WAIKATO JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 72, 26 March 1888, Page 3

WAIKATO JOTTINGS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

ALEXANDRA,

This township, about eight miles beyond Te/ Awamutu Station, situated on the Waipa River, and the farthest boundary of settlement in that direction, was formerly a most important place. Numbers of constables were located there, and before th e railway all merchandise was carried up the Waipa River, and landed there for the outlying districts. Hence it was a busy place, with a larger population than at present. The railway to Te Awamutu and now on to Te Kuiti and Otorohanga has changed all that, and some of the old residents think not for the better, but for the worse. There is, however, a little life left in the old border township ; although a somewhat dead-and-alive sort of place, it is not quite dead yet. We. had the pleasure of looking into the old Public Hall. It had a rather dilapidated and aged appearance outside, and looked as if it had certainly seen better days. Inside, however, it has a much more pleasant and inviting appearance, having recently undergone complete renovation. Over the front entrance is a gallery. There is a commodious orchestra stage, which has recently been fitted up with moveable scenery prepared and fitted by local talent, and, though plain, is a credit to the place. In this respeot we could hot help observing that it puts Hamilton (West) Hall into the shade. The improvement in the old hall has been, effected by the local Amateur Theatrical Club, or whatever they please to call themselves. Some little time ago they made their maiden essay, which was a decided success. Now they are, preparing for a more ambitious effort, intending shortly to bring before the public of Alexandra and vicinity "The Pirates of Penzance." We ought not to omit to notice the fact (which we are sure will gladden the hearts of our temperance readers) that there is iimo only one hotel in Alexandra,' one having recently been closed —never, never, we hope, to be re-opened. One hotel is quite enough, and we are glad to be able to bear testimony that Finch's Alexandra Hotel is admirably conducted, and' travellers wandering into that secluded neighbourhood may rely on being mado comfortable. Anyone seeking to spend a quiet holiday, prospecting or otherwise along the adjacent mountain ranges, might do worse than go to Alexandra for a few days. Mr Finch, Alexandra Hotel, showed us a sample of fine onions which he grew in his garden. From five and a-half poles of ground the produce was 2,3401bs of very fine onions. This is at the rate of about 30 tons to tho acre, yet in the Waikato we found onions were selling retail at 3d per lb. at the present time. TE AWAMUTU. This township, too, has been noted as the rendezvous both of military and constabulary. It has historical associations in connection with the Waikato war, and we are glnd to see the colonial Government have just erected a fine monument in the little churchyard, conspicuous from the road, commemorating, the death of brave men who felHn defending their homes and families, or in. fighting their country's battles. The monument has just been finished by J. and H. Buchanan, of* Auckland, and is a very good; specimen of their work. It has a square base with the inscription facing the road. It is some twelve or fourteen feet in height and capped by a Maltese cross. The following is the inscription :—" This was erected by the Colonial Government, March, 1888^ as a memorial of the_ officers and men of the Imperial, Colonial, and Friendly Native Troops who died during the Waikato War 1863-1865, and were buried in this churchyard, beneath or near this monument." Notwithstanding tho depressed times, we think no one will grudge such a small meed of commemorative praise to our brave dead. Te Awamutu has quite a number of stores and two commodious hotels. We should think both storekeepers and hotelkeepers find it a hard struggle to keep abreast of the times, i.e., to keep their heads well above water. We do not know whether the severe competition which is now the order of the day in all branches of business means, in Darwinian parlance, the survival of the fittest. The man with the longest purse may not always be the best and fittest. It is a great pity the Railway Station has been placed ao far from the township. Interested landed proprietors managed to pull the wires, though at present we do not think they have benefited quite as much as was anticipated. The railway, though, running right through the Waikato has not proved such a grand thing as many expected. Thewhole districts through which it passes are clamorous with complaints of tho excessive freight -haro-es for small parcels of produce. We have jusb been told that 2s 9d was charged freight from here, to Auckland for a small box of plums weighing 301b, while they were told that if it had been half-arhnndrqdweight, 2s 8d would have been the freight. This is only one out of hundreds of. similar instances of the absurd freaks of railway charges. The whole system of railway freight is an utter abomination, and a complete revolution is needed to sweep it away. Wq, are anxiously looking for, a change. Shall we get it ? KIHIKIHI. This is another border township on the confines of civilisation, and in the future will be looked back upon as an historical locality. Here they had some rollicking times when large numbers of oonstabulary were stationed in the neighbourhood. Public money was spent freely; and sume of the old identities languish for "the good old times," when "times were good," you know, now'gone by. Here are three hotels and several stores. Some of the more enterprising storekeepers of Te Awamutu, Kihikihi; arid Alexandra have sought to revive their fallen fortunes by opening branches along the new line of railway now being constructed. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the hotelkeepers cannpb follow their example. There1 is-one other little matter of a sanitary character we would like to refer to before, ending these few jottings. We have again and again remarked when running through the; Waikato that several or (nearly all) the hotels have those abominable nasty things, open privies; some of them big, enough to bury a horse and carts WKafc the result is when they are cleaned out (if they ever are) is impossible to imagine. We have seen these abominable places all alive- in the hot weather, and the flies which thus breed, in these cesspools m^st tajje disease with them. Need one wonder at typhoid, which, ought never to be found in a country district? We, feel tempted to ask, are there ho Inspectors of Nuisances in the Waikato ?