ALEXANDRA.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1338, 27 January 1881, Page 2

ALEXANDRA.

Excepting some unusual excitement, such as iv native meeting being held in its vicinity, our township is never particularly lively; but I have the authority of one of our local storekeepers, as well as my own experience, in stating that never was business at so great ft. standstill as at present since the foundation of the settlement. There is literally nothing doing in ' stores or hotels. I noticed in one of your last week's issues a correspondent gave you rather a glowing account 6f the promising nature of the natives crops in the disttict. I am 'only sorry I cahn6t'substrtQtiate his report. I have only just returned from a trip up the King Country, and found the very reverse. Crops of v all kinds are very poor indeed, and general apprehensions ate ' expressed as to where they would get food during the winter for their subsistence., At Hikurangi especially, where the bulk of their potato crop has been . planted, .a great proportion of the crop is rotten in the ground, caused, they say, by the unusually wet summer we have experienced. At Kopua reaping has commenced, and exceedingly light uropa are only to be seen. As a rule, the natives here generally go in for better living than usual at harvest time, by additions pf European food, purchased at the stores, to their usual rations. But this season there is nothing of the kind, as they have no money amongst them. This state of affaira is opening the eyes, however, of the great majority of them to the loss they are sustaining through their isolating themj selves from the pakoha. There is a grow* I ing feeling amount the land-owners that if it is light for a chief like Manga (Rewi) to take money for land from the Europeans, it would be well for them to do likewise. Tawhiao's consent to tho Messrs Toles' occupation of their block at Puniu is doubtless the thin end of the wedge, and ere long the whole of tho fine' country south of this place will be in European occupation. Our mails are now carried by the Armed Constabulary. It is to be hoped this is only a temporary measure on tho part of the Government. There can be no possible saving in their doing so, and the public aie likely to be put to great inconvenience, as it is not likely that the oo.ioh Mr Lewis ib now running between here and Te Awamntu will be kept going much longer, as thero U not sufficient passenger traffic to pay expenses. It is to bo hoped that Government will grant him a small subsidy to keep the conveyance on the road aud get our mails properly delivered in good order, us we know from past experience mails carried o.i horseback are, at times, so chafed and mutilated as to be quite unreadable, and gieat loss and inconvenience die sustained. Great disgust is felt here at those disentercsted (?) pvrtics, who«ir« delaying the erection of Te Rore bridge by getting the bite lemoved lower down the river, thug cutting this township out of the lino of traffic. It is to be hoped their scheming will not be successful, and the bridge eroeted tit its proper position at the old eroding place. Mr Pohlen of Harnpepe, interviewed your correspondent ono day last week, requesting him to make known the loss mid damage ho believes ho has siiitained at the hands of the Auckland Acclimitisation Society, by their introduction of the small bird p<st Mr Pohlen had a sample of their usefulness with him in the shape of a bundle ot c ibbago seed stalks, which were thrashed out as complclcly .is possible bv tho sparrows infesting his fiirui He estimates his loss at from HI to €10, which lie would have received hid ho been able to sivc his crop. As lie is a hard working settler, with a young motherless family, his loss is to him a seiious onr>. His opinion of tho Society was expressed in pretty strong language, and should nialto those gentlemen's ear-! tingle. Ho wants to know why the money i wived by this society is is not spoilt in impioving the roads in the districts Avheic they receive their money for game licenses, etc , instead of introducing pligucb to destroy the hints of the fi-cttlois' labor. Tn France and Germany (ho says all such moneys lcccived aiejjsjivou to tho road bo.ud-s, and the same should be done in this cnuntiy, and not ovpumled in introducing such enemies to the. tanners as .spairows aud linnets. 1 hope what 1 have previously written lpgirdmg tlie dull times to the bi,sine-H pcoph. und general impoenniosity of the public at laigo, will remind that important functionary tho Paymaster of the A C Force, that altho' the men at other stit'O'ii hive lueeived their pay, he has not yet leeched tho nsrnatures of the Alexandra contingent. — (Own Correspondent, Jamiiiiy 26.)