ALFREDTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2174, 18 December 1885, Page 2

ALFREDTON.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT,) Ajtsr a Bpell of unusually dry weather' there being only three or: four showers during the last month, our notorious road .was.actually dusty. This month, however, came in-with broken weather, and has continued up to date, sheep farmers and shearers as is their wont, cursing the genial climate. Shearing notwithstanding, is almost completed, and the results generally speaking have been heavy:clips and wool in good condition, . ■. .1 Our Cricket Clubs had its first 'practice in Messrs Macquarie's home paddock on Friday, and another ou Saturday in Mr Cross' paddock. The turn olit on both occasions was very good, and the manner j in which the bat and ball were handled Bhowed that some of the members were not new to the game. Our Road Board, I notice, Beverly" hauled over the coals," for 'rnitj letting a metalling contract to the lowest tenderer. The lowest tenderer evidently feols sore on the matter, but lam inclined to think that the members of the Board are the beßt judges as to the wisdom of accepting the lowest tender in all cases.. Our esteemed friond the "handy Eketahuna Scotchman" has jußt discovered another mare's nest in the Manawa bridge. After everybody else within the rating area had forgotten all about this slight clerical error it began to dawn upon our Ekatehuna friend. Everybody knew oxaept Mr Anderson that tho bridge was outside of the Alfredton rating area, but the question is who makes-use of the bridge? Are. they ratepayers' in. the Alfredton rating area ? Another query— Are the'Eketahuna settlers within the Alfredton rating area? if so, it is rather unfair, and they ought not to be included. If they are included they ought to mind their own business.

Mr Dawson is making headway with the bridge across tho Te Hoe, which will be very shortly completed. This bridge will be a benefit to the Tiraumea settlers, but they still have to ford .the larger river—the Tiraumea, It seems very much like putting the " cart before the horso," bridging small creeks, while the largo and dangerous rivers, are left unbridged. • 1 am told that the Eketahuna settlers are going to run a candidate at the next election, so Messrs Beotham andMcCardle had better look out, lam riot permitted to give the name of the candidate, Suffice it to Bay that the gentleman in oueßtion iB a free trader in land, and thinkß that every settler ought to be the owner of his own section. He is ah a great authority on the preservation of trout from floods, but above all, he is going to introduce a system by which busn roads can be turned on edge in winter, so as to allow of the water and mud to run off,