The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1883. A COUNTY RATE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1359, 21 April 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1883. A COUNTY RATE.

Certain parties in the Wairarapa are | now industriously occupied in trying to set people against a county rate. They paint a county rate as a sort of bogie or bugbear, they tell them that they are overtaxed already, and that they aro the victims of a perfidious Government. Many settlers who know what they are about are anxious for a county rate, because they are aware that they can obtain a positive and direct advantago from one.. They see that by putting down a shilling they can get fifteen or eighteen pennyworth of improvements made to the their properties. To such settlers it is no use to tell them that they are overtaxed and overrated, they are too wideawake to be misled by such specious reasoning, but there are other settlers who listen to the voice of the charmer holding forth against taxation and believe him from the bottom of their hearts. It is to the latter we would address a few plain words in the hope of beingabletopnt the question of a county rate fairly and honestly before them. Inthefirstplaceit may be admitted that a second rate for road making purposes is objectionable unless it is attended wit]) some distinct advantage which cannot be otherwise obtained. Now this is essentially the case with a county rate. It covers ground which road board rates cannot touch because it takes toll from crown and native lands. Assuming that crown and native lands will yield a thousand a year in this district if a county rate is struck, will it not pay settlers to tax'themselves—say, another thousand pounds t» secure the expenditure on their own roads of two thousand ? We hope there are few settlers in this district, who are unwilling to put down a pound in order to get back two. Of course it may be said that our legislation is . defective when two rates have to be struck' for one object,' but if we wait till we get perfect. Acts of Parliament before making and mending our roads we shall not effect much progress. As long as we'can throw oiitisprats to catch mackerel let us do so, notwithstanding there may be intelligent people among us who say that we ought sprats. While contending that a County rate is at the present time a good investment and a profitable speculation, it pay be urged that though it is calculated to bring grist' to the mill of country settlers, yet they oannot afford the outlay, Now this is a ps? apprehension 1 Perhaps the settlers throughout the whole of the district who have the greatest difficulty to find ways and means are the Scandinavian landowners of Mauriceville, . Yet what is their position with respect to road taxation 1 A man with forty or fifty

acres of freehold with house and,' improvements payß-on' an average about ten or twelve.', shillings per annum' fot the luxury of a fairly,good road through his land.' Now supposing a County rate forced up ;liis annual contribution towards roads to fifteen or. shillings a year is he crushed by over taxation 1 ) His living depends upon good road communication, and there iB. no 'money expended by him which is so thoroughly, reproductile ; .a»' .the small sum- which he contributes annually for road 'purposes. Supposing even that his rates attained to a.maximum of twenty shillings per annum, what is the strain put upon, his resources i It is giving three days work per annum to indirectly enhance , the value of his properly, and to ' directly improve the market price of all the products of his land. Times ', are good now, there is work for every man 111 the district, and there is no small landowner who will not be in a position to meet any demand that is likely to. be made upon him. We know no other goose just now which will lay golden eggs excepting general and special rates. It is all very well for some of our local politicians to say that the Government ought to be the goose to lay for us. The bird in hand is far bettor than the fictitious one which they promise us. If at any time there is anything to be got from the Government let us get it by all means, but don't let us give up our present chances under the Counties Act, or under the Road Board Act for the sake of an improbable contingency. All over' New Zealand the districts which are most flourishing are those where the settlers do not hcsitato to tax themselves where any director indirect advantage is to be gained by so doing. It matters little how many rates a settler pays provided, first, that ha can find, money for them, and secondly, that the bread he casts on the waters comes back buttered. There was a time in the history of the Wairarapa when the Provincial Government gave three pounds and two pounds for every pound raised locally. The Wairarapa lost thousands of pounds thon because some of its settlers higgled and haggled over sacrificing the sprat to catch the mackerel. Some of the men who in' former days allowed these golden opportunities to bo'wasted may now be found in the ranks of those who clamor against a County rate.

