OUR HOME LETTER.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3909, 8 May 1877, Page 3

OUR HOME LETTER.

The state of public feeling in the colony, at present, brings back to our minds its condition in the days of the Franco-Prussian war. Then, as now, the news from Europe was the matter on which the attention of the community was concentrated, and the significance of local matters was, comparatively speaking, dwarfed. The desirableness of adopting some means for defending some of our principal ports is now and then talked about, but hardly with seriousness, partly because, so far as we can at present judge, the preservation of England's neutrality is almost a matter of certainty, partly because our resources are so entirely inadequate for anything like effective defence that none at all is as good as any that we could make, and partly because the assurances of Her Majesty's Government lead us to believe that Great Britain will undertake that duty for us in case of attack by a hostile power. A report has been circulated by a southern newspaper, the Timaru Herald, and has been telegraphed round the colony by the Press Agency, to the effect that instructions have been received by the Governors of the Australasian colonies, directing them that in case a port is attacked, such resistance as can be made should be made, and then whatever requisition is levied by the enemy should be paid, the Empire guaranteeing to recoup the sum. There may be nothing in the report, probably there is nothing; still the circumstance that Mr Wakefield, the editor of the journal mentioned, has, owing to his connections and intimacies, exceptional opportunities of obtaining information about such matters — opportunities which, if the report is true, he has grossly abused — gives it a coloring of credibility which it would not otherwise possess, and makes it desirable that, if there is nothing in it, it should receive an official contradiction. The Colonial Parliament meets for the despatch of business in about two months' time. The present Ministry appeal 1 as yet tolerably firm in their places. The rumor is now that Separation is still to be the programme of the Opposition. If that turns out to be correct, they will most pi-obably be in a still weaker and more contemptible minority than they were in last session. There are contrary rumors, however, to the effect that a strong, active, and vigilant Opposition is likely to be formed on some other basis. Such an Opposition as this, if it is formed, will have gained an important accession in the recent election of Mr Travel's for one of the Wellington seats. It is reported, too, that it will be led by the present Speaker, Sir William Fitzherbert. We do not put much faith in that report, however. Sir William Fitzherbert appreciates too well the ea.se and dignity of the lucrative post which he fills so ably, to throw it tip for the hazards and excitement of active politics. With reference to the new local government system, which the Legislature has given us in the place of the provinces, the feeling is becoming universal both here and everywhere else throughout the colony that it needs a vast deal of amending before it will work even as satisfactorily as the old system did. The object evidently to be aimed at in establishing such a system is surely to simplify the machinery as much as possible, not to have two authorities whose duties clash when the work could bo as well performed by one. The tendency of last session's legislation, however, is not to simplify, but to perpetuate complexity. The settlers within any given area would find it possible to get twice as much out of the Government in the shape of subsidies on the same amount of local rates, if they maintain both road boards and counties within their district, as if they allow the Council of the latter body to do everything for them. At the surae time, the Acts contain no provisions for rating the outlying districts or road districts which rate themselves inadequately, without doubling the rates of the actively working road districts. If the Acts had been cunningly devised for the purpose of making it difficult to get at the holders of large tracts of pastoral country, in any way, it could hardly have attained the object more thoroughly. We foresee considerable difficulty too in getting anything but a delusive amendment of it with tho pastoral element overwhelmingly strong as it is in the Upper House. The Hawke's Bay County Council held on the sth April its most important meeting .since its inauguration. The principal matter in the Council's business of the day was to decide whether a rate should be struck. In connection with that question the report of the Finance Committee was brought up and read. It showed the estimated expenditure for the year ending the 31st December next to be £2627 12s Id, while the receipts were set down at £2775. The committee refrained from making any recommendation as to imposing a rate, remarking that as the funds at the disposal of the comity

