Alfredton Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3445, 26 February 1890, Page 2

Alfredton Notes.

(From Our Otfa Correspondent.) Wo are gradually getting impregnated with that spirit of progress which pushes .the rest of our,great colony onward, and with progress comes civilization, of course. I think I told you that the boys shine their boots, and either spark thoir girls or go tochurch on Sundays—sometimes ! killing the tjjp birds with one stone; but those misguided bullock-drivers, they Beem quite pant redemption, I regret to say the crack of their whips is still heard on ourroads on Sundays.' They have been preached at from the, church, privately admonished, and liowsjiaper-articled.bui they.still;tread the downward path. Perhaps' thy are not so much to blame as their; employers, for I hear that prices are.; cut very fine. We are .to Lave a Public Hall very soon I hear.and then I hope the "Salvation Army" will take botU the drivers and their employers in hand. Speaking of the Hall rominds mo that that project has.assumed a tangible shape at last, owing to the indomitable push and onergy of the promoters, who doservo the gratitude ot the settlers for their untiring perseverance. Nearly all the slices ■, have been sold, and a meeting was' held on Saturclf.y last at which a strong directorate was elected, and I understand tenders are to be called at once for the building; I am sorry to hear that a spirit of antagonism in an indirect -way. has. been manifested towards the holding of divino service in the hall by one of the Management Committee. Such a narrow spirit should not be shown; I had given tbo .gentleman credit, for nioro wisdom, ahd I sincerely liop§; ho will see the error of his ways. If he would attend church oftener he would learn to think moro of the good of the community than of his own selfish views, v . ' V . In a quiet way considerable effort is being mado to get a school here, and if the services of a suitable person could be obtained to take charge, no doubt the hull could be rented by the Education Board for a small sum, and so do away with a crying evil, The settlere here have been so loug neglected by tho powers that bo, that they have hecomo,' as it, were, indifferent to outside help, and each ono struggles to educate his children the best way he can, and leaves other people to do tho same. 1 ißut this state of things will, I hope, soon be past. The matter is now, I believe, in the right hands, and wo may expect the school to bo an accomplished fact shortly. . The weather has been very dry lately, and as a conaequenco settlers are busy burning off. I hear of good burns being got by those who had the patienco to wait for the dry weather. Judging by tho number of fires there must be a great increase in the quantity of stock kept about here, as grass takes the place of the timber, which of course means increased prosperity for the district, with lis coucomitauts of greater compact and a higher moral and meutal culture for the inhabitants. There was a keen struggle over the Licensing election, which resulted in a victory for the publicans. I hope we shall not regret having placed the power in their hands. ■ _ I must congratulate our Eketahuna friends on having the telephone to thoir toivnship at last. It was a want that was long and keenly felt. The bush districts have been too long neglected, , but as our numbers increase our power at election time will be moro felt, and we shall'bo able to command more attention from tho big bugs of the Empire City, The bunny-hunter is abroad here, and threatens all manner ot painsand penalities il be can but find a white-nil, Ho says we have been lei alone too long, and requii'e waking up, Perhaps so, but 1 think the natural enemy is more plentiful than tho" pesky" little rodent. I hear that stoats and other vermin are quite plentiful in the bush, I hope thby may not become a greater nuisance than the rabbits,

Wellington Items

(From Our Own Correspondent,) Mr A. B, Ma'ston, was fori four years the evangelist in charge of the Christian Chapel, Dixon • street, Wellington, (luring which time he became deservedly popular with all classes, has just returned to this city, after a twelve month's tour of Europe and the East. Last night he delivored tho first -of a series of lectures on his travels to a'very.large audience. Mr Maston, who is pgr thorough American from every poi/u* of view, is also a man of culture ami deep observation, tuid all thpse whp i i were present.'at fiis lecture, " tho land of tho Pharoahs" on Monday ovening, left the. hall feeling tlioy had spent an ovening profitable, instructive, and amusing in (lip highest degree. Another hundred or so of festive youths of the genbs new-chain 'have arrived by the E.M.S, Ruapehu this 1 morning, but if they are in expectation of obtaining work in Wellington' just now, they stand a big' show of disappointment. Nearly all the big contractors have nothing in hand, and although 110 open fuss ia being made, there are a groat many artisans and mebhanics out ef employment, in some cases real distress being experienced.

