COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9257, 20 July 1893, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[from our own correspondents.]

Hamilton, Wednosday. Good stone for road-making purposes can, it seems, be procured from Taupiri, railway charges included, for about 6s per yard ; and it is asked whether it would not be better to mend our principal streets with this material than to have them the sea of mud they at present are? The question, however, is not between stone metal and gravel, but between gravel and civ. The present state of Vic-toria-street, right from the Hamilton West station to the traffic bridge, is due entirely to the use by the Borough Council of clay instead of gravel for road-making purposes, and in applying this material at the beginning of winter for the purpose. If anyone will take the trouble to insert a stick anywhere in the worst places, where the mi is from three to six inches deep, he will find a good, hard macadamised road underneath. Our streets would be good enough, if gravel only were used, and of gravel there is plenty at about Is a load, but so long as gravel is discarded for clay which binds into a good hard road in summer, but in winter is churned into a quagmire, we shall have the roads we are now cursed with. Formerly there used to be a Works Committee of the Borough Council, consisting of two or three of the most experienced members. These were in a way responsible for the state of the roads. Now everything is left to a foreman of works. Half-a-dozen men and a couple of drays would very soon remove the surface soil from Victoria-street and render it comfortable and passable for the public, but the Borough Council shows a masterly inactivity. Yesterday's weather was phenomenal, A frosty morning and a bright clear day. The Hamilton Mutual Improvement Society had a fine evening for its meeting, the first it has had since its inauguration some six weeks ago. There were a large number of members present. The principal feature of the evening was a spelling bee, the proceedings being diversified by readings, recitations, songs, etc.

Unless some stops are immediately taken to provide a new ground, the Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club bids fair to be without a court next season, as Mr. Jatiics Hally, the owner of the property on which the club's grounds are situated, intends making some alteration which will do away with the tenuis courts altogether. Ncakuawahia, Wednesday. The Possibles and Probables to play on Saturday next here, out of which will be chosen the team to play Auckland on the sth August, was chosen by the Waikato Rugby Union, after the match on Saturday. They did not play on Saturday last, as appeared by a misprint. They are as follow :—Probables, navy blue: Fullback, K. Johnson; three-quartersbaek, W. Wright, J. Hanlon, J. 11. Hume ; halves, T. Clarkin, F. Rowden, T. G. Connolly; forwards, J. 15. Harris, .J. A. Gillet, J. Montgomery, M. MeSweency, A. Peacock, J. Sampson, R. F. Seddon, and K. Williamson. Possibles, maroon : Fullback, B. Marshall; three quarters, J. Hill, Lovell, and Mactu ; halves, C. Smith, Attril, and J. Wright; forwards, A. Cassidy, R. Edwards, R. Harrison. F. Jolly, " Libeller," W. G. Macky, Ngahiwi, and A. Turner ; emergencies, W. Hume, J. Barton, F. W. Hunt, J. Attril, and A. Hall. The second practice match will be played at Hamilton on the •_".) th instant. Any of the above teams who cannot play are requested to state so to the secretary at once. The new Public Library, just completed by Messrs. Henderson and Craig, though not a very pretentious building, will still he large enough for the purpose required. The Library Committee had to give up the room they have for some time occupied, owing to Messrs. Friar and Davies' new store necessitating the removal of the old building.

liuxTiA", Wednesday. The present state of the roads should urge more strongly upon the settlers of this part of the country than anything that could be written, the desirableness of forming themselves in to a local highway district, rather than to remain tacked on to the Waikato county, and to depend upon the crumbs vouchsafed us by that august body. The Great South Road, from here southwards, is a perfect quagmire, and the recent attempts to patch up soma of the worst [daces between here and Ta»piri i have proved perfectly useless, ami this too in a district where the best of road metal may be obtained at a reasonable price. Some little time ago it was supposed that Mr. Tatlley had the matter in band of getting their part of the outlying district formed into a highway board, but nothing more has been heard of the matter. It is time that something should bo done in this respect. It will take some little time to get the change effected, and this ought to be done before the next dry season has passed away so that work may be undertaken at the proper season of the year.