would be sufficient to. meet its requirements for the year, they, would leave it to the consideration of the Council whether any rate should be imposed for the current year. But whatever might have been the opinion of any of the members of the Council on the point, they could not impose a rate in the face of estimates showing a surplus, as the Act only provides for a rate being made to raise the " additional sum required " beyond the estimated receipts. The Council therefore merely adopted the report. The outlying districts of the county have thus escaped being rated this year, while they will have their roads, &c, attended to out of the funds at the disposal of the County Council ; but at the same time the road board districts have escaped an additional burthen, as the Council has not the power of imposing what is termed a general rate without its applying to all districts alike. The Council has since had one special meeting in respect to passing bye-laws ; the next ordinary meeting will be held on the 14th instant. The Waipawa County Council have held two meetings since our last letter. The principal matter dealt with has been the question of declaring all the roads in the county to be county roads, thus bringing them entirely under the control of the Council, and making that body responsible for the maintenance of the roads, bridges, <kc. The effect of this course of action is virtually to abolish the road boards, for it leaves them without any functions. The County Act, it may be remarked, contemplates the merging of road board districts into counties, a course which in some cases, it is admitted, would be highly expedient. The means of doing so, as prescribed by the Act, are however, considerably hedged in with conditions ; but the Waipawa Council have found a short road to the same result. The Waipukurau riding in this Council is again unrepresented. The first election — at which Mr Sydney Johnston was returned— was upset because the then returning officer closed the poll for a quarter of an hour while he went out in search of information as to the correctness or otherwise of the qualification of a voter. At the fresh election that was held Mr Sydney Johnston was again returned, and now his election has been declared A r oid because while the Ruataniwha voters at one polling booth were allowed cumulative voting, at another they were allowed only single votes. In both cases the proceedings were taken at the instance of the unsuccessful candidate in the election contest, the lion. H. E. Russell. The a Hairs of the Napier Municipality may be said to be in a very healthy condition. The rating for the year amounts to over £2800, and that added to the Government subsidy and other sources of revenue, gives the Corporation no inconsiderable income. Manifestation of this flourishing state of things is being given in those modes that are usual in well regulated towns whose funds are not at zero, — the streets are being put in good repair, arrangements are being made for lighting them with gas, and works generally are being pushed on tending to the comfort of the residents in the municipality. The reclamation works at the swamp are being proceeded with vigorously. From Mr M. R. Miller's report, which was jmblished in the Herald a few days since, we learn that a good deal of attention has been turned to the " squatting" properties of this district, in consequence of the satisfactory results that have attended the operations of investors, but transactions of the kind have been somewhat checked of late by the critical state of matters at home rendering buyers more cautious than in ordinary times. Land may still be obtained from the Crown here from 10s to iOs per acre; good land, easy of access, £7 to £10 per acre ; the richest alluvial plains, highly improved and productive, from .£ls to H2o per acre according to locality, the returns of annual yield giving an average of £6 to £7 for wool and tallow per acre. Mr Miller rejwrts to have sold since last October, the following properties : — Mr Balfour's Mohaka run, 376 acres freehold, and 97-iO acres leasehold (rent to Crown £'11 annually for 8 years) with 800 sheep given in, to Mr W. Smith, for £1700 (this run capable at present of carrying 3000 sheep) ; Mr John M'Kinnon's Arapawanui leasehold of 5000 acres, 10 miles from Napier, on the seaboard, rent £40, with 2000 sheep, to Mr E. Towgood, for £2500. 