The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 706, 2 March 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881.

The action lately taken by the Masterton Highway Board, with a view of separating from their district the 70mile Bush portion, in older to be relieved from the responsibility for the road 'through it, and the decision of tho Taratahi-Cai'terton Highway Board to abolish the Waiohine toll rather than accede to the request of the Council to devote the proceeds from it solely (o the Black Bridge over the Waiohine are clear proofs that both Boards are determined, if possible, to force upon the County Council the maintenance of the main road and bridges, It is also clear that if the Boards persist in this course either the Council mnsii accept the responsibility and declare the main lino a County road or it will bo entirely neglected. The Boards appear to have acted in the matter with some little feeling of irritation, as if they had some unfair treatment to complain of upon the part of the Council. The Jailer body, on the other hand, seems to have strictly conliued itself to the business aspect of the question, and has seen that it must be a more economical arrangement for the Boards to expend through their existing stalls any sums available for the main road than for tie Council to be pub to the expense of having a separate staff employed for the purpose, The problem appears to be simply this: —Given a certain fixed fund, how can it be best expended so that as much as possible shall boused for road working, and as little as possible for mere expenses i So long as the County was in receipt of subsidies out of which it could make grants to the Boards, the plan hitherto adopted has worked fairly well. Tho financial position, however, is now entirely altered, and the Council has no funds from any source available for maintenance of the main road. If, therefore, it is forced, as ft seems likely to be, by the Boards into declaring it a County road, there is no possible escape from the necessity of immediately levying a county rate; and if the Boards still decline to carry on the woik out of subsidies from the Council it is clear (bat a portion of the fund so raised must be spent in salaries. The ratepayers will then have the satisfaction of feeling that they are contributing towards the maintenance of a double administration. The Board Engineers will pass with supreme indifference along the main line on their way to do Board work, instead of attending?o the two together; and Hie County staff will have to do the work which might as easily be done without increased cost, We repeat, as it cannot bo'too clearly understood by the ratepayers, that the declaration of a County l'oad and the levying of a County rate go, together, and in this they cannot fail to take a deep interest, Whether it is possible for the Boards to continue to maintain all existing roads out of the proceeds of the present rates and tolls is another question. .-Doubtless a great deal may be done by economy in expenditure, audit is possible that by careful attention to this the whole work might be done without increased rating. Of course it is obvious that it cannot be well done, but what the ratepayers have really to decide is whether they, will prefer to put up with having roads moderately well kepi without increased, rating, or whether they are willing to pay further, taxes, in order to have better roads, As this -question is a

very important one. IjUiiis been-sugges-ted whetliov it wonlil ■ iipb.bo wise to ' hold public meetings, to it! bofore any iimil decision to by the Boards }andj.thV Council,; Of course it must "'•be that these remarks do not apply ; to the 70Milo Bush road, asthe Council is-very. unlikely toiucur the responsibility of its maintenance by declaring it a County mid. Until the land through .which it passes is much more settled, or'the railway is extended, the ratepayers will never submit to a rate being levied for its maintenance,* and the Council would act foolishly indeed if, knowing this, they accepted the responsibility for it, instead of insisting, as they have hitherto successfully done, that for the present tho Government should bear the cost.of keeping it open,