A challenge lias been received from the Wellington Football Club to play two matches in Masterton on Queen's Birthduy with first and second fifteens of the Masterton Club. Speaking of the alcoholic consumption in Now Zealand the Post says: " With such pregnant figures as these before one the urgent need of a sweeping reduction in this gigantic consumption of intoxicating liquors, at any rate cannot but impress itself 011 every thoughtful mind." Perhaps Major Atkinson will give us a lead, For want of a quorum the meeting of the Masterton Debating Society dollapaed as usual last evening. In theß.M. Court, Masterton, yesterday, a charge of larceny was brought aeainat Anthony Mills on the information of Hnpeta Whakamairo. The prosecution traa conducted by Mr Sunny and the defence by Mr Skipper, The evidence in ibis case was precisely similar to that given in the charge of fa'so pretences on the previous day. Mr Warren, accountant at the Bank of seiv Zealand was called aB an additional wi'rtoss to prove that the sum of £3l6> hid not been paid into the Bank to the credit of the New Zealand Accident Co. by the accused. Mr Sellar was also called, but excepting one unimportant interview, knew nothing aWt the accused. The legal parts of the case were argued at considerable length, Mr Skipper contending that as the first information has been dismissed the defendant could not be convicted 011 the second. The Court, however, ruled against him, and sentenced the accused to three months' imprisonment, and also made an order for the i 3 16 paid by Hapeta to be refunded, Subsequently the Court, at the request of the prosecutor, who pressed for a lighter punishment, reduced the sentence to a month's imprisonmen', ■Mr and Mrs Barlow 011 Thursday ontered as mine host and hostess of the Royal Hotel, Masterton, and from their old experience at the Tauherenikau Hotel .there is. every prospect of this old establishment becoming (i favorite resort tor the general public and travellers. We draw attention to their advertisement 111 another column. rTenders are invited by the Public ■Trustee for the purchase of part seotions 11 and V 8 on the Taratohi block, containing 150 acres; also for stock and farm implements, the property of the late James Smith. Our Greytown contemporary asks the very pertinent question "Why do we import patotoes ?" The annual meeting of the Featherston Mutual Improvement Society takes place on Thursday next, Mr F. H. Wood is instructed to sell on May 3, at the Pas'oral Yards, Carterton, I ten first-class dairy cows and gtote oattle, and on May 5, at Greytown, general merchandise and iurnituro. ' The Masonio Ball to take place in the theatre Royal on Tuesday evening next ■ jiromises to be ft brilliant affair. The committee are sparing no ejpense oy | trouble in the whole arrangements, Visitors from all parts of the district have promised to attend, so, weather permitting, we can. safely predict a most buocessful gathering. The Agricultural statistics have recently been collected in the Masterton Biding and Borough with tho following result Wheat —1473 acres, producing 40,114 bushels. Oats—l44s acres, 'producing 34,808 bushels; 'Barley—22B aorea and' 3880 bushels; and potatoes—l 36 aqres,, yielding 300 tons. In addition to the: above, 8000 bushels of wheat, 4000 bushels of oats, arid 15 tons of potatoes have been grown at the Maori settlement at Te Ore Ore. On our-baok page will be found humorous articles entitled " Spoopendyke .at Death's Door" " All Extraordinary Offl-. cial,-" and, miscellaneous paragraphs,' '• The annual meeting .of ratepayers, of the Masterton Highway District is called for Saturday, sth May, at the Road Board Office, Maßterton, at noon. Tho military suite of the present Czar consists of 348 persons, among whom are twelve memberß' Of the Imperial family, three-• Dukes 'of Leuohtonberg, seven Royal' Princes,, eight Princes entitled to be styled" Serene 'Highnesstwentyeight Princes, forty-four oouuts, twentytwo barons*. and 222 nobleman. Tjiis 1 number includes Bixly-five Germans' and seven Poles. Call at first: opportunity and get a {tweejd suit and a. good strong seryicable overcoat, the whole parcel for f}oa at Eapp & Hare's,-Advt,

