ALFREDTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2080, 28 August 1885, Page 2

ALFREDTON.

(From Our Own Correspondent)

Tjie weather in this district up. to the present tiiye has been extremely favorable, certainly tV best winter we have had for the laßt three, years'. . It is really very amusing to. read some of the "stuff" tl>at appeal's about this district and its road requirements, as if it were possible for people who have- never seen the country to understand our wants better than we do ourselves. Proof and common sense seem to have no more effect upon yoijr contemporary, the Star, than a marble upon the Rqok of Gibraltar. Jl) a late edition he again talks about the JSlwtahuiifjrTinui road being made to execute ft Djrcaspn Waltz in the direction of Timumea and Annedaje Stations. The Circassian Waltz, as lie .calls jt, does not benefit those stations to the extent of ono sixpence. As for Aimed,ale, its inpst direct line would be by the Star's much admired Oastlepoint route. This cock-and-bull story about making the best possible use of relatives, and making .a road execute a Circassian Waltz is. a miserable attempt to get a " Highland Fling" at one of the most honourable and capable members of the present House of Representatives. Talking of roads, I notice that the County Enginoer is to report on the relative merits of the Te Ore Ore-Bideford aiid tue Te Or? Ore-Wangqeliu routes for. connecting a small section of the Eastern Puketoi with M&otertbn. The.nieans Adopted to attain an end—the proclaim- ■ ing of the line beyond Bideford a main road—is certainly peouliar. Supposing we put it the other wayj and ask for a reportou the relative merits of the said' two roada for conrieotini* the' Southern Puketoi with Masterton. $0 amount of reporting can'alter the -fact) that the Wangaphu'isthe' most' central route hi the.Oourily, and the most 'direct line to. the whole of the Alfredton "district, and

'also a very large portion of the Pukotoi country, and so thought Mr Hawkins at the'time of the railway agitation—FortyMile Bush v Wangachu routes. ~ The distance from Masterton to Alfredtonj via Eketahuna, is 42 miles, via Bide' ford, 36 miles, while the Wangaehu—sadly and stupidly ignored—brings Alfredton to within 20 miles of Masterton, and the much-talked ot Puketoi country to within 2D miles. The depression does not seem to bo much felt in this district. If tho building of houses, the felling of bush, and the general improvement of land can betaken as a sign of prosperity, we certainly have the signs, for seldom has such activity been Bhown by tho settler. One other good sign, bachelors are being reduced in number, and I am not quite sure but ladies are at a "premium," The Star, takes exception to some notes of mine about swaggers. I have quite as much real sympathy with the " working man" as the editor of the Star, and in my notes made a distinction between the working man, and the man who would not work—the professional swagger.- _ •