The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 703, 26 February 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1881.

Mr Buchanan's very able letter which appeared jn our issue of Thursday last .confirms the advice we gave Mr Pharazyn a short time buck, viz., to consider himself. the champion of the County, rather than of the Road Boards ty is very evident that the latter bodies are quite able to protect their own privileges and interests, and that there is more reason for apprehension as to the future of the Counties than of Road districts. Mr Buchanan's caso against the County is, as we understand it, that it has spent £2OOO ,oiijtsj,do the boundaries of the Highway districts, .yjiifili, had it been merely a nominal distributing bp.dy, would have been spent within them. The County has received subsidies on the amount of rales collected by the different Boards, and after deducting from them the sums which were required for general ppenses and special grants, such as votes jfco has distributed thera between the Boarda, According ing to Mr Buchanan's figures, j;he Fcatherston Highway Board, -by receiving these subsidies and license fees through the Counties, has lost £7OO, jtlm faratahi-Carterton Board £BOO, and the Mastartgu Board £2OO. He makes, how/ryer, y, further, claim against the County, on behalf of tjhe Masterton Highway Board, of. £I4OO, because be- ajleges, the Upnrd was compelled by (Jjjs County t.o expend this sum on the main road ahpyetlie Camp. We believe the Board includes. Mauriceville within its rateable area, and wo can hardly see how the sum spent on the construction of roads in that district could'be regarded as a contra against tho County, for which the Highway Board had revived no equivalent. It would not,' perhaps, be unfair, making a duo allowance for the advantages the Board must havo obtained from the expenditure of the £I4OO, to reduce Mr Buchanan's total claim against the County from £2,600 to £2OOO. Mr Buchanan admils a further reduction of £6OOI :,!■.!>: ;i I U >h' !■■•. -.■:. .•' . 1

for small payments to Hospitals/ &c, Wo think, however, that a larger siim than he names' has been ispenfc|eacli : year in the direction he; in'dicatespif " lie.," be understood : to: include itlie County staff, .expense/.'of meetings, elections, ike: The. amount,probablyspent out'of the ordinary County revenue for the special bonefiit of the road through, tho 'Bush is certainly not, £2ooo,and we question whether'it be £IOOO, • The fact, however, remains that the main line.from Masterton to Woo.dville.has, during the last three

years) cost'th'6 County some hundreds of pounds, which' might have been spent at.the-.fflack-jßi'idge, at the Waipoua, or the Waingawa..'. Though a member of a Highway Board, zealous for every sixpence of revenue which he can legitimately claim, may look with disfavor on any expenditure in the Forty-Mile Bush district, we do not .think:the public will, ever regret the efforts made by the County to opon up arid settle the country to the northwest of Masterton, "We are thankful for the good roads that connect us with the Mauriceville and Eketahuna appreciate the direct communication wo have through the Bush with Napier'and the Manawatn; and we must admit that without the assistance of the County West Council we should scarcely be now enjoying the advantages to which we refer, To countthe cost to the County rather suggests a sentiment of gratitude for obtaining so much good for the Wairarapa at so small a cost. Mr Buchanan does not express an opinion as to what position Counties should take in tho future of the Colony. We pre sumo he admits the necessity of an intermediate body between the Road Boards and the Government. He has, however, done something towards clearing the local government problem which remains to be solved, by indicating tho weakness and impecuuiosity which has characterised to a certain extent the past operations of the County of Wairarapa West, and will, perhaps, agree with us that something must bo done to enable Counties for the future to pay Peter without any semblance of robbing Paul.

Letters from Mr J. Vilo, Clarovillo and Mr T. W. Shuto Kuripuni, will appear in our next issue, The nomination for tho Carterton. Rabbit District takes place at noon today. Messrs J. lorns it Co. hold an unreserved auction of stock and furniture this afternoon. Wo hope to see tho special trains today, laid on in connection with the Carterton Sheep Fair, taken advantage of by tho public, J.lorns & Co,, notify that they will sell on Thursday, the 3rd March, at 11 n.m., oxhibits of fruits, flowers, vegetables, and plants, Wo call attention to a letter from Messrs Booth & Co, in another column, respecting the accident recently sustained by one of their employees, A boy named John Phillips, whoso parents reside at Cartorton, was admitted to the Mastertou Hospital yesterday, for an operation on a diseased foot. Yesterday the funeral of the late Mrs William Spoarink of Foatherston was solemnized by the Rev, Mr Thomas. The procession to the cemetery was a long one including 23 vehicles and 36 horsemen. All the old settlers in the neighbourhood were present,

xesteiday ft telegram rocoivod from Timaru at Masterton stated tliat throe'' horses drawn in a big sweep there came to •this town. As one of the (horses was Sir Modred, and the nominal value of the prizo was £ 1500, there was a search for the holder of the lucky numbor. As yet 'lie lias not been discovered, but possibly Mr Ellcins, who is away at Dunodin, and holds chances in this particular sweep, may know something about him. At the meeting for the nomination of Trustees for the Masterton Rabbit District yostorday, tho only person present waß the Returning Officer. Duly-signed nomination papers woro received from the following candidates:—U Campbell, A. W. Cave, W. Day, It D. Dagg, Guilder Ounderson, J, S, Holmes, R, Hare. A. Stewart, James Stuckcy, and R. R. Welch. Mr Ooekburn Hood, one of the [present Trulees, arrived at the nomination place too late to entor as a candidate. The poll is fixed for the 7th of March, betweon tho hours of 9 a.m. and G p.m., at Messrs Bacon & Wrigley's mill, Masterton ;'Mr F. Ja»oiiiorn's residence, Mauriceyillo; and Mr P, Brannigan's woolshed, Alfredton.

The land salp ajt Manawatu on the 24th inst, was a great success, as far as Pnlmerstjm and Kairanga wer9 concerned, but tho offer of tho land at Fitehorbert was ut great failuro .on account °f 'here being no roads there, and no guarantee of repairs lo tho bridge, Very few sections at Palmcrston passed, and but vory few at Fitzherbcrt wore disposed of. The total amount of cash sales was £10,237 17s Gd. The eleven contested deferred payment sections realised i&% 14s fid above the upsot prices. The thirty-nine cash sections realised £B6O 23. The agent has not made up the accounts sufficiently to tell l\g tiitaj amount received on deferred payments, Stiangers paying a visit to and upcountry settlors arriving in Masterton are often at a 1033 to know which is the cheapest and best house to purchase all kinds- of General Drapery, Millinery, Clothing, &o. Schroder, Hooper & Co,, Ball of-Commerce, offer special advantages in this lino which cannot .be met with elsewhere, their stock being the largest and best assorted iii" the Wairarapa. Their prices a'ro lowor then any house in Wellington, their goods are all new and of the most durable class, and they sell cheap and for cash. This establishment is BJtuatod directly opposite the Club Hotel, Remember the addressSchroder, Hooper'& Co., directly opposite the Club Hotel, Read their advertisempnt 011 the jfrpnt page of this paper,'— Apys.