WAIROA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3542, 15 November 1882, Page 2

WAIROA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

November 15, 1882,

When some years ago " The Majah " rose in his place in the House, and refused us an endowment for our harbor on the grounds that it was impolitic, not to say illegal, to fritter away the public estate, some people were found so deeply imbued with party feelings that they almost applauded "The Majah's" decision, and, figuratively speaking, they kissed the foot that spurned them and their Harbor Bill. Since then a great change haa taken place—Liberals and Tories have met together: Greyites and Hallites have embraced each other. In fact there is little or no party feeling in New Zealand now, and we Wairoa folk are no exception to the rule. Hence it is that friends ac well as fees of the Atkinson Ministry vie with each other in condemning the Government for so readily granting to the Napier High School a valuable block of land so near the township, when it was urgently required for a harbor endowment. It is but a truism to say that a harbor entrance giving fifteen feet on the bar at high water would be better for the country than a High School in Napier. We do not grudge you any educational benefits you may receive, but let it not be at the expense of settlement.

Jupiter Pluvius has been very liberal —too liberal by half—with his watery gifts this week. Oα Wednesday afternoon a large party numbering 25 or 30, including half a dozen ladies, left here for Mohaka to attend a cricket match and concert. Bless me, what a holiday ! The cricketers arrived soaked through, played for about twenty minutes in torrents of rain, and then gave in. The ladies, some of them reached Mohaka, and some only got half way, wet through of course. The cricketers and the ladies are getting back by degrees io twos and threes, looking very much weather-beaten, though one young man would insist on saying the trip was " quite a refreshing change for him." A good many here will not forget the Prince of Wales' birthday, 1882, in a hurry. On Thursday night Epineha Taura, one of the most influential natives in Wairoa, died after a lingering illness. Mr Ebenezer Baker (late R.M. here) has just been appointed Sheriff of Wellington in the room of Mr A. S. Allan, retired. Mr Baker has been very many years in the Government service, and has well earned this appointment.

The Mechanics' Institute building is now well in hand. Nearly all the weather-boarding is finished, and the roof principals erected. The heavy rains and wind we have experienced for the last few days will hardly be appreciated by any one. Shearing has been totally interrupted, and the flocks that have been already shorn— fortunately few—will have a bad time of it. The fruit crop, too, will be materially lessened.

A meeting was to have been held at the Border Hotel last night to decide what steps are to be taken towards holding the annual Coledonian sports at Frasertown.

The next quarterly licensing meetings for the Clyde and Waikaremoana districts will be held on the sth and 6th of December respectively. Mr Andrews, Inspector of the Bank of New Zealand, arrived by the last trip of the Boojum, and inspected the accounts of the bank, which I need hardly say were found O.K.—so much for the management of our esteemed and popular bank agent. We have been grievously disappointed over the solar eclipse which was to have been observed on Saturday between, 9.20 a.m. and 2.20 p.m. Heavy banks of clouds shut out old Sol from our sight, and of course rendered the eclipse totally invisible.

Little by little the Council are getting rid of ttie absentee laud owners, and transferring the properties to hona fide settlers. Summonses have been taken out against twelve defaulting ratepayers —absentees —and the cases will be heard on the 30th instant. The total area is 207 aOr 32p ; total rates due, £1 lGs. Of this land 1120 acres are situated at Opoiti, 80 at Waikari, and the balance is distributed between Frasertown and Mahia.

I understand that the members of your Napier Cricket Club intend to visit" our district on the 27th of this month. As an interesting bit of information I may inform you that a 6trong team will meet your men. I would, however, much rather see the match played on Saturday, 25tb, as we anould get a much better attendance of the public on the ground.