SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1894. MASTERTON, PAST AND PRESENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 472, 25 April 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1894. MASTERTON, PAST AND PRESENT.

j Those who remember Mastertoa in its salad days when the Railway was about to mala its fortune, and every prospect was rose tinted,will be fairly contented with its present condition*. Fourteen or fifieen years ago, to quote Mr Renall 11 every mail who had a wheelbarrow had an overdraft," and it was the custom to settle evory obligation with a promissory note. ' Estimates used to be made of the quantity of " pper" locked up m the Maeterton hnnb, and of ila ultimate value while bankers would offer advances in much t-iie same fray as certain good people distribute tracts Rents were high-almost skyhigh— I, business promises then commanded a pound a week whioli now would b only worth five shillings, Freehold sites fetched fancy prices which were simply astonishing, and there were even to be found in those days speculaiive men who would take leaseholds at a stiff rental und build upon .them. We recollect in those days one business Nan saying " Ido not believe that there is in all Masterton a man whocandrawachequefor ten pounds." Very different is now tjje chat of men of business, One, not many days ago, said. '(What do you think, the Bank - has dishonoured X.Y.iJ.'s cheque! for a {io|ind, anf) he is worth a thousand when all his debts are paid." But if tho Banks are stern even with X.Y.Z.'s, what is the result ? hy, that trade throughout Masterton is thoroughly sound, nnd in the commercial world {he town has as high a reputation as it once had a low one. Tho settlement of the Bush districts, though it depopulaied Masterton and drew away many men whom we would have liked to have kept amongst us, relieved also of a gn at number of persons who lived on their wits, and whoseoccupation was gone when Masterton settled down inlo a sober, sedate condition. Theie are few centres in the colony where there is more solid and substantial prosperity than in this town, It makes but Jitila outward show, it evinces little desire to push ahead, but ill a sort of rest and he-thankful spirit it enjoys l;fo fairly well, nntl'lias no fegiot- for the old days when it made asplash like a minature Chicago. Sib Robert Stout has givep an opinion that the exclusion of peisons from tho Government Buildings during lawful hours is illegal and Mr Seddon has " baoked down," withdrawing his prohibition order against the Evening Post. This is a humiliation for the Premier of the colony, and a triumph for the journal he endeavoured to snub. It is just possible that Mr Seddon will have other causes to regret his recent little boycott. Sir Robert Stout 'has laid down tho law and the hundjeds of unemployed about Wellington now kpow tjiat they have a of access to the Government buildings, and are likely to exercise this privilege to the consternation of who prefer to keep suoh people at arpi's length, The public will be. indebted to Cr Hornblow for an official report on the Waipoim encroachments. Tlijs was a matter in which, in tjje interests of the town generally, the, Mayor might well have given a lead I But we are ■ a little surprised at Or'Hprnblow'f, contention that members of the Council only move in an affair when ! • they have a personal interest to ; serve. This may be true but it is i certainly a presentation of municipal - Government in a very degraded form, ■ If Cr Hornblow openly lays down a j rule of guidance of this kind, the ] Mayor is quite justified in fnubbing i him I We believe that there aremen in | the Council who endeavour to take a fair view of any question which crops J up apart from personal interests and i it would be better for councillors, who 1 may not he ouite papabje gf tpm ! togtleastpay \ do,