KAIWAKA. At times a somewhat vague conception exists rcz.-nlins the extent of sphere ait " Own Correspondent" is legitimately entitled to. Some there are, and these not a few, would limit his domain to the mere reporting of local festivities, concerns,, tea lappings, etc., with an occasional obituary article thrown in. To go beyond this for a subject, rtiid speak upon the actions of our local governing worthies is deemed an atrocious thing, and woe comet!) to that " Own who attempts it. Of a certainty, sooner or later, his will be accused of not giving "the true state of the affairs,'' of casting " slurs," and the world told thai he writes things which are "quite uncalled for." All of these offences I have recently been accused of by a writer in the Weekly News nt duly 8, who signs himself '"A Ratepayer.' To nil of these charges 1 plead " not. guilty." In vindication of my own honour, and injustice to those residents ivhose cause 1 advocated in an article which appeared in the Auklanh Weekly News of June 17, 1 cannot let " A Ratepayer's" letter pass unchallenged. The first accusation coming from "A Ratepayer" is that which charges me with not "giving the true state of affairs." This I presume applies to my com ments on the execrable state of the road leading to Hakaru. I think " A Ratepayer" will have seen that mv remarks thereon were more than verified by " W.L." in an article re the roads in Kaiwaka, which unfortunately only partially appeared in the Weekly 'News of duly I. The imputation made by "A Ratepayer" that, of " easting a slur upon the councillor for the riding," which be considers to be " quite uncalled tor," is quite outside my comprehension. I don't know what "A Ratepayer" means. Are there not two councillors for the riding? And are not both of them re sponsible for their acts'.' What was the slur, and on which Councillor did it fall? Though not addict ell to .such an offence, in this instance many difficulties would have stood in the way, the friendship existing between the above gentleman and myself counting not one of the least ot them. " A Ratepayer'' speaks in contemptuous terms of the settlement road which he regards as "' a byroad that is hardly known except to those living in the immediate vicinity." I admit that for some inexplicable cause it is held to be a by-road, and 1 will not deny that its surface is unbearably rough, but that "A Ratepayer" should be so uncharitable as to christen it a " hardly known road" is to my mind piling rough upon rough. In this district. (Kaiwaka) there are about 50 resident landowners (ratepayers), 21 out of this number reside on "A Ratepayer's" unknown road. All of these are old settlers, in fact the oldest in the district, a portion of them having resided on the farms they still occupy, for more than 30 years. The farms extend about three miles along the road, and are on both sides of the road, which is the worst-condi-tioned road in Ivaiwaka. To get an empty dray from one farm to another by road, during winter, is considered a" tall" undertaking. About the centre of the settlement road are two steep hills, which even in summer are an obstacle to traffic, while the heavy mud which clings to them throughout the remainder of the year shuts out traffic altogether. Will "A Ratepayer" say that settlers on this road have been benefited to the extent of i'l at these particular places during the past -J years? I venture to say no. There are no engineering difficulties in the way, and they would not cost a mint of money to put into decent grade. Yet no councillor ever seriously troubled himself about lessening the declivity of these hills. They have been stoically ignored— on to each successive set of councillors. It is generally admitted that small improved farms are placed (proportionately) at a higher valuation than large holdings, consequently the farms along the settlement road being ot the former class, pay rates in the aggregate more than is derived from property of the same extent anywhere in the district. This was my former contention, and it remains so still. The sum stated by "A Ratepayer" as derived from the Otamatea Road, which was intended to look big, is collected from property extending over some 12 or 14 miles of road, which is always main- , tained from rates gathered over the district. 1 The tramway road, owing to its use and purpose, is not entitled to much public money expenditure, while the old North road, with its three resident settlers, one of them a councillor, with wheel traffic almost nil, need not complain, because it is having £50 spent on its improvement, and a further sum of about £20 ready for extra little jobs. In another direction, a long length of graded road work is being done, solely for the benefit of those it may concern, which in this instance is not the general public. Rut perhaps the most remarkable circumstance connected with this road, call it coincidence if you will, is that this road (new) runs in } the direction of another councillor's property.

When the contract is finished, I am informed that the whole sum spent on that portion I allude to will tot up, to almost 180. Can "A Ratepayer" contradict these statements? If not, wherein then lies my sini? 1 do not say that councillors should not have roads to their places, and new ones at that; that is, when no glaring inconsistency requires redress, but there seems something objectionable in "A Ratepayer trying to keep from the public the knowledge that they are setting them, and that from the public rates money will be drawn to pay for them. I now conclude with adieu to A Ratepayer." ~ There is likely to be no dearth of candidates at the next election of councillors for this riding. The names of three settlers interested in the Settlement Road are freely discussed as probable candidates for the office, while the names of several ratepayers in the eastern portion of the riding are also mentioned. Measles have made their appearance in Kaiwaka. Up to the present two cases are reported in the district. — [Own Correspondent.}

