MATAKOHE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6758, 16 July 1883, Page 3

MATAKOHE.

It does not seem to be generally known that this district is one of the best situated on the Kaipara waters. It consists mostly of strong limestone land, most suitable for the growth of grain crops. Though, not to be termed level, yet noue of the elopes are so steep that they cannot be ploughed for any purpose with an ordinary team ; and the facility for trade, that the beautilul iulet which forms the water frontage affords, ought to make the district one of the most flourishing in the North. Yet, with all its advantages, the district seems to share in the general sleepiness of the northern settlements with, r.egard to farming, and the delightful seriesof hill and dale that charm the observer's eye is required to produce nought but tea-tree and scrub, the people in the meantime consoling themselves with the oft-repeated " Farming does not piy." A great drawback to the place is the absence of many of the owners of the best of the land; but this should not hinder those present from doing their best to utilize ita natural advantages, and thus entice back to their properties those who have never thought it worth while to come and see what those properties are like. There are signs oE a greater interest in agricultural matters this year, which I hops will not prove fallacious. A good number of farm implements, such as disc harrows, &c , have been imported during the past few months. This shows an increased activity in the right direction. The timber industry is well represented by Messrs. Smith, Brett, and Burns, and with the almost inexhaustible kauri forests that form our back country, should form a substantial support to the producer of food crops for many years to come. For eome time past, the settlers have been annoyed by the awkward steam service of the K.iS.ii. Co. Not only are they expected to pay the most ridiculous freights, bat are compelled to put up with the inconvenience of stwmers arriving at aj;y hpur of $h? night,, not a trifling one, when settlers have to come seven or eight mill a for their goods, and that there are many chauces of being disappointed by their non-arrival, through some carelessness along the line of transmission. I have made enquiries about the matter, and find that there is no reason why the steamers should not arrive here during the daytime instead of at night. The only obstacle seems to be that some officialism has decided that the boats shall leave Helensville at a fixed hour, with or without tide. Why thus ordained none enn say, as no advantage of trade or public convenience is gained; in fact, the reverse is the case. Why should not the steamers be allowed to start as early as possible in the morning, so as to enable them to reach their several destinations with, daylight, occasionally at least, and thus prevent the nece-sity for settlers waiting on the wharf until the small hours of the morning. For the mail service also, the present system is most troublesome. Hoping the company will consider their own interests and our convenience.—[A Correspondent.]