WAIROA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3007, 14 February 1881, Page 2

WAIROA.

(FROM OTJR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) February 12, 1881. Another hot dry week, and still no sign of rain, while other parts of the colony have had too much. Can this be attributed to the large amount of bush in some localities, and the almost total absence of timber in this one. Quite a number of Wairoa folks, taking advantage of the fine weather, are away at the Poverty Bay races. I notice that both there and in Napier no sports but the totalisator were allowed on the course. This certainly confines people's attention to racing, but I noticed here that tbe young people took great interest in the monkey and canary sweeps, and surely these sports are harmless. I speak feelingly on this point, as I have partially trained a tom-cat for a cat sweep next year, and begin to fear my labor has been wasted. I observe in your issue of the 10th instant a letter headed "A Denial," signed by the Wairoa County clerk. Like himself I also deny that I ever said the contents of my own or any tender for collecting the dog tax was made known prematurely. I, however, repeat that my tender was opened eight hours before it was considered; but not by the clerk, important as that functionary may be. I never suspected it was part of his duties to open letters addressed to the chairman. A little bickering is going on here as to whether it be feasible to successfully sink an artesian well on this Sat, and quotations from sundry engineers and clever men are cited. It however, appears to have been forgotten that some fifteen years ago the then Provincial or General Government—l am not sure which—voted us the sum of £100 towards sinking an artesian well, and the inhabitants actually squabbled so over the spot where this well should be sunk that the £100 was never used. I prophesy the same lesult again—tbat is, if ever sufficient money be collected to start sinking. A quantity of the Crown Lands in this County have recently found purchasers, and several monied men from the sunny South are at this moment engaged in travelling about the Ruakiture block with the intention of buying it. It is a pity the Council have not opened a road at the Maru Maru ford. The chairman either can't see or won't see the difference between taking the right of road now he has the chance and making the road—a totally different matter.