• Kudarz, the great- American: preslidigitateur opens,in„the,Theatre:Royal this eveuingj and. may:be oxpeoted to draw a; good house. •! . . Our weather reporter writes as follows: —Wehaveihadbn the whole a winterly week, oold and damp with frost oombinedi' making it, anything, but agreeable. On the 14th.we had .the remains of the thun-, der storm, which swept'over the,mote : northerly-partof, the Yalley. ' The.;lightning was very vivid,;and of a blueißh hue. Rain fell on five days, but not heavily,; the total :rainfall: beiag .610 inch. The barometer: rose, gradually .from 29.26 inches to 29,92 inohes on the 19th, and is now settliug down a little. The mean reading is 27.54 inohes. The thermometer 'has gradually receded this 'week, and is, down to 44 Fah to-day (20th), The mean reading for the week is fii.s Fah. The wind has been light and mostly from a southerly direction. . To-day Messrs O'Malley and Pepperell finish their first week'B work on the Opaki section, and at both ends of the line they have made s satisfactory commencement of tbeir oontraot At the Masterton end, the principal work now in progress is the continuation of the big cutting comI menced by the unemployed three years ago, There is a vast difference between the rate of progress made by the present men and by their predecessors. ; We recollect Boeing tho unemployed at work bringing the gravel out of the cutting bit by bit in a manner; auggestive of the most delicatd and deliberate Government stroke. The navvies now working on the same spot go about their business iu a very different fashion. Driving their erowbara deep into the hill-side they send tonß of gravel rolling down the face of the'cuttiug. Near this spot, Mr Martin', the contractor, for supplying the'men with provisions, has erected a big slab whare, which serves the purpose of a kitchen and dining-room, and round which are clustered the tents of the camp. Mr Dwan has re'ired from the Reefton contest in favor of Mr E. Shaw. Captain Muir wishes us to acknowledge the donation of i2 2s towards the funds of the Masterton Fire Brigade by Mr J. 0. Boddington. A very complimentary note on the alacrity displayed by the Brigade accompanied tho cheque. Tho throng of ladies who visited G, W, Schroder's establishment yesterday afternoon proves that his principle of importing only first-class and fashionable drapery is appreciated.' It was pleasing co see the number of ladies desirous of inspecting the beautiful stock of millinery G. W. Schroder lias just imported; also the dressmaking was taxed to the utmost in receiving orders for. winter dresses.— (Advt,) It is not of ten the public have the oppor. iunity of getting a really first olasa 2s tea, but it can be had at Rapp & Hare's.— (Advt.) A trashy novel recently led to wli it wa a nearly a fatal tragedy in Jersey City. A small boy who had been reading about the Missouri outlaws stole money enough to buy a pistol, and with the aid of a juvenile playmate started to rehearse the death of Jesse James. He himself played the part assaism, and brought down the amatuer Jesse with a bullet through the leg. After a very long dry and warm stretch of summer weather, it. is but . reasonable to expcot a somewhat severe wiuter. The "oldest inhabitant" prognosticates it, and the unusual severity of tlie last winter in in the Old Country leayes no doubt but that our turu will come next. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Don't forget your blankets. We oan supply you well, as we hold one of the largest stocks iu Wellington, imported direct from the manufacturers We oan not only give hi go variety, hut excellent. value, no ono better, if so well. Whatever mfike you want (and we keop all' tho best) we'tan give you firafc-class value in English, German, Koblyu, and Kaiapoi manufacture, and in sizes to suit the cot of the infant, the swag of the bushman, the siuglo bed of the baohelor, tho double oue of the benedict, and some that might almost bo large enough for the Great Bed of Ware. We have also a very large range of prices, varying according to size and quality, from 7b 6d to 6Qf, per pair, Customers will find a great advantage in purchasing from an extensive, well-seleoted, and dire :tly imported stock of blankots, suoh as they will see at James Smith's To Aro House Wellington, -Advt,