OPUNAKE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1718, 24 June 1884, Page 2

OPUNAKE.

OBOWN LEASES. (FROM OUR OWN COItKESPONDKNT.) This neighborhood is all occupied for miles ■with' crown tenants, who pay their rent to the State. If it wore net for this improved system, the lands being quiulcly occupied would remain idle Lr yean, This is a proof that the leisin'; system is tl'O best, The land lately .taken up is heavy flax and fun of splendid .qua'ity rented for 30 years at 2s and 5s 6-1 per acre, b:ti the partiM who lmve taken lip moat of the land , know fvery little about farming as seeu by the curious fencing being erected; they would make the Wairarapa farmers laugh if tlioy passed this way. Tradesmen have given up business, commission agents and others, all being tempted, liavo settled on their little holdings, bivlding houses of th'o cheapest hind, some-

thing like, the Wairarftpa .when the, first settler crossed this ranges. I tell you its ■ Very tough work here. - If' your -horse gets 10yds away iu the' hiah - flax yott low him and have to pay tho Maoiies 53 to 10a for finding him, the'flax beiucr to- high that a man on horseback takej shelter when rain ing. Miloh cows all use bells or you would never find them.- Even about tho village of Opiinake, where there is not evon a pound, ove'ry&iib rims' their stook'whVre they liko—oven in other, people's gardens','.; >Very little law or' rod taperOiind here.''' Nolock-up,' though-: the town'is-'akajT'ocMisd % Maoris. Last week a very largo gathering ■ of them took plane in the shape of a ' tingi,'" where nine builooks we consumed, besides '■ tons of: otherhi,' Tho Maoris laugh -at the Government for their childishness : in \ stopping them from ciossing the Opnnake ■ bridge when on thoir way to see To Whili, I-wa3 : present»at the last btoppajc.' The ■ A.O. men put a ropo across the ■ bridge, -the ' Natives-only -jeering at thorn, . ■ There are' miny old : laws affecting the Natives that • • might be doae.'away with, ; for a rising will • never Wco piaca' agiiii. The Opunako •• Natives complain that their guns are kept in Opunake Government stores all rusty, and they -siy no use to anyone. They as a wholo complain very much against the Govornnient, and think they should be treated as;white men.

.I often viiiled the great chief-William King-who is a true friehd to 1 tlio .white man, it was him who, saved! tin crow of the Lord Ashley some years ago, He is very old, but straight and .drinks.. I will send you: a rep)rt -of this old Maori shortly j tliat may bo interesting if you wish to hear some old Maori yarns. ~ The Armed Constabulary stationed hero haw rosy times of it—nothing to-do, and well,paid. They are a flue body of men, -someof them well off,.both in land.,and stock.. They aro a credi tto the colony,; and when diaoliarged will mako good settlers, for most of them have, land .ready .to-!go .on when discharged-froin their hard labor of idleness, S> muoh for the Government ; they aro as qood aa o, rich fathor to those mon,

I will t;ive you a description of the City of Opunako and its splendid and surroundings 111 my next letter, with Mount Egmont in the distance. -1 may tell yon thai we have two a? fine hotels as you will get in any pait of Wellington, and, strange to say, 110 'place of worship; and yet the people are real good. Sometimss a Wesleyau minister holds forth in the public.school, and all go to hoar him—from curiosity, as a sort of remembrance of civilisation. . There is a fine clian o, in this, place',:for-, the. Salvation Army, seeing thoy would have the field all to fchemiolvGß. . ."... loan tell yo:t some curious yarns'.'about this village of the plains, give you a .little at a tim . We never 1 See 1 an Evening Post, -and- a Times paper would be a groat cur'biity."' Cut we hive some fine country pipei'3, thoy do spin out a bit of news when tlioy get hold of it. We have a School Committed, and a ( splendid schoolmaster, only the boss linn too much. li