WAIROA.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5864, 25 December 1880, Page 3

WAIROA.

(from our own correspondent). December 23, 1880. Aa I wired you the other day we have had very successful entries for the Handicap Hurdles (£39) and County Handicap (£75). Ten entries for the former and twelve for the latter make a good atart. The weights will be declared on the 30th of December. The entries for the District Plate (£2O) and Maiden Plate (£25) close on ths 7th of January, on which date the general acceptances are also due. So far Napier and Gisborne are represented by about five horses each. The booths and other privileges are- to be sold on the 3rd of January. A good amount is expected to be realised from these sources, as a large attendance is expected, A commodious grand stand has been erected, and as the steamers land passengers directly on the course a fair number of excursionists from Napier will probably honor us with their presence. At Frasertown they intend holding athletic sports on Boxing Day. JMew Year's Day will be occupied with, cricket matches, in which line the Albert Cricket Club have completely eclipsed their elder l'ival. One hears nothing of the County Cricket Club nowadays, and as there is really only enough room for one club the loss is not overwhelming. The trustees of the Wairoa cemetery intend at last taking some action in the trust to which they have been appointed. They intend, if they can obtain funds, to have a very necessary piece of work done, viz., laying out the cemetery in burial plots, so that Bites can be secured and a reasonable fee for interment levied. Hitherto no fees have been charged, and the burials have been conducted in a haphazard manner in respect to position and general arrangements. Entre nous, I fancy that before the trustees crave any more assistance from the public funds they should let the public know how the original grant they received has been expended. Of course it is all right, but there is not much to show for it. Our natives frienda want a cheap excursion to Napier. Tareha's death furnishes them with the necessary reason, and the Government are asked to find the wherewithal ; to lay on a special steamer for the sorrowing mourners, and alleviate their sufferings by takaho. The township is full of sctns-culottes aboriginals, who come here in order to pata-fe-waiea to friend Preece, telling him to hurry that steamer along and send some money up. Now, under the M'Lean dynasty or the Sheehan regime I could understand this, but I fondly imagined that the " moral " Ministry were to change all that, Mr Bryce's department in particular. With Government assistance for really necessary works harder to get every day, it really is mortifying to see public money squandered over a lot of idle lazzaroni. If these gentry are so anxious to lament their loss on the spot, in the name of all that's common-sensical why don't they ride overland ? They have plenty of horses. The public school hold a breaking up holiday on the 22nd insc. when the little ones were indulged with the annual school treat by the schoolmistress. It is needless to say that the youngsters thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Do editors ever enjoy themselves % If they do I trust they will enjoy the present Christmas. Wishing you and your many readers the compliments of the season, I conclude this epistle with a vague horror of hot weather, hot joints, heavy wets, heavy dinners, whiskey and podophyllin ! ! [We never heard of any editor enioyiner himself.— Ed. H.B.H.J