The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JULY 14, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 211, 14 July 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JULY 14, 1879.

We have now the pleasure to lay before our readers the correspondence relating to the working of the Manawatu Ferry, in respect of which such constant complaints have been made. The primary letters passing between the Wairarapa West County Council and the Government were of a mere formal nature, but the following letters will place the matter before the public in its integrity, and prove that any failures that may have arisen in the effective working of the Ferry service are in nowise attributable to neglect on the part of the Council in seeing that the work is properly and efficiently camed-out.. Public Works Office, Wellington, 16th June, 1879. Sik—ln forwarding to you at your request a certified copy of the agreement made with certain natives for the maintenance of ferries in the Seventy-mile Bush, I am directed to inform you that the Minister for Public Works has referred the question relating to the control of these ferries to the Native Minister, the agreement having been made with the Government, and the Government being bound, therefore, to protect the interest of those to whom its word has been given. I am at the same time to state that one of the coach proprietors has verbally reported to the Minister for Public Works that very recently his coach full of passengers was in considerable danger when crossing the Manawatu, and he urges that the punt should be put in repair and the rope tightened, it being so slack at present as to be practically useless. The Government not having any funds for this work, which is properly a,county one, yon will, fio doubt, pending'the return of the NatiVe Minister, take the requisite steps for having the necessary work executed. ; I have, &c, John Rnowles, Under-Secretary for Public Works, The Chairman of the Wairarapa West County Council, Carterton. ; ■,; [copy.] •. j We, the undersigned, hereby agree jto. take charge of and properly conduct the ferries at Manawatu and Mangatainola Rivers on the Forty-mile Bush road. T|e Government to pay us a yearly subsjdy bf Twenty-five (25) pounds during good bphaviour and the pleasure qf the Government. We also agree to' convey houses, passengers, &c, across the two rivers Manawatu and Mangatainoko at one rate of charges, the same to be as that at Rani, giuru, on the Manawafu rjver. The Go--

vornment to supply us with hoards containing scales of charges in English and ' Maori. And further it is agreed that we will be bound by any Acts or laws now (or that may from timo to be brought) in force, relating to tolls and ferries.- A translation of the existing Act to be supplied to us for our guidance. The punts and gear in connection to be kept by us in good working order. .< ;■■;.» HUBU Tb: HIUIO. ~- , NIREAHA TAILAKL, ; This agreement was signed in my presence after the contents had been read over and explained to Huru Te Hiaro and NireahaTamaki in the.Maori language, and they appearing clearly to understand I the same. \ James Boom, KM. Masterton, August 27th, 1877.

County Chambers, Carterton, 18th June, 1879. • To Huru Te Hiaro and Nireha Tamaki. Sirs—l have the honor to inform you that the yearly payment for the working of the ferry at Manawatu and Mangotainoko, duo the 27th August, 1879, will be paid by the Council of the Wairarapa West County instead of the Government, and that all future payments will come through the Comity Council. These payments will not, however, be made unless the ferry works are properly • discharged, which they have not hitherto been. Constant neglect has arisen, and many and continuous complaints have been made. If you cannot satisfy the Council that you have clone your best to work the ferry during the past year, and that the complaints of delay in the carriage of individuals, goods, stock, etc., has arisen from no neglect on your part, a portion or the whole of the payment will be retained for

the present year, and if the ferry is not conducted further payment will be refused. You know well the only agreement with you is that if the ferry is satisfactorily worked you receive £25 a year and tolls, but if you do not do your work properly you will not receive anything If the ferry work is not done properly it will be taken out of your hands and given to others. I have, &c, Thos. Golb, Clerk, Wairarapa West County Council. A copy of the above letter in Maori and English was forwarded to the natives.

Council Chambers, Carterton, 20th June, 1879. To the Hon. the Ministei for Public Works, Wellington. Sir—l have the honor to inform you in reply to your letter of the 16th inst., as per margin, that steps have already been taken to put the punts in the Seventy-mile Bush in thorough working order, and although I have not to date received the certificate of the County Engineer to that effect, from information received from him about three weeks ago I believe the punt is now in effective service, Constant complaints having been made of the way in which the ferries have been conducted, the Council will probably decline to pay the natives for "properly conducting" it in accordance with the certified copy of agreement forwarded to my Chairman. As the County is now held responsible for the proper working of the ferries, immediate measures will oe taken to secure their competent administration, and as great delay has already taken place in waiting for the information now received since the application was made for the same, I have the honor to inform you that it may become necessary for the Council to act in the matter prior to any action the Hon. the Native Minister may take in relation thereto, though of course the rights of the natives under the agreement will be duly considered. I have the honor to transmit you a copy of the letter I have sent to Huru Te Hiaru and Nireaha Tamaki. I have, etc., Tuos. Gom, Clerk, Wairarapa West County Council,