At the coming election for the Masterton •Babbit Trust, there is evidently a combination on the tyart of small land-holders to take tho management of the Trust into their own hands. It is all but cot tain that sovcral of these candidates will bo placed, as the Act is specially favorable to then' return. A man with forty acres has the same voting power as a man .with 10,000, and in the Masterton district there are many more small proprietors than largo ones, It is hi our opinion desirable that both largo and small land-owners should be represented on tho Trust and wo hope to see tho poll which is about to take place give this result. A mixed Trust is moro likely to givo satisfaction than one all large owners, or one entirely constituted of small ones. The main consideration, however, is not a pestion of being represented by large proprietors or small, but in having a body of men who will tako vigorous steps to exterminate rabbits. It must be evident that half measures with the pest simply means throwing money away. Tho retiring Trustees have made a good beginning in the way of lessening the number of tho vermin in tho neighborhood, but unless their successors curry on the war with energy, the work already accomplished will bo labor lost. What is expected from the successiul candidates for tho Trust is an energetic pvosecutioirofall means which will tend to lessen the rabbits in the district, Wo hope no one is coining forward who is not prepared to accept this responsibility. Wo trust no elector will record his vote for any candidate who does not, in bis opinion, possess the requisite energy and determination for carrying on the war, The present Act is on its trial, and considerable sums of money are being expended in carrying it out. If the result be a failure the Legislature will be bound to amend it in such a manner as to secure the object for which it has been passed. At present the administration of it is placed entirely in the bands of landowners, and in this district, more especially, under the control of small farmers, We can only hope that in giving thoir votes ihey will be fully sensible of the responsibility which rests upon their shoulders, and that discarding all personal grievances or prejudices, Jthey will voto sudden death to the rabbits by returning these men, who, in their opinion, are most earnest in their desire to exterminate the pest.

Mr B. V. Smith is about to open a brewery agoucy at Carterton. Mr S, Haigh, of Greytown, is reducing the price of beef one penny per pound. On Thursday next Messrs F. H. Wood & Co. sell at tho Eising Sun Hotel yards, Greytown, cows, store cattle, horses, vehicles, &o. The Masterton Highway Board invites tonders for a second contract on the Mungaraki bridle track. The train arrived at Masterton last evening nearer to nine than to eight p.m. There must be a screw loose somewhere, A smart hut brief shock of earthquake ■is recorded by light sleepers shortly after 2 o'clock this morning. Mr Locke, the assistant master appointed some weeks ago to tho Masterton public school, has not as yet entered upon his duties. The police at Masterton have been instructed to take the census in the Borough on the 3rd of' April next, Everyman will therefore have a policeman, at his door. At nine o'clock this morning tho Town Hall at Masterton was rapidly filling with exhibits. The leading features seemed to be gigantic vegetables, and magnificent pot plants. The Autumn Show of the Masterton Horticultural and Industrial Society takes place to-day in the Town Hall, Masterton. We would remind visitors that the doors open at 2 p.m. in tho afternoon, and at 7 p.m. in the evening. The services of a Band have beon engaged, and we trust to see the usual'throng of spectators.

The Town Clerk laid before the Council meeting last uight, the result of the valuation .roll, after correction by the Assessment Court. It showed the rateable value for the ensuing year to be £21,879, as against £21,824 last year, being an increase of £'ss. This at als rate will give a sum available for expenditure of £1093195.

Fred Collier, one of the men employed at' Messrs Booth's mill, chopped his finger —the first—off the loft hand this morning, at about 8.30, the decapitated, digit remaining on the stump, He.wascuttiug a piece of wood, when he slipped and left his digital organ on the stamp through the axe falliug on it. We believe he has gone to Greytown, after consulting Dr Watts, to get surgical advice. "We have not thought it worth while to republish foe disgusting revelations of the enquiry now being made at the Wellington Lunatic Asyhun,. We do not underestimate tho value of them inasmuch as t'uy show the way in which Government inspection is carried on by an officer receiving a salary of £BOO per annum, They are, however, sufficiently ventilated through the reports in the Wellington papers to serve the only useful object to be gained by publication.

Mr J. Hughes, one of the persons who a fortnight ago took up a section in the Pnhiatua block, reports that he is settled on his land and in a position to offer a visitor a shake-down. We understand several applicants are waiting anxiously to see whether some of the unsold sections cm bo placed at their disposal on deferred payments. We hope the Waste.Lands Board will not keep these allotments hid in a napkin,

Strangers paying a visit to arid upcountry settlers arriving'in Masterton are often at a loss 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 line which cannot be met with elsewhere, their stock being the largest and best acsorted in the Wairarapa. Their prices are lower 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 situated directly opposite the Club Hote|. Remember the' addressSchroder, Hooper & Co,, directly opposite the Club Hotel.: .Read their advertisement on the front page of this paper,— /I)VT ;..'.■ s ... •