, with her spinning jenny, weaving lamb’s wool taken from some of Mr. Braithwaite’s flock at Waihekeke was an interesting feature. The show of fruit was exceedingly good, especially in plums, apples, blackberries, and nuts. In vegetables the display was very meagre, which can also be said of dairy produce, there being only one entry each for butter and cheese. The latter article, made by Mr. Shaw, of Tauherinikau, was excellent, and equal in flavor to Akaroa. The committee of the Masterton hospital met on Wednesday, and incredible as it may seem, the disgraceful circumstances attending the death of the unfortunate young fellow McLennon were passed by without any notice whatever ; in fact, it does not appear that they were even alluded to. The public can form their own conclusions on such shameful indifference towards the culpable negligence which undoubtedly cost the young man his life. The Wellington papers are asking the Government to take action in a parallel case—the death of the boy from theEasterhill. I think the attention of the Colonial Secretary might be drawn to the case of McLennon, and to the conduct of the house surgeon of the Masterton hospital, an institution which has been receiving Government subsidies. The Hew Zealand Insurance Company have made an exceedingly liberal overture to the Greytown Borough Council. They have offered to provide us with a first-class fiveengine, together with complete full length hose, on conditions that the borough will erect a shed for it, take every care of the apparatus, and form a fire brigade to manipulate it in case of future need. Nothing could be more generous than this, and I have no doubt the Council will readily accept the offer. There should be no difficulty in organising a strong brigade, though my friends the Greytown Eifle Volunteers do not take kindly to the advice I threw out to them in my last on the subject. I understand from good authority that the works on the railway are being pushed on vigorously. The fencing is nearly complete to Woodside, where the station buildings are about to be commenced. At the Tauherinikau bridge I believe they are working day and night sinking the cylinders. The temporary bridge across the Waiohine is about half completed. There is, therefore, every prospect of seeing the line in complete order as far as Woodside in the contractor’s own time, that is within six months. In that ease, it is about time we heard what decision had been arrived at respecting our branch line, and where the department has determined to fix the site for the terminus station. Tenders for this lino should now be called for.

It is highly gratifying to find that the Working Men’s Club is in a very flourishing state. The half-yearly balance-sheet shows the assets as being considerably ever the liabilities, and the average receipts to be close on seventy-five pounds a month. There are one hundred and thirty-two members on the roll, none of whom appear to have lost any of the interest which has been shown from the day the building was first thrown open to them. The affairs of the club are well-cared for, and supervised by the zealous managing secretary, Mr. W. Bock.