Still every ship brings moro people, ' and somehow they mingle with the crowd, and disappear, turning up'in odd places at odd moments, the fullblown masher of to-day becoming' the humble hotel slushy of a heuce. ' i " Tho remarkably lino weather jet lasts, lio rain, nor signs of rain,being visible. The wator in the reservoirs is steadily going dowu, but at present there is no cause for alarm. Typhoid is still prevalent in the cityi several fresh casoa being it } the Hospital, ;..: Tbe Woollen Company's dispute continues to engross a largo amount - of attention, strong sympathy having. best) expressed by the giber; latyiw A;

Unions of Wellington, Subscription lists have been opened in aid of those disobarged, and promises of aid (if necessary) bavo. been received from other parts oftbe Colony,'

Export of Butter, : : Tlio OtoRO Daily Times has been ■ favored willi the following informalion, communicated to a friend in Dunedin by a gentleman in New South Wales, who takes great I interest in tlio olieeso and butter jjflustrics. -It should bo of value to . jP? farmers in view of tho largely increasing export of butter, Judging from recent reports, tlifr prices obtained for Australian butter in tlio : London market havo been as high as 120s, and to obtain this there is no doubt tho quality must have been first class and tho packing unexceptionable, With all our advantages of soil and climate, we see no reason why the export of butter from this . colony should not prove equally profitable so long as the quality if Itopt high and the goods are placed M the market in sound condition. ®o writer says:— fr<" Yours of 22nd .January to hand, and I am surprised that in your goahead colony you should requiro any information re butter export, Wo ship the best factory butter, and it has realised 112s and 100s, as far as Vie kno\v yot. It isboughtat 7d, and pays at that; had we not shipped, it would havo been 'ld—o per cent, of salt. Packages much admired in London, and splendid fir stowago, IjjAi'ond's boxes, Auckland! wo imported thousands of them; no kegs, except for grease of no value. We liavo now twenty-seven factories going in three years: capital,£sl,ooo; paid up, £-15,000: by the settlers themselves, They pay 50 per cent, better than your best hniiil-madcdairy productions. All pronounced them Al, and the farmers who are in (hem say j we would havo been dead were it not J for tliem.You cannot lick tho Labol machine; it will do anything if worked properly. Our returns for twelve months for two factories are2ls-oth iiiilk to lib butter, not 2.\gal; average price for year laid for butter, dear, This takes in four months of our flushest seeaon known. Victorian humbugs and bonuses arc all up a j|ee. Prices realised in London ques.jMiiable; immoarlity in commerce; to ' save the bonus; our men buy there, and pocket the money for New Smith Wales. And now we are shipping -100 boxes of our good butter to Jlslbourne instead of London I and havo orders' ,for eight tons ut week from the grocers I*l j will have our good make, as it sells anywhere. You make it the same,' and cultivate London, and your tvado will grow and prosper, butlcaving the; colonies to fill up as senfous allow."

The Gisbome Judge Dispute. Gibbobss, Wednesday. Au enquiry is being held today btfjreMr Setli Smith, Chief Judge of the Native land Court, into the dispute between Judges Wilson and Barton, The enquiry is conducted in private. A deputation, consisting of leading settlers and members of the legal profession, waited on the Chief Judge prior to the enquiry, urging that Judge Barton's services be retained.

Fire and Water. ImitMKGiLt, Wednesday. A fire occurred at the waterworks tjus morning. It broke out in the /Twre-room of tho engine lionso, a laiw brick building. The brigade sfficedecl in extinguishing it before serious damage was done. Tho roof . wa3 burnt and the store-room gutted, but tho valuable machinery was only scorched, the damage being about £200; no insurance.