RAMBLES IN THE NORTH.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 496, 31 January 1880, Page 2

RAMBLES IN THE NORTH.

By Craw Linn. Dear Bob, — I suppose that you are anxious to hear from me about the Wanganui district. Well, the town is a clean, well-built one, with wide streets, well-kept side-walks—which are thronged all day with respectable looking citizens, who look the very picture of prosperity ; but for all that, do you know that I begin to think that appearing and being are two distinct things. When you see by lbs public paper that seventy-live eases are set down for hearing in the R.M. Court, it proves that the people are luxurioiidy fond of litigation, or that money is awfully tight. My opinion is that the latter is the case, aiid 1 do not believe but that every one of the seventy-live defendant’s must have boon well dunned and threatened before legal proceedings were taken to recover. Now, this looks bad ; in fact it needs no comment, but speaks for itself, T here is another thing about Wanganui that I do not at all like the appearance of. The best looking private residences belong to medical men, the best turn-outs belong to them, and there are too many of them ; it looks very suspicious. Certainly children absolutely swarm, and that may account for the medical prosperity, and the youngsters only prevent me from thinking the town unhealthy. I was gratified at seeing the churches so well attended, but the same thing with respect to this struck me here as in every other town or city in New Zealand—the people dress above their social position ; of course it looks very nice, but we know that small tradespeople cannot afford to dress like ladies and gentlemen with incomes of two or three thousand a year. However, let that pass ; no mortal man could persuade colonists that they had not a right to dress as they please. Of course they have that outrage upon common sense—a Working Man’s Club. I think if there is one thing more than another in the colonies that is absurd, it is the howling down the upper ten of England, and at the same time aping all the tilings that have always been tacitly allowed to bo their privileges, from their boots to their Clubs.

At the latter end of last summer, Wanganui made a rise out of the Maoris. They came down the river in canoes to receive payment for land ; they beached their il -et, and pitched their tents on Tanpo Quay. No one objected—the natives had money to spend. They could do anything —lake possession of the bars of the public houses, squat upon the floors of the shops, howl and yell in the very precincts of the Court House, play cards in groups upon the green opposite to it, smoke anywhere and evciywhere, and do as they darn please. Why? Because they were spending money. When the money was all gone—some twenty thousand pounds or so—the townspeople found that the noble Maori was a nuisance, and talked about his vices and pruiligacy—but not until the money was gone. It did’nt look very well, but the British trader has notions of his own. I suppose it is all right —the natives were only spending tiie cheques, and both yon and I know what a shanty kee per in the bunny South will stand while the shearer’s cheque lasts. Human nature is pretty much alike everywhere, but then it is as well to be reminded of truths now and then.

I hale this eternal praising of people ami things ; I dislike tins continual lickspittle admiration of everything and condemnation of nothing, and it will continue until some very rich man starts a newspaper that is independent of everybody—a man who will call a spade a spade without caring who he oifeuds. or fearingan action for libel. I know you will say, Bob, that, by Jove, he would have to be a rich man, and a mighty benevolent one into the bargain. Gome to think of it, after abusing people, it is only fair to give them credit for anything praiseworthy, if you can ; therefore I will observe here, that the approach to Wanganui from the south is by a most noble cylinder bridge, over one of the finest rivers in New Zealand, and at the present time the north bank is being reclaimed at a great expense, but will bo amply compensated by the sale of the land, and Taupo Quay will in all probability be the principal street in the town. The main thoroughfare now is called the Avenue. It is here the churches are, all of them pretty fair specimens of ecclesiastical architecture ; but what an eye to business your theologian has. I remember when the ground upon which stood the Methodist Chapel in Oollins-street, Melbourne, was wanted, and was sold, too, for forty thousand pounds, ami the Methodists built the present church in Lonsdale-street with a part of the money. Well, if Wanganui goes ahead as some predict, it will pay the different denominations to sell their various structures for firewood.

I expect you will think this is about enough of the town of Wanganui, so I will lake you up the river. (To be continued).