WAIPAWA.

PEOPOSED TELEGHAPH STATION. Pursuant to a notice previously advertised in the Hawkb'j Bay Hebai-d, a public , meeting -was held in the School-house, Waipawa, on Wednesday, the sth inst., for the purpose of considering the hon. the Telegraph Commissioner's reply to Mr. Ormond's correspondence relative to the erection of an inland telegraph station at that place ; J. A'Deane, Esq., in the chair. The Chairman commenced the business of the meeting by expressing the pleasure he felt in seeing so many persons present, and his entire concurrence in. the object of this and previous meetings, and believed that the energy which characterised the conduct of these meetings would arouse the General Government to a sense of its duty towards the expression of opinion of so large a local section of the public generally. He then read the correspondence, consequent on the resolutions of a former meeting, between Mr. Ormond and the telegraph authorities, as follows : — Wallingford, Jan. 20, 1868. Sir, — On Friday last I received the letter of the Telegraph Office, copy of which I enclose, and 1 regret very much that the reply which the Postmaster- * General has caused to he sent is so different to what we had a right to expect. I enclose you now a copy of the letter I have addressed to the PostmasterGeneral in reply to the Telegraph Manager's letter, and also copies of the different letters I hare written upon the subject of the telegraph site. I trust thafr the settlers who memorialised the Post-master-General through me, will be satislied that I have done all that I could to forward their wishes. I can only regret that I have not been more sue cjssful. I shall now, as I havo intimated to the Postmaster-General, endeavour to obtain from the Provincial Government that consideration for the wishes of the people of the district which the General Government has refused. — I remain, &c, J. D. Objiond. Mr. E. Bibby, Chairman, Waipawa. P.S. — The correspondence enclosed, and which I beg you to communicate to the settlers interested, consists of the following letters : — 1. Mr. Ormond to Postmaster-General —Oct. 30, 1867. 2. Mr. Ormond to Postmaster-General —Nov. 13, 1867. 3. Mr. Ormond to Superintendent of Hawke's Bay— Nov. 28, 1867. 4 Telegraph Manager to Mr. Ormond —Dec. 31, 1867. 5. Mr. Ormond to Postmaster-General —Jan. 20, 1868. One letter I have mislaid. It enclosed the second list of signatures to the memorial, and was of no different tenor to the letter enclosing the original set of signatures. J. D. O. Wallingford, Oct. 30, 1867. Sir, — I write at the request of a considerable number of the inhabitants of the Clive Electoral District, to beg that you will defer settling definitely the position of the telegraph station (which they hear it is intended to erect at Waipukurau), until after the arrival of the mail steamer, which will leave Napier for Wellington about the middle of -November, in order that time may be allowed for the preparation and forwarding of a petition, which is in course of signature, praying that the telegraphic station may be placed at Waipawa. This petition tne persons interested desire to have the opportunity o*f laying before you prior to the site of the station being determined. I have ventured to assure the petitioners that so reasonable a request will be sure to meet with consideration; and as the petition will probably be forwarded through me, I propose, when I have had the opportunity of acquainting myself with its contents, to express my opinion upon it in transmitting it to you. I shall, therefore, feel obliged if you Avill defer fixing upon any particular site for the telegraphic station for the inland district of Hawke's Bay, until after the receipt of the petition to which I have referred. I should also feel obliged if you would acquaint me what circumstances are chiefly taken into consideration in fixing the locality of stations such as the one in question, as this information w r ould be a considerable guide to me in supplying you with such particulars as I may be able in regard to the case. — I am, &c, J. D. Osmond. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Wallingford, H. 8., Not. 18, 1867. Sir, — I do myself the honor to enclose you a memorial from 288 residents and electors of the Clive Distinct, praying that the telegraph station which it is understood will be erected at the most convenient site in the inland district of Hawke's Bay, may be placed at the township of Waipawa. The memorial sets forth that Waipawa is the 'place where tho District Court sits, and where the Resident Magistrate's Court house and the police station for the inland district, are placed. The memorialists likewise offer to place at the disposal of the Government, free of cost, a suitable piece of land for the requisite buildings to be erected upon. The memorial is sent to me as representative of Clive District in the House of .Representatives, with a request from the signers of the same that I will use my best exertions to obtain what they memorialize for. I beg to state for your information, that the various allegations contained in the memorial are correct, and that Waipawa is the recognised chief town of the southern inland district of Hawke's Bay. In accordance with the expressed desire of so large a section of my constituency, I beg most respectfully to press upon you their application that, the telegraphic station may be fixed at Waipawa, as that place is deemed by solarge a number of the residents of the district the most suitable for their interests. I am not aware of the conditions upon which telegraphic stations are arranged for, in the different provinces, although I have heard that in Wellington some of the inland stations are subsidized by the Provincial Government. I should think that a station at Waipawa would be selfsupporting, and in that case I conclude the General Government would not make any requisition upon the Provincial Government for assistance towards maintaining the station ; should it, however, be made a point by you that the station in question must, in case of its proving not self-sup-porting, be maintained at the expense of the province, I believe that the Superintendent and Executive Government of Hawke's Bay would do their best to meet your wishes. I urn informed that other signatures to tho petition are in course of collection, and will be forwarded to me for transmission when received. Begging your favourable answer to the memorial now enclosed, and awaiting your reply. — I am &c, J. D. Ormond. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Wallingford, Nor. 28, 1867. Sir, — I have the honour to address youi* Honor upon a subject which has lately

