ALFREDTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1999, 26 May 1885, Page 2

ALFREDTON.

[From our own Correspondent,] ' May 23rd. We have had exceptionally good weather during the last seven weeks in this quarter of the" genial climate," and it would certainly be very ungrateful not to make a note on it. Mr McDonald has just completed his 80ft span bridge over the Ihuraua. I was rather surprised that the good folks of Alfredton did not mark their appreciation of this boon,- even if it were only to the extent of breaking a bottle of colonial ale over its side. The Ihuraua is one of the nastiest rivers in the district-fone of those steep-banked, muddy-bottomed streams that is quite unfordable at any time, and might well be called the key to the Alfredton find Tiraiimea Districts, Mr McDonald may well bo considered • a first-class stamp of bridge builder for this part of the country, a thorough good bushman, a most careful tradesman, and above all, lie sticks to his work. The Ihuraua bridge is a credit to the designer, the builder, and to the settlers who have got to pay for it. Tliq ejection (jf thrqe njeinbers of our Road Board took plage without a contest, and the personel of the Board remains the same with the exception that Mr Von Reden takes the plaoe of Mr Bayliss. It is a pity that both gentlemen are not in the Board, as they are undoubtedly Eketahuna's best public men. Now that the Board is in fair working order, and composed of thoroughly practical gentlemen a considerable amount of very much needed works may be looked for. I notice that some of the settlers in our suburb, Ekefcahuna, are anxious to secure the services of a policeman, I should not have thought that such a step was necessary, but it is rather interesting to note that the parties who are so anxious for the services of the gentleman in blue, recognise the necessity. I think it would be well if our neighbors at the same time would try and secure the services of a real parson, Swaggers are as great a nuisance as rabbits; in fact, as great as ferrets, for they eat all young fowl, eggs, &c. It is quite time this swaging trade was put a stop to. I willingly mako a distinction between the man who, by accident, _ has to cany his swag, and the " professional swagger,"—the brute who, if you offer him a job at six or Beven shillings a day, will give a celestial turn to his nose and inform you "he doesn't believe in working for nothing, give us somo tucker." Our road has now got into that state that a person who has to travel over it can heave one of those contented sighs and say " thank goodness, it can't get any worse." I am very much surprised at how indifferent the settlers of Masterton are to their own interests. It is a notorious fact that while the wnsto lands in the northern end of the County are being rapidly opened up, the land in the Kopuaranga, Rangjtumau, and other blocks are lacked up, tins simply means that the country whioh will have Woodville for its market is being rapidly settled upon, while the country which would have its market in Masterton is at a standstill, Ido not know of any eood reason why such should be the oase, but I suspect the only reason is that the "wires"are getting a stronger pull at the Mangahao end.