The Wairarapa Institute Committee hold their lust monthly meeting for the year on Tuesday next. Upon that day week the annual meeting of members is to be held. Mr Mitchell has opened, a new butchers shop in Greytown, under the management of Mr John Barlow. A general meeting of the Parishoners of St. Mathews is convened for Wednesday, July 23id. . It is rumored that a new journal in the interest of the Licensed Victullars is contemplated in Wellington. The rumor (writes the New Zealand Press News), that tlje New Zealander was'about'to absorb the Times is not correct. It had been proposed that the New Zealander should be merged into the latter, but all negotiations are off. The proprietor of a Rheumatic' Balsam offers to advertise with us if we will take, the advertisement out in balsam. Unfortunately we do not suffer from Rheumatism, and wo are reluctantly compelled to decline the healing Balsam unless our correspondent warrants his [wave useful for lubricating machinery. Then we might do business, The Greytown Football Club expect their late opponent's, the Carterton team, to play the return match on Saturday next at Greytown, and we would recommend the Greytown team to go in for practice together beforo the match, or the laurels gained at Carterton may be lost at Greytown. A petition is being'numerously signed by residents at the north end of Greytown (writes a correspondent), praying the Government not to remove the public buildings to the south end of Greytown. This appears to me a farce, as the Government have not yet signified 'their intention of doing so. I think it would be time enough to memorialise when it is intimated that it is contemplated to remove the buildings in question.' The Chairman of the County Council, during the discussion on the working of the ferries in the Seventy-mile Bush on Wednesday, brought under the notice of the Council the fact that they had now standing orders for their guidance in business, and advocated the proceedings of thjj meetings being conducted in strict •a'cifo'rdahce therewith. In some, cases a little latitude might, be allowed,, but as a general principle he thought it would be advisable to' adhere to the rules they had adopted. ' ' • The Committee selected by the Royal Greytown Lodge 'of Oddfellows, met on Friday night to decide on the programme which is a very well chosen one. It will consist Glees, Songs,. Chorous, Headings, and Recitations. Altogether a most at- , tractive programme is drawn up, and we hope it will.be well attended we can assume those who go that they will enjoy a I treat.

' The trustees for the Awhea Rabbit District have been gazetted. Titikowaru'with his followers goes to Parihaka to-day. The Times reported trade_to be exceedingly dull in Wellington last week. The Masterton Highway Board met on Saturday last. Our report will appear in our next issue. The Tauherinikau Railway Bridge is expected-to ; be-completed in from 6to 8 .weeks. , . Tlie Finance and Works Committee of the Grey town (Borough Council meet today. Sixty of the Maori prisoners at Wellington have been thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. This process possibly may tend to cure them of their fanaticism. Mr Brandon, M.H.R. for Porirua, has addressed his constituents at Porirua, and pledged himself to vote against the present Ministry's retention of office. Application for arms for the Masterton Rifle Volunteers lias, we understand, been duly made, but pending the reduction of the force now employed in the native districts, it is difficult to obtain a supply. We are sorry to hear that Mr Shute, senior, of Kuripuni, nM with a severe accident on Saturday evening last, A brake ran into him on the road, fractur-

ing his shoulder blade and two of his ribs. The sufferer is receiving every attention from Dr Hosking, but his advanced age makes the injury sustained more serious than it would otherwise be, The advocates of the phonetic system o' spelling may discern in the following some indication of a conversion of the world to their opinions, The Board of Education of Springfield, 111., have adopted a spelling reform resolution as follows:—Resolved- " That the irregular spelling of the English language is a serious hindrance in learning to read and write, and is one cause of the alarming, illiteracy in our country, that it occupies much time in our school which is needed for other branches of study, and that it is desirable to request our Legislatures,' State and National, to appoint commissioners to investigate this matter, and report what measures, if any, can be taken to simplify our spelliny." A sailor and two of his shipmates once wanted to ride into the country, when one staying behind desired the other two to proceed on foot while he went and hired ahorse. When he came to the liverystables, the ostler brought him out a short backed light Gallowuy about fourteen hands high." This will not do for me :he is too short in the back," said Jack, " Oh, sir,', replied the ostler, " he is the better for that." He will not do, I tell you," declared the .other. " Get me a horse with a longer back, for I have two more to take up at the turnpike"