PROPOSED SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1469, 29 August 1883, Page 2

PROPOSED SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

( .(T0 THE EDIX6R WAIHARAPA DAILY.) Sir,—l am encouraged to hope tb&t the settlers of tlio North County (I wish it could be North and South Counties) will at least favorably consider the proposals for an Association, I have framed a prospectus, a copy of which I propose as soon as it can. be printed to send to all settlers. If any are omitted I trust they will excus# the omission, as I can only rely on th« rate books for names and addresses. If the prospectus does not please all (and I can easily believ# I have made some blunders) I would plead that it is only a basis for discussion, and matters to be brought into shiipe by all of us when we meet.

Let me add that fresh evidences, appear daily of the urgent necessity for united action. It is said that the Bill for putting a further arbitrary tax ." on all person* whoso land and houses ..-'• are near Railways is to be. introduced ; ''" and hurried through the House at the close of the session, A now billet is to be created at the cost of tax payers —a Minister of Railways and Agricul- ' ture. Most significant is this combination appointment. The agricultural ' interests in Canterbury and Otago procured las) year a large reduction in ■ tariffs on-corn, etc. Mark the result (I quote from the railway returns; given in the _ Evening Post) There. is a falling-off in net profits of 320,000 for less than one-third of a year (equal ' to £60,000 a year). Of this £20,000 decrease, 'nearly £19,000 is on the Hurunui-BiuiTline. Notwithstanding a large koroase in both passengers kJ. goods, the receipts have £25 a mile, while tho'expensosjhave increased by £75 a mile.'" < •'" Ve taxpayers in the. North Island' cannotget roads, and here is £60,000 a year voted to the South.., Th.is.ia a , combination between railways snd agriculture with a vengeance.!- And now a Combination Mmist§ris to be : appointed to expand this pretty little Bystem of injustice. I most reluctantly say what I feel may have the effect of lighting up the ' slumbering flame of jealousy between North and South; but, what is to bedone ] Are we to sit still with folded hands while an obedient. House of Representatives vote" Aye I" to every iniquity and injustice the 1 Ministry prer . sontato it? .... ~....,■■:■ •

Ismekj : . ROBEETS. HAWKISB. I P.S.—lf" Mentor" will oome to the first meeting of the .Association I think I isatfoihew him ;tha't I am as dismterestfld'ia my advocacy of .the Council as I should have been -six months ftgo;.-i.R,g,|l, :

■'.; ' Sib,—As the question of destroying rabbits in this district is of very gre|t importance at the present time, perhaps the following will be of some interest |r—' Ferrets versus rabbito.' Ferrets are a native of Barbaiy,- though they are extensively naturalised ; jji Knglarid and.Franco,',when it wag iutroduced to rid the country maltitudes of rabbits with whic&itwjkioverrun. Its habits are jimilw i£~ It is lively ft^4 and an/iuigljC, ftte destroy«K of rabbits. If ;^^d;

to a young ferret, he,;.will fly tit "it andbite it with great fury, but if the tabbit be alive, ,hV will 1 seize it by lho[ throat and; 'suck its',blood.. Great numbers 'pf.theni annually were imported iuto England- and France fortho purpose of driving, rabbits' out of; their burrows. . In such cases tlipy aiw muzzled, othevwieo- they the rabbits' in their holes, -They. sugt. the blood of the'rabbit, but it. Tho ferret breeds in tlie las>mentioned Countries,";bringing,. forth from* five to nino young "nt.-a -time.They'' sometimes breed .twice -a .ywir. v .Tho Warreners in England use a'missel breed between the'polecat ,aiid with very pat advantage, as they are much morb savage when crossjeii, (Yours «fec, • '"' • ■ • SUBSCRIBKH. .. To the Editor, ><;'. i . i' . Sir,—At a late meeting of the Greytown School Committee the head master reported that;'" Mr Lee had paid'a surprisovjsit/and .had suggested' that the sohoblrs should do without the afternoon spell. The school hours' now are from' 9.30 to 12.30, and fro'rn' ,1.30 to 3.30 p.m;" The committee approved alteration, and Mr Wood gave notice that at. the next meeting he "'would move—That the school hours in the morningbetwo. and a-half•hours without any intflrmissidh for play. This will tfvtf.the .d&ildrtiiT another jialfhourinthe midSVe of itjie'day. ( tfrom this it is th'at the/Inspector suggests a remedy.whereby .the ipupils may receive .the full time for instruction to which thoy are entitled, by reducing the play-time, which hitherto has been extended to too .great, a length; 2, that tho com mitteo graciously approve of the Inspector's su<#«B'ion; and.,3, that a member of the committee immediately proceeds to give notice of a resolution which/ if carried, will not only stultify the committee, but also undo all the good that . tho Inspector wishes to accomplish, and will give nearly two hours per week of extra play-time more than is allowed by tho regulations, Parents view with alarm this threatened extension of time, at mid-day, as it will leave their children .free to go hither and thither at their own sweet will without check, or, at least, without any. efficient supervision or control,—to say nothing of the waste of time which will be forced upon the elder pupils, who are being trained for examination in sth and 6th' Standard subjects, and to whom every minute' must bo precious. It is much-to be hoped that Mr Wood will not press his motion, but will withdraw it, so as. to avert its mischievous results; It was ■■ probably the contemplation of-this motion.being carried thai "the Institute pom-, mittee to'resQlvejba| "the.use.of the. chessboard and. men.be grantedito Mr Porritt for the use of tho boys at the Public Sotool .in thejr..spare. Jboars.'< Now, what spare hours can-the boys possibly have, in addition' to the'dinner hour! Of course, to extend 1 this would make the tinio most woarisoine to the boys, and, doubtless, .the head,.teacher, in hid deep sympathy for them, has' secured the chess'board .and men- : for their intellectual development even iiv their hours of enforced idleness. -But then, what is one board and one set of men among, so rnaiiy boys V Only two can play at tho Buh>tiiue, and wliero is tho provision for the many that are left 1 Could hot the School Committeo supply a dozen sets ? Sir, the whole affair is too ridiculous—too transparent. If any member of the Institute Committee wishes to hayo.the use of a chess board and men for hist>wn family, without incurring the expense of purchasing 'thehi, why doe's ho not say go, and not pretend they are .for "the use of tlie at the Public School in their No doubt, it is a gleeful, compliment which the corh'tnitfese 4iq,y© paid their chairman,, in .making .ibis, grant—a grant which is nude in';.all. good faith , that it Wi!l,benelit'.lliH boys in their "spare Hours'— but*it niay be que's: tioned if,they huvu thopowgr to .deal with the proporty in suoh a manner. • At all events, any question . which' practically -alienates ..tjio property of a public institution should: .have been ventilated and decided at-the general annual meeting, and not at the com* mittee meeting held immediately afterwards. It does no£ look-well in the ayes of tho people. '■/•'/■< •',"■ lam,etq.,. ;: ..- t • .• : :'.. :'Umbra. '