Jottings from the Upper Country.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3836, 14 April 1881, Page 2

Jottings from the Upper Country.

[By Snooks.]

In my last I referred to a rumour that Mr Vesey Stewart had taken over Grant and Foster's interest in their block of land. I trust such is not the case, as I am of the opinion that there are plenty in this part of the district that would like to take up a portion of the land at 35s per acre, and do the draining themselres, and I am of the opinion that we don't want any more special settlements (a la Kati kati)

Re the High School Board, just send some of them up here, and get them to pay the 7s 6d per acre and get a living off the land. I fancy they would come to the conclusion that it would be easier to jaw to the House of Representatives for £200 per annum ; but then, of course, we must raise the cash to pay for the education of the would be swells of the Thames, and of course Dr K. and Cr S., who once paid a visit to the district, know how to pay the rent asked by themselves, ' We won't forget these gentlemen when they want us. So J. M. Clarke, the man-milliner and Mayor of Auckland, and Chairman of the Board of Education, wants to see if there is any gold before he consents to there being a school up here. He seems to forget the fact that we have the finest agricultural valley in the North Island; that before long, independent of one speck of gold (which, by-the-bye, he and many more of the Auckland so-called capitalists hare tried not to get), we will have as large a population as some of the other inland towns. But we will have gold and other minerals, and we will have schools, whether that gentleman likes it or not, What do the Thames Council mean by summoning some of the settlers up here for their rates, wlien those settlers have had to find roads for themselves, and not paid by a liberal County Council for fencing and ditching and £20 per acre for improving their property ? What a pity the settlers over the Waihou river have not a Henry Alley amongst them, as they might receive better treatment than they have had. So far as I can hear, with one exception, "not one of the nine wise men of the Thames have visjted this part of their County, and although thousands ot pounds are being spent, they seem ignorant of the actual requirements of the district.

I see those Borough fellows want a bridge and a road through their bog. Don't they wish they may get it! Hare they reckoned'the cost of one (J. C. Firth) to fight? ' For stopping the navigation, £5000; one bridge, £1200; five miles of road, £1500, But, of course, the benefactor of the whole human race will have those sums placed at the disposal of the local bodies by the House, and, if not, lend them the cash himself; for are they not all honourable men, and have they not paid off the £100,000 they borrowed on the harbour endowment and their Big Pump overdraft?

The holders of the deferred payment sections are doing a large amount of work, and some fifteen comfortable homesteads have beeu erected. A large amount of grass has been put down this season.

Several of the settlers intend planting orchards this season, and,there can be no doubt but they will be paid for tlieir trouble if they take a little care of. their trees, and not do as is generally the case in this country: stick the trees in?: a water hole and fancy all the work is done. Some care must be taken, and there is no doubt but that they will be well paid for their trouble.

We ought not ,to complain that" the "white choker" gentlemen dp not pay us a visit now. We have a number of them of all tribes and countries.