The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 445, 22 April 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1880.

We understand that a petition is in course of signature, convening a public meeting to consider the question of establishing a River Board of Conservators in Masterton.' We quite approve of such a Board being constituted, not only on account of the existing difficulty with the Waipoua, but because the town is also more or less liable to encroachment at the southern end by the "Waingawa, A very little trouble and a very little expense will secure the town from both rivers. All that is wanted is a Board of Conservators who will be able at any critical moment, to act promptly and expeditiously. The Waipoua broke through a small protective work a month ago, and as yet nothing is done to repair the bank which was destroyed.- Had a second' flood come, Masterton would have been punished for its gross neglect. A River Board could have repaired the bauk in twenty-four hours, It would "probably be sufficient if the area of the Borough itself were.'declared a river board district, 'as no'protective works would be required outside of it, A small rate of some kind would have to be levied,ibut.this,we.trust, would

be paid cheerfully. Though the Board would necessarily be a permanent one, the rate might possibly be only of a temporary character. If, during the first year, a fair amount were raised, it might not be requisite to strike other

tlian a nominal rate for several years afterwards. A Board of Conservators is the only sensible recourse fer terminating all 'doubts, apprehensions and discussions about floods.'; The town has to be protected, and if, instead of differing as to liow the. protection shall. bo afforded, a Board be elected, the thing will be done. " '

Last week Mr W. W. McOardle, of Masterton, -being in Wellington, waited upon the Hon, Mr Rolleston, 1 'the Minister for Lands, with a view to obtain from him information respecting the blocks in the Foi'ty : Mile Bush, and to lay before him the claims and views of .the Wairarapa Small Farm Association, Mr McOardle found that the Hon. Mr Rolleston was not favorable to the establishment of special setilements, unless under circumstances which do not apply in the present instance, but that he was anxious to meet the wishes of the association as far as possible in settling under the deferred payment system on the blocks now open. He. also explained that on bush land it would be optional with persons taking it up whether thev resided on their sections or not, a condition favorable to the viewß of the association. He furthermore promised that in the event of the association taking action to settle in the Forty Mile Bush, he would visit Maßterton, for the purpose of meeting the members of it and assisting them to carry out their views, We understand that Mr McOardle will take an early opportunity of calling together the Committee of the association, with the object of laying before it the result of his interview with Mr Rolleston. T t is to be hoped that it will be found practicable for members of the association to avail themselves of some of the best land in the Forty-Mile Bush before it passeß out of the hands of the Government.

A telegraph-atation has been opened at Sefton, County Ashley. We understand that the Greytown branch line will not be formally opened for traffic till May 14th. . .

A temporary telegraph station will be open on the Auckland race course on the 22nd and 23rd inst. Tenders close to-morrow for clearing out drains at Lower Manaia, advertised for-by the Masterton Highway Board. The Committee of the Wairarapa Institute, met on Tuesday last. Some formal business ™as transacted, and the meeting adjourned. ; •The Chronicle publishes the following among its telegramsA crop of oats from the farm of Mr J. White, of Waiterton. yielded 847| bushels per aoro.

lorns & Fergusscm, in addition to stock advertised for their sale next Saturday, have been instructed to sell 20 Lincoln rams from Canterbury, horses, buggies, harness, &c. Applications for licenses at the next quarterly meeting of the Licensing Court must be' lodged with the Clerk of the Court, Featherston, not later than the 10th of May.

Mr J. H. Hudson, sewing-machinist, is now in Masterton, anu'can be seen at Mr Price's; bookseller, Queen-street. All tlipSb having sewing-machines to repair should not lose this opportunity. Mr F. W, Hales, trustee in W. Hester's estate, convenes a meeting of creditors for Saturday next in the Courthouse, Masterton, to consider the debtor's application for his discharge, aad other important business. A Waggonette, the property of Mr T. Wiggins, came to grief in Queen-street yesterday afternoon, When opposite lorns & Fergusson'a auction rooms one of the hind wheel axles snapped off, but the occupants of tho vehicle got out without accident,

Cdnplaints have reached us from several local unemployed men, that owing to the absence of the officer in charge of Government railway works fin the Opaki, they have been unable to obtain, employment on them, This, occasions them a great deal of inconvenience, as they have no work and no money. One man informed us he had four children, whose ages, ranged rrom six months to eight years, to provide gor, and. that he had literally nothing wherewith to do so. We trußt tho attention of the proper authorities will be drawn to this fact, and give our local unemployed a chance to optain work at once.

We have received a request from Mr Salmon, of Grey town, to find space for a letter addressed to the Editor of the Wairarapa Standard, which, he alleges, was. only partially published in that paper. Mr Salmon's position with respect to the celebration committee, of which the letter in question treats, has already been fully vindicated by another correspondent, It hasnever been a practice with us to publish disparaging remarks on our contemporary at Greytown, and we would be glad if our friends there would remember' that communications of such a nature are distasteful to us, In the presehfc instance, we think the proposed celebration will be'all the more successful if the little differences which exists were allowed to subside.