TWO COUNTIES OR AMALGAMATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1208, 19 October 1882, Page 2

TWO COUNTIES OR AMALGAMATION.

TO THE EDITOR. ' > '"' Sib, —About the middle of last jear» conference of members ef the County Councils of East and West Weirarapawai held to consider the expediency ; of otherwise of amalgam»finn, and I Voted'with those who opposed any ohange, on the ground' that sufficient reasona for it had Hot been shown. If circumstances wore the aame now, I should probably aot the same part; over again, but important changes have since taken placrf, which, to my mind, greatly altered the whole question. ~, . ;j 1. The Counties Amendment Act of last seasion.imperatively reqviirpa that counties shall include whole Highway Districts. A change of county boundaries has therefofe'become compulsory, 'ji .1 2. Parliament has decided to continue the railway with all oonvenient despatch until it joins the Napier portion of the line. It is therefore time to set about opening up more roads as feeders to the line. ~.-.:.

3. A scheme has been unfolded by means of the BoarJs an i Bridges Construction Aot whicn will admit of a largo amount of much needed work being, carried on in terms very favorable to:the people at large. 4. A meat export company has been formed which, if successful, must greatly benefit country districts, but the chances of success will greatly depend upon the facilities affordeiof moving live stock to Wellington. It has, therefore, become mora than ever necessary to come at the Coast Country with the railway stations by good metalled roads so that stock could travel along them at all seasons of the year. The adjustment of the boundaries of Highway Districts would be simplified by amalgamation of the two counties, and the other objects above referred -to could he carried out as well by one County Council as by two. If the district should be divided into the two counties of North and South Wairarapa the question will probably arise whether Greytown or Waihenga would not be the best place of meeting of the Southern County. If, on the other hand, amalgamation should be decided upon, an impartial commission could he appointed to consider and report upon the question as to the best place of meeting of the Council of the united county. On the whole, circumstances seem to indicate tnat amalgamation offers the easiest way out of the complications which have nrisen and that the united action consequent upon it would be attended with beneficial results.to the wholo country now included in Oouqties East and West. I am 4c, . J. Valentine Bmith.

THE WELLINGTON FROZEN MEAT COMPANY. 10 THE BDIIOE. Sir.—l bare but just seen the copy In tho Drntofthe circular issued by the Wellington Meat Freezing Company, and am surprised at tho contents of it. To say that there will be but one vessel to load in Wellington for the oomiog season jb premature, I believe, and it will probably be found, that more will follow. The directorate are very erratic in ' their sayings and movements. [First they order machinery, then counter-order, then order again in such a nay that it might have been taken as an order or it might not It was taken as not being one, Now to finish, they order a ' Haslam maohine, just as it has been proved beyond any doubt, that of the dry air • machines, the Bell-Coleman is by far the best, the meat always arrivintr in England in far belter condition, and bringing a higher price to an appreciable extent aboVe any other machine. We; have new had anything hut a scanty report of the meetings held in Wellington by the Company, but I believe at the last oneMr Booth waa the leading spirit for having Hailara machinery ordered at once, and declaiming against the delay in ordering, from which, it is very evident he has no knowledge nr reliable facte in the question, and probably misled others, for the state of their minds is evidently such that they could be easily led, even by Mr Booth. This is the effect of having men on the directorate who have no direct interest in the matter, consequently are not particular in what they do or say. and go on the Board merely as a 1 cheap means of gaining popularity. The circular says there is every prospect of a direct line of steamers, therefore a Has- { lam machine is ordered. Surely by the time we hear a direct line of steamers ii - \ decided upon, it will then be soon'" enough to get our machinery, and though a subsidy is offered by GovejfrdM| ment, there is no certainty of a service. The subsidy is a small one, onowH certainly the meat freezing is not.mucwßß inducement at present, for at the present rates in many-oases it is not paying the shipowners. As long as we have sailing vessels and can get the freezing done on hoard, it is decidedly to our advantage to delay ordering machinery. Half or more of the returns now go for freight and charges, anch a large cost arising almost entirely from the crude state the freezing inventions are still in, I hope the directors will bo consistent in their inconsistency and countermand once more. It is not right the shareholders' money should he thrown away on a machine that probabljr within twelve months will be found working at double and treble the cost of later inventions and not doing the work" ! so well. '...',; • lam, &«., ;■''•-" >■" ■■'''■■.'!. ."SimwiMßi'tf.f