THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 139, 13 August 1881, Page 2

THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

(from our own correspondent.)

MANAIA, Thursday. The weather during the last week has been wintry in the extreme ; consequently things generally have been very quiet. The contractors have pushed on with the works at the bank as fast as the weather would allow them, and the main part of the irame is now up. The new hotel is also beginning to show some form.

As I before wrote you, a movement is on foot to get a Town Hall erected at Manaia, but it has not yet been decided whether it is to be done by public subscription or by forming a company.

The settlers around Manaia are going to petition foi the erection of a public schoolThis is certainly a move in the right di. rection, for there are numbers of children in this district whose parents cannot possibly send them all the way to Hawera — a distance of at least ten or twelve miles — to be educated, and it is to be hoped that the settlers will be more fortunate in this matter than their Opunake friends have been.

Pig-hunting is still the leading pastime. Several parties have been out during the last week ; they appear to have had plenty of sport, and it certainly is highly amusing to listen to the recital of deeds of daring and the hair-breadth escapes of the new chum hunters.

The natives around here indulged in a " Tangi" on Saturday, on account of the death. at Parihaka of Nuku, Titokowaru's brother. Some of the returned prisoners have been about here lately, and expressed some surprise at seeing the township. At the same time, they thought the pakehas [were very foolish to build snoh fine Louses, for as soon as they haci all finished building, Te Whiti would simply order them to be removed the some way as the surveyors had been, and the Maoris would then take possession. It is a nice little of bounce, no doubt, but it strikes me very forcibly that Te Whiti would find more trouble in removing the few hundred settlers at present in the district than he did in carting off three or four small survey parties, who were not even allowed to resist. Judging from the amount of planting, fencing, &c, done, some of the settlers around Mauaia evidently intend to improve their properties considerably, and if things go on as, they oueht to do, this district will boast of the finest farms in the colony. Mr. Eobinson, the Crown Lands Ranger, has been hard at work lately inspecting the improvements, &c, on the deferred payment sections. He is evidently an energetic officer, and no doubt he will be able to afford the Government some valuable information as to the progress of settlement.

Hawera has the making of a very pretty little town, which in due course will, bythe travelling facilities offered by rail and coach, attract visitors from all parts of New Zealand, and as the place progresses the inhabitants will not overlook the planting of ornamental trees, the building of pretty villas, the maintaining the footpaths, roads, &c. ; this, with comfortable hotel accommodation, will greatly help in giving good value to town and country property. The success of the place lies with the people who inhabit it : the banks, with their managers, the medical and legal profession, the merchants and traders will all aid in this developing of the charms and pleasures of a social circle, but not cliques. The Hawera mill, to turn out superfine flour j the grazier to supply what Hawera can do, the best of beef; and Sharland's Baking Powder, to aid the good housewife in making bread, .is a desideratum of no mean order. — Advt. '