PAHIATUA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1685, 14 May 1884, Page 2

PAHIATUA.

(from our own correspondent.)' We notice in yo\ir issue of the 9th a "sub." on the Won of the East County Council, eulogising .'them for the small rate they are going to levy, and trusting it will have the effect of allaying all opposition,to the County system. But, so far as this district is concerned, if the County Council'had struck no rate, it would not abate the opposition of the settlers one jot ; and when tho Suspension Comiiittee comes round this way again, they will find the opposition stronger thut it was before, the only thing wo shall want to know, is whether a man is to'spell his name properly or the way the County may please to spell it? aiid how many witnesses it requires beside a J,P, to attest a signature? Taken altogether, your report of the East County Council meeting is a treat! Whose fanlt i& it that so little care is taken of the FortyMile Bushvoad? Is it tho Council's or the staffs? We fancy that the money is granted to maintain the road goes to pay the staff; at. any rate, theengineering charges come to about three times what is charged for maintenance; according to their own showing. But what affects us most is the scale of charges at the Manawatu Perry, it puts about two shilling a hundred on the cost of every bit of timber we get; in fact, it is a; great drawback'to the settlement of the .country* And who do these exorbitant charges benefit?— just one individual, the ferryman, who during the last six weeks has uudergone the extraordinary.exertion of seeing upwards of 15,000 sheep, 400 headiof cattle, arid a mob of horses cross the ford, to say nothing of the circus, and a continuous stream of •Vehicles crossing the punt j and when yoii consider each sheep Id, oattle Gd, and horses 9d,

horse and trap; 2? 6d, and for fourwheeler Is extra, and every passenger —whether on foot or riding in conveyance—6d. We may also remark that the charge is made every time yon cross, and the concessions that ore made to the Pahiatua settlers are liko angels visits, few and very far between. And now for the benefit the county and settlers-"have derived from this immensetraffic, In.'tbefirstpiaco, the sheep have kicked ■ off very near every piece of metal that has been put on the road during summer; in the next, they have eaten every vestage of grass, docks, and, everything that was green, and when they, came to a clearing, tho drovers loiter so that the sheep may feed off tho bit of grass the settler has has so much labor to get, and when spoken to about it have, been most insolent. We hear the: rest of the sheep are going by sea to Wellington; it's time they did, for its rather rough on them to travel through the bush on on empty stomach.. Some of > those people who interest themselves about cruelty to. animals would have had a fine opportunity to study the subject -had they have seen these" flocks on the road. ■'■■■■:..;.', \-

.The Manawatu bridge is very near at a standstill, and the sooner the sponge is thrown up the better. Aiid 'yet the ferry question which is of such vital.importance to this district, is neg[ected by the Council, and made a silly.joke of by the Chairman. We shall remember that when the proper time comes.

. We are having beautiful weather hut cold.

[For the" information of our correspondent we may state that the FortyMile Bush road cost the County fund last year £2057 6s lid,and that the County staff for, the same period cost the County fund £251 5s 6d-Ei> W.D,]_