LOCAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 1, 5 January 1867, Page 3

LOCAL NEWS.

Thk English Mail via Panama closes at the several post towns within the district on Monday morning the 7th hist, y

The Waieaeapa Races. —lt will he seen by advertisement elsewhere, that the races will come off on the loth and 16th March, on the Greytown race course. The annual meeting of the Jockey Club will be held at the “ Rising Sun” this evening when the programme will be prepared. We learn on good authority that the races, whether as regards the quality of the horses, or the value of the stakes, will be likely to be superior to any which have yet taken place in this Province. Inquest at Masteeton. —An inquest was held on Thursday the 27th, at Tuck’s Family Hotel, before Valentine Smith Esq., J.P. in the absence of the coroner, on the body of George Headly who died suddenly on Wednesday, the 26th ult. It appears that on Boxing Day he proceeded to a field with a bridle in his hand for the purpose of catching his horse, when he was seen to fall down and within five minutes after he expired. The jury, after hearing the evidence, returned a verdict “ died by apoplexy.”

Robbery at Mataikuna.— lnformation was received, by Police Constable Hodges of Castle Point, last week of a robbery, which had taken place at the residence of a Maori teacher, by the name of Cameron at Mataikuna. It appears that the house was broken into on Christmas night and a quantity of wearing, apparel, a piece of green stone, and several other articles were taken therefrom. Suspicion fell upon a man by the name of John Edmonston who immediately left the district. 'Constable Hodges, armed with r. warrant, at once went in pursuit and succeeded in arresting him at Te A whiti. He was brought to Greytown on Sunday evening last, and forwarded to Featherston on Monday morning, when the case was heard before H. S. Warded Esq., R.M. who remanded the prisoner for further evidence, until Wednesday next, the 10th hist.

Maroa Small Farm Association. —The usual monthly meeting of the Committee of this Association was held last evening, when Mr. R. Wakclin w r as chosen Secretary, vice the Rev. Dan Desbois, resigned. The business transacted was merely formal. In an early issue we shall give such information with reference to the proposed settlement at the Maroa as will be likely to prove of interest to intended purchasers. We can only say now from what -we can learn, the valleys of the Maroa offer advantages to the man of small means, greater than those afforded by the much talked of and much belauded Manawatu block. The Resident Magistrate’s Court.— The sittings of the Resident Magistrate’s Court for this District during the present month will be at Featherston on Wednesday, 9th ; Turanginui on Friday, 11th ; Greytown, on Thursday 17th ; and Masterton, on, Friday 18th. We have made arrangements which will enable us to give reports of the cases which will come on for hearing. We may here mention for the information of the public that applications for summonses can be made to any Justice of the Peace, or at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Featherston, on Monday, Tuesday, and 'Wednesday of each week. All Civil Cases from £2O to £IOO, under the extended jurisdiction of the Court, are heard at Featherston on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. All cases requiring Jto be heard at other then the days above mentioned are heard at Featherston. Our Representatives. —We call the attention of our members and their constituents to the following extract from Stuart Mill’s “ Essay on Representative Government,” and parpcurlarly to that portion of it quoted ; “ A member ought not to have so long a tenure of his seat as to make him forget his responsibility, take his duties easily, conduct them to his own personal advantage, or ‘ neglect those free and public conferences with his constituents, ’ which whether he agrees or differs with them, are one of the benefits of representative government.” Local Tradesmen. — We cannot discover in our advertising columns, and neither we nor others are therefore supposed to know, whether there are any painters, 'builders, saddlers, blacksmiths, bakers, butchers, coopers, tailors or shoemakers, at Featherston or Masterton, 'and we do know for certain that there is a good opening for both a tailor and a cooper at Greytown, and probably at Featherston and Masterton also. Within the last few weeks a saddler and a baker have established themselves at Greytown, and we have not the slightest doubt of the success of both. Smith and Revans’ New Saw Mill.— This extensive and important undertaking is, to use the current phrase “ rapidly approaching completion.” The Mill is situated a short distance from Greytown, in the vicinity of a forest of totara of the finest quality, as good indeed as mahogany, and in sufficient quantity, as we understand, to feed the mill for twenty years. The mill will be capable of cutting 10,000 feet per day. In connection therewith are tongue and grooving, and sash and panel door frame machines, so that an order for a house complete, excepting nails and glass, can be executed on the-spot, leaving for the carpenter nothing to-do but to design and erect, affording facilities .for the building of a much superior class of hoqses than have heretofore been erected in this district. Wellington lias

no idea of the quantity of valuable timber which will yet go there from this valley ; for, if she had, she would care less about government expenditure, patent slips, and reclaimed land, and more about the facilities afforded for cheap and efficient communication between her port and the Wairarapa.

To Pound Keepers and Others. —We have to remind persons impounding stock, and . those having stock impounded, that in future any sale at a Pound in this district will be illegal unless first advertised in this journal. Local Advertisements. —Our local advertisements are not at present very numerous, but w r e suppose that we shall soon see an improvement in this as in other respects. The Dutchman says that paint costs nothing, and the Yankee that advertising is cheap at any price ; but the Wairarapaian thinks, to all appearance, but little of either. We have heard of a gentleman who sent for a rick cloth the other day from town, and afterwards found he could have got one made in Greytown, and of another who sent for potatoes from the Hutt not knowing that they could be obtained at this season, in any quantity, in the vicinity. How can anything be ordered if it is not known where it can be obtained. We know of a settler wdio sold a fine dairy cow at the Hutt Market for £8 when he could have obtained £l3 in the district, had it been known he had one for sale.

Proposed new' line or road to Wellington. — In the last session of the Provincal Council, it was ordered on the motion of Mr. Stokes, “that there be laid onJthe table a report and map by Captain Smith showing the direction of the proposed line of road through the Tauheriuikau to the Wairarapa. ” Whether such report was laid on the table we cannot say, and in its absence w r e are unable to express any opinion ourselves with reference to this new line ; but we can say that if its construction will be no more expensive than it has been represented by those who understand the subject, the apathy shown by the Government is very culpable, as being mischievous to the Wairarapa and still more to the city of Wellington. If we can obtain a copy of Captain Smith’s report we will take an early opportunity of printing it, with such comments as the subject may require.