UPPER TAUERU NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4456, 28 June 1893, Page 2

UPPER TAUERU NOTES.

(By Our Own-Corespondent;)'../ The action lata by oertaia mem. bers of iho North Wairarapa County Council to alter the iucidenoe of local taxation, though plausible enough at first sight, ie in reality the outcome of pure selfiahucss, for having good roads to their doors they would now wish to so minimize their rates, that the total fund at the disposal of the. Board) would be practically useless towards assisting tbeirV»fcfortunate neighbours. To argue that beoause.. oue man improvos his property and tho other does not that it is a hardship on thefirst,iß bunkum, Whether it is a team of horses, outbuildings, or the land free from, improvements, it is invested capital and as you turn either of them to account bo do you profit, If you do nothing.you get nothing, and very, very few, can afford to do this. The land speculator has ceased to exist and is only a' bogeyoonjured up,tosupptfewjak_ argument. To say that thlßfgelio settler is injured by the man of in- • action is false and meant to mislead,' " Miud your own business and leava your. neighbour alone," is a trite saying and should be observed by our would-be reformers, for ninety nine out of a hundred will profitably occupy their property if they can, If their improvements are slow to prying eyes, it is probably not the want of will, but tho want'of capital, and to haudioap them still more under those circumstances would be cowardly and unjust. ,Why should not a "storm in a teapot "be raised in every town by every second shop complaining that his neighbour might and ought to do better, and therefore the Borough Council ought- to favourably consider their bumble (contemptible rathorj petition, and to oxempt them from their fair shartof the general burden of taxation I wy, Beetham, and Groyea.we.ce~ minlyitud sensible iu their remarks, let us hope that our representative in Parliament will not soil his fingers by touching such a disgraceful petition,

Is it not time there was some legislation to proteot the labor class from bogus contractors? A painlul oasa occurred here a few days ago, Some nineteen men who hnd been felling buah for weeks were summarily dis* oharged without payment, the employer coolly informing them he was unable to do so, As they had not the means to prosecute or inclination to go to law, with a man of straw, they were forced to betake themselves to the nearest stations for shelter and food.

It must not be supposed, because we have a sluggish Boad Board that settlement is not proceeding. Far from it, for the gloomy depths of the Mungarai forest are fast disappearing; for the axe, the bill-hook and the slasher, wielded incessantly by a Buore of muscular arms, is doing its work of clearing. Even now tho bnght3st of green swards here and there may be seen, with sheep depasturing, seemingly happy and contented with their new and luxurious quarters.

It may seem your readers not exigencies of bush life, it is riot an uncommon oocurrenoefor a man to carry on his back (and perhaps for a considerable distance), piece by piece, allthematerials which are required for tho construction' of his houso. A building 22 feet by 20 feet has thus been carried, and tho patient, heroio individual who has just accomplished this is a Mr James Wilton, a new settler, and who over and above this, has formed bis own road for a considerable distance to enable him to use a horse and sledge. He U a ratepayer of the Mauriceville district, and let us hope that this spirit of self-help and quiet independence will be fully appreciated and recognised in a practical manner by the Board, when they are in a position to help so deserving a settler,