Waipukurau.

Waipukurau Press, Volume I, 27 March 1906, Page 2

Waipukurau.

o (Abridged from N.Z. Bulletin.) Except one or two small gardens, there is little to note in the way of cultivation about the town —the ghost of the “ muddel ” village, one garden one gravel pit, dying hard. Many of the town sections seem to be gravel pits, and the appearance of many of the places gives one the idea that the owners had been enshrouded in one long grab for greed. There are a lot of old shanties that should have been passed on to the firewood heap long, long ago. They are a menace to health, an eyesore and a disgrace. In fact, a fire stick put into the older portion of the town would be a good thing for the future of the place. Improvements, however, are everywhere visible. Much good has been done lately, and the hum of machinery is heard in many directions denoting progress and business. The Town Board is doing good work, although they are hampered to some extent by a few old fossils who ought to have left for another w r orld, with their night shirts and tin trumpets, long ago, for their own peace of mind and the general good of the community. These men see no good in drainage or footpaths, or anything of a modern kind. They have made their piles, have got all they need, and cannot see why any person should want what they pigged along without. Waipukurau has a drainage- ; scheme, particulars of which I will • give later on. For many years there was only one one side to the model villiage—that was the side facing the morning sun —one sun —and along that side there is a very fair footpath, wooden kerbing, channelled and asphalted. Part of it was pointed out to me the other day which was asphalted eight years ago, bad had nothing done to it since, and is in good order now r . During the last few years several buildmgs have been erected on the opposite side to the asphalted part, and these are still out in the country, the site of the footpath being a grass covered space. This is to be altered, the Town Board having decided to construct a footpath on ' that side also. The temperance cause} is flourishing so weakly in all directions that they have died a natural death, and such property as they in flourishing times acquirdfe is been mopped up by a few cute ) persons, who, like Brer Babbit, laid 1 low and said nothing. Mr Chambers, one of our liveliest business men, who spends a lot of time for the public welfare, is interesting himself in getting a telephone exchange established, and is meeting with great success. I was rat&er amused on a recent Saturday. r at Waipuk. An auction sale had been announced, including that perennial hybrid mongrel line unredeemed pledges.” I saw a lot of people there, who mostly had something to sell and it was hinted that in more than onej case the owners of the goods were waiting for the pros' ' 1

ceeds, as they wanted the money to buy the Sunday beer with! Not that there is any poverty in town —but—well, no matter. The sellers were? more eager, seemingly, than the prospective buyers for the show to begin.