400 acres Mr Todd's Homewood land, 3 miles from Kaikora railway station, to Captain Howard, at £7 per acre ; Mr M'Hardy's estate, about 8 miles from Napier, the improved homestead block, 856 acres, to Mr A. Grant, for £15,470 (this estate now capable of carrying a minimum of 7 sheep to the acre), the lower block of same estate, Gl3 acres, to Mr G. Peacock for £0700, muking an average for the whole estate of £15 lO.s per acre ; the Tutira Lake station, a leasehold of Mr Towgood's, containing 20,500 acres, rent £150, 17 years of lease unexpired, with 4000 sheep, to Messrs Stuart and Merritt, for £4000 ; and in small blocks of 242 acres on Puketiritiri (land reserved for settlement) for £355. The following particulars respecting the ilawke's Bay district, gathered fiwii the agricultural and other official returns, are referred to in Mr Miller's circular : — The total acreage is 3,050,000 ; under cultivation, or partially so, 1 ,500,000 acres ; surface-sown or laid down in artificial grasses (1875-70), 204,482 acres; d0., (1876-77), 322,750 acres. Increase in 1877, 58,268 acres. Number of acres in wheat, oats, root, and other crops, 3054 acres. The estimated number of sheep in the district, including 2134 imported for .stud purposes, is 1,387,022 ; the number of cattle is put down at 23,000 head. Tlie wool shipped in the year ending the 30th ultimo was 23,09S bales, valued at £452,730. Tallow, 022 tons, valued at £21,479. Sheepskins, 273 bales, valued at £3822. Hides, 017 bales, valued at £530. The total value of exports amounts to £478,501. The wool shipped gives an average for the number of sheep shorn, 1,172,608 (after deducting allowance for lambs shorn not included in returns) of Gibs. 14oz. per slice}). Large as this seems over a whole province, it is certainly within the mark, one settler alone, from 17,000 sheep, longwool and crossbreds, having an average of 9'lbs. over the whole number. It is estimated that three-fifths of our flocks are longwools and cross-breds, the remaining two-fifths merino. The mortality from death does not quite reach 5 per cent, per annum. It is pleasing to be able to state that the cutting up of runs into blocks easy

of sale is still proceeding. Captain .Newman is the latest instance. We learn that he contemplates cutting up some 10,000 acres of his back run abutting on the main road leading from Porangahau to Waipukurau. This is another step in the direction of the promotion of settlement in this district, and we have no doubt that before long the other runholders will also find it to their advantage to subdivide their great estates, and thus help to people the country. The railway returns for the colony show that the line through tins district yields a larger revenue than any of the others except those in Canterbury and Otago. The following is the return for the four weeks ending the 7th of April : — Napier to "Waipukurau, £2022 0s Id; Auckland to Mercer, .£1713 18s 7d; Wellington to Masterton, £914 12s 4d; Nelson to Foxhill, £691 4s 9d ; Foxton to Manawatu, £621 6s 6cl; Waitara to New Plymouth, £164 15s ; Brunnertonto Greymouth, £539 5s 4d ; Picton to Blenheim, £448 3s 6d; Kaipara to liiverhead, £252 12s 2d. The Napier Fire Brigade is rapidly becoming an important body, well organised, and in most essentials efficient for the purpose for which it has been formed. They have just had completed a very commodious building for the housing of the engines- (of which the brigade possess two) and other appliances. The building has also good accommodation for the person in charge, and a reading-room for the men. It is surmounted by a look-out tower and alarm bell. One of the engines has been only recently imported from England, having been landed from the Fernglen on April 14th. It is one of Shand and Mason's first prize fire brigade engines, of great power, considering its weight. It weighs 26 cwt., and will throw 300 gallons of water per minute, Avorking from one, two, three, or four jets. Some fresh spirit, indicated by renewed activity, has been infused into the committee appointed for promoting the erection of a suitable hospital for Hawke's Bay, and there is now every probability that the structure will shortly be proceeded with. A hospital is also to be erected at Waipukurau. Several public meetings have been held, and the subject has been taken up with great spirit and energy, and it is not at all improbable that the up-country building will be completed before the one in Napier. We have not had much in the way of amusements in Napier lately. The Davenport Brothers were our last visitors. They had a very successful season, pleasing the public all the more that they made no pretence to any spiritualistic nonsense. On the Ist of the present month we had in Napier a most unprecedentedly high tide; something, indeed, very much like a tidal wave on a small scale. The breakers came veiy much further in than high water mark, throwing down fences on the beach and canying away many small out-buildings. The water entered dwellings and shops, and caused a good deal of alarm ; but there were no casualties, and the injury to property was not of any serio\is nature.