WHATA WHATA.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1115, 16 August 1879, Page 2

WHATA WHATA.

August 13. The Rev. Mr B'ull held an "afternoon service, in our schoolroom, on Sunday last. There was a small congregation, owing to the unpleasant weather and the horrid state of the roads. New and nid roads seem to be all alike just now, knee deep in mud. Mr Bull created a favorable impression, and a mostjjwelcome part of his discussion was, that in which he announced that in future a monthly Wesleyan service would be held in Whatawhata. This is good news, for, although we have Mr Calder regularly, a month is a long time between each service, and now that we may shortly expect fine weather, with a corresponding improvement in thi roads, good congregations will be the rule, and not the exception. .Although the majority of Whatawhata settlers are (politically speaking) Greyites, there is one part of Sir George Grey's policy, the injustice of which comes home to us in a very marked manner. This is, his action in shutting up the waste lands in the Waikato from sale. An instance has just occurred, which is a fitting illustration of how this action of the Government is affectiug Waikato townships. A nitan recently arrived from Australia, having relations in our district, who wished to settle in the township. Finding that nearly all the vacant allotments were Crown lands, he selected one, and sent an application to the Waste Lands Commissioner, having no noubt but that the Government would sell to a boni Jidc settler, who was prepared to pay any price asked. He purchased the timber, \ and proceeded to put in the hoxise blocks, I &c, but his surprise, not to say disgust, may be imagined, upon receiving a reply from Mr Tole, to the effect, that the Waste Lands Board not only could not sell the land, but that, if he proceeded to build, he would be trespassing, and liable to be prosecuted. This requires no com- ] incut, but it is to be hoped that any man soliciting the votes of Waipa electors, will be required to pledge himself, if returned, to use every effort to remove, without delay, this fearful Maori ta.pu which has been placed, over Waikato lands, and which is doing more to prevent bona Jidc aettlement, among poor and middle class men, than anything else could do. Practice and precepts seem to be, with Sir George Grey, quite different things. I am glad to see that Tuhikaramea has, at last, become possessed of a correspondent of its OAvn. The first letter from the pen of my fellow victim, contains ample proof that a correspondent is required in this district. Certainly, tho manner in which the Board af Education has treated them, in school matters, require a little publicity. What makes it the more incomprehensible is, that the lady (of uncertain age) who has caused the misunderstandiug, was not by any means beautiful to look upon. Had she been so, we might have concluded that the Inspector of Schools, whose name commences with an O, which is, itself, suggestive of extreme gallantry, was not proof against her wiles. — Correspondent.