The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 937, 29 November 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1881.

Last session County East was assailed in Parliament ns poverty-stricken, and its Council as paupers. The members of it were ridiculed for assembling in solemn conclave to expend a paltry sum of eighty pounds a-year. Of course this sort of thing came from the democratic element ■of the House, from gentlemen who believe in centres of population, rather than in the isolated settlers who, along the silent highway, are the advance guard of settlement, and the pioneers of civilisation in outlying districts. One characteristic of the gentlemen who indulge in such criticisms is their strict regard for truth—for plain, honest, naked truth. They disdain misrepresentation, they scorn exaggeration, and when they say County East has only an annual sum of eighty pounds to disburse it may be assumed this is the exact amount at its disposal. When, at the meeting held on Saturday last, the money which this poverty-stricken Council had at its command was added up it was found to amount to over ,£4,000. Of course it ought have been £BO, if only to confirm the veracity of the unimpeachable democrats who undertook to show how indigent and needy this particular body was, and what a good thing it would be if it was put out of existence. However, one thing is certain, Wairarapa County East has four thousand pounds available for constructing roads and bridges, and County West has a still larger amount available for the samepurpose. This autuimuvill see some £IO,OOO spent to the north-east and northwest of Masterton, in opening up good land for settlement, and in linking outlying districts with {lie centres of population. This is good news for the town and good news, for the country, it is good news: for the farmer and good news for the storekeeper, and, above all, it is good news for, the working men, who, we trust, begin to recfog-

riise that their late representative inParliament has not been forgetful of. their interests, and, that though he' talked but little he did a good deal. To illustrate the class of work the County is undertaking, we would take as an: example a lino of road about three miles long which it is about to construct between the Cam]) and Maulicevillo, The making of this road will, no doubt, find the Scandinavian settlers therein profitable work; but it will not only do this, it will also shorten the journey between Masterton and Mauriceville by three miles, the. diminution of distance meaning the increase : of trade between the two places, Again on this three miles of road there are a, few thousand acres of good land which are now being surveyed into small sections and which will be the future homes of many comfortable settlers, It is road works such as this which will make Masterton and make the country too. We have little sympathy with the judgment of thoso who have been wont to tilt atC'ounty Councils as mere destitute distributing bodies. In the town of Masterton itself there has recently been a revival of trade. To what is this attributed if not to the improved condition of country settlers, the progress which is being made in outlying C istricts 1 Asa resident of Masterton we regard with greater satisfaction the ■opening up of a new block of land in tho country than we do the opening up of a new block of buildings in the town, for the simple reason that while the latter may bring trade to the town the former must bring it. In this district Town.and Country interests should be inseparable and on all questions which affect its general interest the town and county settlor should consult together like partners and vote together like brothers,