The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 248, 26 August 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1879.

In OUR last issue we briefly referred to the exceptional arrangements made for the nomination and polling at the coming election under which it was probable that a section of the electors would be practically disenfranchised. A short time ago we also drew attention to another point in ,-idental to it, viz,, the holding of the nomination at Featherston, .From Featherston—the Southern extremity of the main trunk line—to Castlepoint, a Northern terminus, is a distance of some sixty miles, and it would almost be as convenient to select the latter township as the place of nomination as the former. The raal remedy for these small grievances and many others of a similar character is to make the Masterton Courthouse the principal Courthouse of the District. The time has arrived when the change should be made in the interests of the Wairarapa as a whole, and we should have asserted it before, were it not that we did not consider it essential to make it an election question, and for this reason waited till the principal meetings of the candidates new before the electors were over. It is generally recognised that public opinion is the best guarantee for the good administration of local government, and it is tolerably evident that in Featherston public opinion cannot qe exercised to the extent that it might be in other townships of the district. No newspaper is published there, and the population is but a third of that of Masterton, We trust that as soon as Parliament re-assembles steps will be taken to bring under the notice of the Government the necessity of the alteration we have pointed out, The position and population of Masterton point it out indisputably as the place where the principal Court of the District should be held, and the Resident Magistrate of the Wairarapa should reside. We can quite understand that it may be personally inconvenient to Mr Wardell to have to remove his head quarters, but we feel certain that he would not oppose a movement beneficial to the public interests on personal grounds, and that ho would recognise the advantages of supporting rather than opposing such an alteration. At present the cases heard in the Masterton Court are nearly equal to the business of all the other Courts put together, and necessitate the more frequent attendance of Mr Wardell, That eventually Masterton must be the head quarters of the Resident Magistrate we do not entertain the slightest doubt, and we are equally sure that the time has arrived for taking an initiatory step in the matter.

Mr E. E, Edmunds lias been elected Secretary of the Wairarapa Pastoral Society. On Tuesday last the meeting of the Taratahi Race Stewards had to be adjourned owing to the non-attendance of several of them. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Library Committee takes place at the Library,to-day, at 3 p.m. The English Opera Company perform at Carterton to-night, and at Masterton on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. _ The candidates for the forthcoming election, meet the electors at Waihenga on Tuesday, 2nd September. Mr Pharazyn meets the electors at Greytown, to-morrow evening. Mr Beetham addresses the electors at Tinui, to-day, at 3.30., p.m.

A meeting of the Park and Cemetery Trustees takes place at the Institute this evening, at 7.30., p.m., for the purpose of naming persons to fill the vacancies caused by death and resignation, the adoption of rules and regulations for tho Society, and general business. An election for three councillors in tha

Masterton Borough Council, in the room of Messrs Bish, McCarde, and Feist, takes place on Thursday, 11th September, at the Town Hall. The nomination day is fixed for the 3rd September, at the same place. An election for five trustees for the Wainuioru Rabbit District, takes place on the Bth September, at Gladstone. The boundaries of the Rabbit District are the boundaries of the Wainuioru riding, County East. The Treasurer of the Masterton Hospital acknowledges the receipt of £l7 from Mr James Bennet, of Langdale, on account of his station subscriptions,

Mr John Gregg, of the Thames, has forwarded us a national song written and composed by himself, for the boys and girls of the colony. In it lie says, 'he loves to chase the butterfly," Wo cannot regard such an occupation as patriotic, enobling or elevating, but we will undertake to give his work a favorable report if he will substitute wild pigs for insects.