been much, canvassed by the residents of the inland district of this province, and upon which,; as member of the House of ■Representatives for the Clive district, I have been, specially addressed ; I refer to the site.;. of the telegraphic station. A station somewhere. m*the inland district is undoubtedly required, and some question exists as to^whether it will be formed at the township of Waipawa or at Waipukurau. An address to the hon. the Postmaster-GeneraL- has been forwarded* through me, signed by over 300 persons, being residents and electors interest" cl in the Clive district, praying that the station may be fixed at the township of Waipawa, and a site has been offered to the General Government free of cost for the purpose. The address '^ras so numerously and influentially signed, that I deemed it my duty to my constituents to forward it to the Postmaster-General, with a recommendation that its prayer should be complied with. I have, as yet, received no reply from the Postmaster-General, but I am informed that the telegraph surveyor has fixed upon a site at Waipukurau. Under these circumstances I consider it my duty to call the attention of the local Government to the very strong expression of opinion to which I have referred, in which 300 residents and electors of the province express'their opinion that the placing the station at Waipawa would be most conducive to the general interest of the community. I would urge upon your Honor's attention that the expressed desire of so large a section of the community should receive every possible consideration from the local Government, and I would suggest that the General Government should be communicated with by your Honor •with that object ; and further, that if it be made a condition 'by the PostmasterGeneral, that then a proportion of the cost of maintaining the station at Waipawa should be borne by the Provincial Government.

In conclusion, I would remind your Honor that the Provincial Council almost unanimously affirmed the opinion that the station should be fixed at Waipawa.--I have, &c.,

J".- D. Oemond, His Honor the Superintendent, _ Napier.

N.Z. G-ovt. Telegraph Department, Wellington, Dec. 31, 1867. Sir, — I am instructed by the Hon. tlie Telegraph Commissioner to inform you that he has carefully considered the statements contained in your letter, dated November 13, 1867, and in the memorial forwarded by you, together with reports on fthe subject to which they refer from •officers of this department. Looking at the superior utility qf a station at Waipukurau, as a meafjjfef maintaining uninterrupted telegraphic communication through the North Island, the Hon. the Telegraph Commissioner has decided to establish a station at that place; but if the persons interested .in the establishment of a station at Waipawa will guarantee the G-overnment against loss in so doing, he has no objection to a telegraph station being established at Waipawa likewise. — I hare, &c, C. Lemon, General Manager. J> D. Ormond, Esq., Wallingford, Hawke's Bay. Wallingford, Hawke's Bay, January 20, 1868. Sir, — I hare to acknowledge the receipt •of a letter from the general manager of the telegraph department, replying, by your directions, to letters and a memorial which "were addressed to you by myself and a large section of the inhabitants of the Clive Electoral District, on the subject of the site of the inland telegraphic station in this province. In the letter now received I find, with very great regret, that you have seen fit to decide against the expressed wishes of the majority of the people for whose benefit the station is about to be. formed, on the ground of the " superior utility of a station at Waipukurau, as a means of maintaining uninterrupted telegraphic communication through the North Island." I feel bound to state that no such superiority exists, and that a station at Waipawa ■would maintain uninterrupted telegraphic communication with, the rest of the colony just as well as the site you have decided upon. I must also most respectfully express my regret at the decision you have jjiven, on other grounds. This district, in common with the rest of the colony, is considering how far existing institutions can be re-modelled with ad-

