MANUTAHI.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 524, 25 May 1880, Page 3

MANUTAHI.

(By our Rambling Reporter.) On the evening of my visit to this village, which lias been described in the Canterbury papers as “ the town of the celebrated Waimate Plains, I found everything astir. It was not long before I was cordially invited by one of the genial settlors to take part in an entertainment which was to come off that evening. The reunions held at Manutahi during the past two years have been enjoyable and entertaining ; and it was with no small delight that the votaries of Terpsichore assembled on Thursday last to inaugurate the opening entertainment of the season. The weather was anything but inviting, but notwithstanding the condition of the roads and the heavy showers that continued to fall during the evening, the attendance was fairly good, and all present appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves. The committee have decided upon holding an entertainment of a varied character on Thursday evening, June 3. They have been promised the assistance of several gentlemen from Carlyle and other places, and their efforts cannot fail to make the entertainment attractive and amusing. A dance has been arranged to follow. The Inspector, of Schools, Mr Foulis, paid a visit to the school last week, and after making the usual inspection, he expressed himself highly satisfied at the general progress made since his last visit. The charge of the school is vested in Miss Hay, who appears to bo a most indefatigable teacher. The contractors for the erection of polico quarters arc making fair headway with the work; and when the buildings are finished they will greatly add to the general appearance of this embryo township. The progress of Manutahi during the last five years has been slow, the township being limited to the hotel, store, and postoffice, but settlement in the back land has increased. With roads leading in to the bush country, which the people are anxious to see opened, there will bo ample room for a thriving district around Manutahi, The Government have, however, shown no disposition to open up this fine tract of land, and in the absence of liberal land laws, persons who are daily visiting this magnificent district in search of land, leave it quite discouraged. The floor of one of the block-houses is in an advanced state of decay, and it is rather to be regretted so useful a building should be allowed to get out of repair in this manner. I might suggest that the proceeds of an entertainment should bo applied towards effecting the needful repairs. . News here is not often exciting, nor very plentiful, hue there is one piece of news which has been much enquired for lately, and that is the report of Messrs Matson’s sale, at Christchurch, of those splendidly puffed suburban sections near the “ town of the celebrated Waimate Plains.” What those sections sold for, or whether they sold at all, the people here have not heard. Can you tell them how that auction went off ?