STRATFORD & NGAIRE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 216, 1 March 1882, Page 3

STRATFORD & NGAIRE.

(from our own correspondent.)

Only six members of the Stratford Eangors attended inspection parade last Saturday, and they j,ave in their arms. The company will, no doubt, be disbanded; but, I hope the Defence Department -will be kind enough to bend up that £ a man, whioh they promised. Volunteering for pleasure always seems to hang fire in country districts. •An entertainment of some sort is projected, to celebrate the opening of the Stratford School building, but it is doubtful whether it will come off this full moon, as the completion of the work is delayed through the non-arrival of some fittings from Auckland.

Mr. Tisch, the ever-popular boniface, has sold his comfortable little house at Mangawhero to Mr. lnston, who takes possession in about three weeks.

Tenders closed at noon on Saturday, for stumping and earthwork on Opunake Eoad. 1 do not consider, however, that sufficient notice was given of the work being to let, for it was only notified in the Taranaki papers less than a week before tenders had to be posted, and it was not advertised in the Stab as it should have been, the road being in Hawera County. I will try and get a list of the tenders sent in, for public information. So the Ngaire Eoad Board are not to be allowed to take the only course open to them to afford access to the settlers (or would-be Bettlers) across the Ngaire Stream. It must strike outsiders as supremely ridiculous that a representative body should be elected to open up the roads as fast as possible, and should yet have to submit every petty matter to another body of gentlemen who know absolutely nothing of the merits of the cases on which they decide. " The matter •was referred to the Banger" is the stereotyped resolution; and as that very able officer is notoriously overworked, and is but human after all, his opinion, even though erroneous, is allowed to outweigh the opinion and wishes of the Eoad Board, not one member of which body in the present instance, has the least personal interest in the matter.

At noon on Wednesday, the Bth March (this is another cheap advertisement for the Land Board), eight sections in the suburbs of Stratford, in Hawera County, will be sold by auction at New Plymouth. The area vary from 2 acres to 30, and the upset price from .£3 to £5 per acre. This is first-class level hind, lightly timbered, and I hope will find buyers in men who will improve and occupy it — it must be an excellent investment.

Th«se last few days of fine weather have tempted some people to five their bush, and there is consequently a good deal of einoke in the air; but I cannot tbink that the bush will be fit to burn for the next five or six days anyhow. If the collector of dog tax for Hawera County thinks that the settlers in this riding intend to betake themselves to Normahby to pay the tax, he must have the organ of faitb largely developed. No ; Mr. Exley, that is a little too much to expect. I wonder whether it ever struct the Hawera Eoad Board that they are all at tea over those Whakatuara deviations, of which we see so much in the paper. A study of the Public Works Act would enlighten them a little, and they would find that unless they can make a friendly arrangement, the roads as they are at present are absolutely the property of the occupiers of the laud, and that therefore there is uo occasion for them to make any claim upon the Board for compensation : they are safe enough. When the Board has published the forty days' notice, has heard any objections, and has taken the land (there is no appeal from its decision), then it may fairly expect a modest demand for compensation. At present the public are simply trespassers.

February 27. [We believe the Eoad Board are perfectly aware of this, but are endeavoring to make a " friendly " arrangement, before proceeding to legalise the deviations. — Ed.]