OPEN COLUMN.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 7, 16 February 1867, Page 3

OPEN COLUMN.

(To the Editor of the Waibabapa Meeouby.) WANGAIHU BUSH ROAD. Sir. — l wish through the medium of your journal to call the attention of the Government to the fact of there being only three months remaining to enable them to carry out their promise of metalling the road, if it is to be done this season. A distinct pledge was made to the settlers, that on signing a, requisition, the work would be immediately proceeded with, and unless advantage be taken at once of the fine weather the travelling public will have to wade through a bog another winter. I am, sir, &c„ TAUERU.

(To the Editor of the Wairarapa Mercury.) RE-REGISTERING OF BRANDS. Masterton, Feb. 9, 1867. Sir. —Will you kindly inform me if it is compulsory to re-register our cattle and sheep brands in the Wairarapa, according to the New Scab Act, at a cost of 15s. each brand. I have already re-registered mine twice in Wellington, and it seems to me ridiculous to put the country to such repeated and unnecessary expense. I am, sir, yours &c., A FARMER. [The New Scab Act having been disallowed by His Excellency, it cannot be enforced. —Ed. W. M.] THE WAIHENGA FERRY, (To the Editor of the Mercury.) Sib, —In your last issue in your remarks about the “Ferries and the Government" you state that it is a lame excuse advanced by Mr Baird, that of “ want of time, which prevents him getting a proper punt at the Waihenga ferry.” Now, Sir, we all know that Mr Baird is a very efficient officer —one who is well up to his work. But as a public officer, and under the Wellington Executive, is be not bound to do their bidding in carrying on such works and undertakings as ‘ they’ decide on ? It is therefore in my opinion not the fault of Mr. Baird but the fault of the Government. And when it is taken into consideration that the present Government is chiefly composed of those who when in opposition to the Halcombe-Brandon administration were the loudest to complain that the votes of the Council were not carried out, but who now in power themselves by giving Mr, Baird other work to do, prevents him from “ want of time ” from carrying out such works as the Waihenga Ferry and Taueru road for which the money has been voted. I trust Sir, you will put the “ saddle on the right horse”—not on the servants of the Government, but on the Government itself, who so utterly disregard the interests of this district. Tour’s &c., WAIRARAPA.

(To the Editor of the Wairarapa Mercury.) PROVINCIAL LAW ADVISERS. SIR, —It cannot be long before yon will be obliged to discuss the relative advantages of a General Government aided by Provincial Government or acting with other institutions emanating from itself. In the meantime I will refer to one disadvantage inherently associated with the Provincial form of Government. The division of the fund between an AttorneyGeneral and nine Provincial Solicitors precludes the Colony from giving such an income to one undoubtedly able, and au industrious professional man, as will secure the advice and guidance in framing the laws of the quality needed. We have a mass of laws more than puzzzling to the judges, which have been framed by gentlemen, who I suspect are little read in jurisprudence or the principles of law, without which the laws must be inadequate and incon-

sistent. Throw all the money paid for lawadvice by the Colony into one fund and 1 believe after providing an income for a thoroughly competent man, there will be u large amount left available for other purpose-;, and we should have good law instead of bad law, bud -f-v n its confusion, its inadequacy and from its total want of guiding principles. Yours iiv., A CENTHaLIST. [Your argument may show the necessity of paying a high salary to, in order to secure’the sevices of an able Attorney-General; but we imagine that whether under the Provincial or the Municipal system. Law Advisers, whether culled Provincial Solicitors or Town Clerks, would still be necessary, and the last would be, on account of their number, the more expensive of the two. No one denies that the Provincial system is necessarily accompanied with many disadvantages, the question is whether in a country like this the advantages do not greatly counterbalance the disadvantages. The centralists to our thinking are like Procrustes—they would make the man fit the bed and not make the bed fit its occupant. They wish to make the country suit the laws and institutions, not the laws and institutions the country.— Ed. W. M.] oo

The Weather and the Chops.- -Wo have had a great deal of rain since tiro year commenced, arising out of a very low temperature for the season. We had a few very hot days, the Thermometer standing at 85 mid-day in the shade—followed by very continuous rain for many days with a low Thermometer, and then warm weather for a little while with the Thermometer at 75 mid-day—since then the Thermometer has been down to 60 again with cloudy weather and rain. Last winter was remarkable for its warmth and absence of rain and southerly wind, and we are now experiencing the effect of such an uuusual season. We fear the agriculturalists here and in other parts of the Province will sutler greatly from the bad harvest, indeed we fin'd complaints of loss and damage to crops are very general. We cannot look for fine weather unless the temperature becomes more consistent with the season of the year. The interests of the grazier cannot have suffered, excepting through the difficulty over shearing, and against that there is abundance of grass which is now likely to be maintained, even should a dry period commence and last for some time.