vantage, and expenditure saved, by vesting larger powers in the General •Government of the colony. Anything more calculated to check confidence in the General Government could not have been done, than the total disregard shown in this instance to the desires and opinions of the people of this district — a majority of whom memorialised, and thus apprised you of their wishes in a matter in which they really are the only persons interested. I trust these remarks may not be considered out of place on my part ; I make them, smarting under a sense of disappointment at finding that in the first case in which the people of the outlying district I am connected with have appealed to the General Government, they have not met with that consideration which I think they were entitled to, and which the provincial authorities would bave shown them. In the conclusion of the letter of the General Manager I am informed that if the Government be guaranteed against loss, there will be no objection to a telegraph station being established at Waipawa. I shall be obliged if you will cause me to be informed what amount per annum the Government consider will secure them against loss, as I believe that the Government of the province will take upon itself the burden of the cost of maintaining a station at Waipawa, rather than allow the interests of so large a body of the inhabitants of the district to be disregarded. — I am, &c,

J. D. Ormond, M.H.R., Clive District, The hon. the Postmaster-General.

P.S. — I have furnished copies of the correspondence relating to this subject to the settlers who memorialised you upon it. * 5. D. O

The following resolutions were then proposed and seconded seriatim, and carried unanimously : —

1. That the correspondence, conducted by Mr. Ormond, relative to the intended site of the telegraph station (Waipawa v. Waipukurau), having been read, this meeting cordially approves of the course pursued by that gentleman, and desires to express itself perfectly satisfied that he has doneall that he could to forward its wishes, as stated in the memorial of the settlers, and to sympathise with his expressed regret that he has not been more successful in his well-intentioned efforts.

2. That this meeting regards the letter of the general manager of the .Telegraphic Department, written by the instruction of the Hon. the Telegraph Commissioner, as a direct and unfounded denial of the statements contained .in the memorial, supported by the signatures of upwards of 350 residents and electors of the Clive Distriot, and is decidedly of opinion that the public interest and commercial character

of Waipawa has been unfairly misrepresented and ignored in favor of the private influence of Waipukurau. 3. That the feeling of this meeting heartily coincides with the sentiments contained in Mr. Ormond's reply to the Telegraphic Department, and considers the action of the Telegi-apbic Commissioner, and the total disregard shown by him in this instance to the expressed desires and opinions of- the people of this district, as calculated to chlkk, if not to alienate, that confidence in the government of the colony which it should be the object of the General Government to foster, if it desires the support of the people of this district to its proposals for a reform of existing institutions.

4. That this meeting is of opinion that the statement contained in the letter addressed to Mr. Ormond by the telegraph manager, which shows that the decision of the Telegraph Commissioner rests mainly upon the so-styled " 'superior utility of a station at Waipukurau, as a means of maintaining uninterrupted telegraphic communication through the North Island" — is a statement which this meeting repudiates as not capable of being substantiated, and which, moreover, is opposed to the expressed opinion of the people resident in the district, whose experience and self-interest best qualify them to express an opinion upon the subject. That this meeting cannot refrain from adding its opinion, that the adducing such a reason as the sole ground for ignoring the respectfully conveyed prayer of 350 electors aud residents in the district, shows that the decision arrived at by the Telegraph Commissioner lias not been founded on consideration for the good of the community, bub has been influenced by interests not connected with those of the community at large. 5. That the interests of the province require a telegraph station at Waipawa for government, commercial, and other purposes ; and that this is fairly shown to be the opinion of the inhabitants by the large number of signatures of persons of all classes interested in the Clive district, who petitioned the Telegraph Commissioner, that a station should be established there. This meeting is therefore of opinion that, to secure this end, the local committee should put itself in communication with His Honor the Superintendent, and beg his attention to the resolution passed by the Provincial Council, in favor of a station at Waipawa, and ui'ge that, if necessary, the Provincial Government should subsidize the establishment of such station out of provincial funds.

These resolutions were Avarnily and ably supported by the remarks of gentlemen present ; but the length of documentary matter precludes a more extended report.

The school-house (which is a large and commodious building) Avas crowded to excess, and the committee stated that Messrs. Carlyon and Tanner (their representatives in the Provincial Council) had been invited by letter to attend. An answer from Mr. Carlyoh was read, regretting his inability to be present consequent on the wreck of the Echunga, which compelled his attendance in Napier.

The committee, responding to enquiries, stated that they had not received any written communication from Mr. Tanner accounting for his absence.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman, for his affable and courteous conduct in the chair, was carried by acclamation, and this terminated the business of the meeting.