HAWERA.

Patea Mail, 2 November 1880, Page 3

HAWERA.

The Mail has aver 90 subscribers between Manutahi and Stratford. BRANCH OFFICE OF THE MAIL , Monday Evening. The sale of the Plains has proved one thing, and that is that the cry of land for the people is a sham, and a delusion, the whole of this land was put up in such a way, so as to enable the working man to secure a section whereon to make a homo and be a tiller of the soil ; but results have clearly shown that the working man has little capacity to become a landed proprietor. In the case of the late sale most of those who bought were men of means, and they secured blocks of from 200 to 500 acres. Sir George Grey’s and Mr Balhmce’s cry of land for the people may have tickled the people’s ears, and make a very popular platform note, but I think they must see that it is a sham, particularly after last Thursday and Friday. It is to be hoped that when the Government put into the market more Plains loud they will have it in larger blocks, say from 100 to 320 acres. I hear that the next block will be put into the market about the end of the year. Mr Parris bad a telegram from the Premier enquiring when it would be ready. While on the subject of this land, I would give a note of warning to the ignorant or careless with reference to the great injury people may do to the whole of the new settlers by setting fire to the fern on the Plains, Most people must know that it is too late now to sow seed, and by burning at the present time they simply ruin the prospect of another good burn for at least a couple of years March is the proper time to burn, when the fern is dry, and when the young fern will not spring too readily. Only yesterday thre or four fires were raging on the Plains. Let us hope it was done from ignorance, and not wilfully. Some new settlors talk of prosecuting in such cases. At the sale of Town Board sections, by Mr Win. Thomson, the following prices were realised :—Section I, 41ft frontage to Princes-streot, E. Pulford, yearly rental £37. He also bought section 2 at a rental of £26, Section 3, 41ft frontage to Princes-street, was knocked down to G. V. Bate at £22 per annum, Section 4, the same frontage, was secured by J. K.

Ferguson at £33 a year ; and he also secured the back section at £B. Mr Pulford gave £8 7s 6d for the other back section. Section 7, High-street, was secured by Messrs Galvin and Co at £l6 a year. The leases are for 21 years. Mr Young has at last removed the driver who capsized the coach the other day, Mr Hall being once more installed on the box. I have spoken to several of the passengers about the accident, and they arc unanimous that it was the result of reckless driving. Mr A. Chalmers came back from Wanganui on Saturday, and seems very much shaken. It will be remembered that he was one of the unfortunates who were thrown into the river, but he did not think at the time that he was so badly hurt as to compel him to abandon his trip, and he proceeded onward with his wet clothes, and consequently caught a cold in his loins, which, added to the bruises, will, I am sorry to say, keep him to his bed for some days. Mr Brett is progressing very well, and was up for the first time yesterday. After the concert on Thursday evening, Mr Partridge, the president of the Institute, gave out that next night there would be another concert in aid of the funds of the Institute, but the efforts of the committee to keep this useful institution open were rewarded bj r about a dozen persons turning up. If the public will not support it, the committee will be obliged to close the doors, and no doubt there will then be general grumbling ; and loudest amongst the grumblers will be those who have constantly used the reading-room without paying sixpence towards its maintenance .