WHANGAREI. The monthly meeting of the school committee took place in the county office on Monday, July 10, at half-past seven p.m. Present: Messrs. McKay (chairman), ClarkWalker, Hutchiugs, Galbraith, and McKiunon (secretary). On the motion of Mr. Walker, seconded by Mr. Hutchings, resolved, " That the head teachers of the schools be asked to take every precaution to ascertain whether the children attending are free from infectious disease before allowing them to take their places in scho >!." On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr. Hutchings, it was resolved, "That this committee strongly objects to the Board of Education appointing an assistant teacher to any school under the control of the committee without first conferring with them on the subject, and that the attention of the Board be drawn to that effect contained in their letter, on the 18th of February last." The following accounts were submitted :— H. Marchant,£3 ss; F. R. Aldertou, 5s Od ; Drummond, „1 4s id ; A. G. Harvey, 4s Id ; Clement and Bentley, 2s; McGregor and Co., 6s 6d; C. Johnson, (is; J. Ewen, 9s: total, £6 2s sd. The accounts as read were passed for payment. Mr. J. Fullon's account for coal and firewood for the Horahora school was ordered to be paid when the fuel shall have been properly stored to the satisfaction of Mr. Rust or the secretary, and the account for deliveries of fuel for the Whangarei school be amended in accordance with the secretary's instructions. It was agreed to approve of the action of the teacher in opening the Horahora school on the 10th instant. On the motion of Mr. Hutchings, seconded by Mr. Clark-Walker, it was resolved, *' That the secretary be instructed to write to Dr. Marsack requesting him to report on the measles epidemic now prevalent in the town, and that the meeting adjourn intil the next day, at eleven a.m., for receipt and consideration of such report." The adjourned meeting was held as agreed on. Dr. Marsack was present, and read his report, which was adopted by the committee. It was resolved, "That the public schools be closed for at least three weeks, or until a further report is received from Dr. Marsack." On the motion of Mr. McKenzie, seconded by Mr. Clark-Walker, it was resolved, "That this committee having inspected the school built recently at Horahora, have come to the unanimous conclusion that it is the most complete building that they have seen, and would respectfully recommend the Board to adopt the same plan in all school buildings ; and, further, that this committee would, through the Board of Education, desire to compliment the architect and also the builder on the plan and faithful workmanship on the said school." It was agreed to call the attention of the Board of Education to the fact that no provision has been made in the specifications for improvements to the Whangarei school for a gate to the school grounds by which a cart can be admitted for the conveyance of coal, lirewood, etc. It was resolved to inform the Hoard of Education that the schools have been closed on account of the measles epidemic, and to thank Dr. Marsack for his report.—[Own Correspondent.] '

MAHURANGI. This and other districts north of Auckland ought to at once follow the example of Hikurangi and hold public meetings to supplement the action of the northern members in their endeavour to induce the Government to take over the Great .North Road and keep it ii: thorough repair. In asking this it is only asking for a small instalment of that justice to which we are fairly entitled. Although the Southern parts of the colony have had almost every desire gratified by the expenditure of public money, we in the North, because poor, are to remain so, or become insane, or commit suicide, with vain efforts to overcome difficulties in road-making which ought to have boen done by Government years ago. We produce a great deal for export in the shape of gum, timber, flax, coal, fruit, wool, sheep, dairy produce, and cattle, and if the country was propel ly roaded the production would be much increased. Your Mangawai correspondent tells us that the roads there are such that fruit cannot be sent to market, and that fat sheep are in the same predicament. No astonishment need be expressed that settlement in the North does not increase, tor no sane man who can otherwise keep himsei", after seeing the state of the roads tor the six months of winter and spring, will willingly consign himself and family to be buried alive for half the year, besides having to work like a bullock, with the patience of an ass, to bring laud lie may take up into a profitable state, and then, if favomed by fortune, only to find that lie has no road to get anything to a market. Special settlements have failed for this very reason, and large portions of the land are also owned by absentees on the same account. There are many spots in this district favourable for the cultivation of sub-tropical fruits, but no one will venture on the trial under the circumstances, tor to cart fruit, even to our near port of shipment, with roads axle-deep in mud and slush, is more of a tax than the produce is worth.

The cultivation and dressing of flax has been entered upon at Wavby, with the intention of having it shipped at VVarkworth, but the present state of the road (the main road north) is in such a condition as to preclude the possibility of carting it to the port of shipment, and the industry bids fair to be killed outright for want of a road. On this road a good deal of money has been spent in engineering and metalling, and is nowfastgoing to ruin tor want of proper supervision and repairs, and bids fair to show that all the money spent has only been wasted, and the Government ought, in all fairness, to take the road over, and thus relieve tho local bodies so that they may be able to give all their attention to the district roads.— [Own Correspondent. 1

MATAKANA. Tin: state of the weather and roads this year has eliminated the poetry out of country life, and rendered the isolation of settlers more intense. Locomotion is only undertaken under a matter of the greatest necessity ; and as for haulage, it is out of the question. The local bodies of the North appear to be unable to maintain the main roads, and their inadequate revenue is frittered away tinkering over large areas. The Gum Commission are visiting the North at an opportune time, and their report of the roadless state of the country will, it is hoped, be taken advantage of by our representatives.

So far tho measles has not appeared in the district yet, although old and young are troubled with some ailment or another, developed by the excessive wet.

A portion of Glen Eden has boon sold to Mr. Hunt, of Te Arab This farm has an historical interest, &a "t was there that the first attempt to dress, flax by machinery was made by Mr. Whitelaw about 40 years ago.

A petition, to be presented to the House of Representatives, is lying for signature at tho post-office, urging upon the Government to define and construct the most direct line of road between Warkworth and Whaagarei as a main north road, and pointing out thae the most direct route is via Whangaripa Valley and Waipu Gorge. Mr. H. Monro- ilson, when engineer for the Rodney County Council, reported that from Warkworth to Te Arai alone there was a saving of 13 miles by this route, a very important matter in the maintenance of a main road. There is no well-defined main north road, as it has been twisted about to suit local considerations instead of being as direct as possible between centres. —[Own Correspondent.] PUKEKOHE WEST. A short time since, at one of the monthly meetings of the Road Board, it was proposed, duly seconded, and carried, "That a public notice be inserted in a paper circulating in the district, in accordance with clause 40 of the Rating Act, 1876, that the Board intended to strike a rate of Jd in the £1." This action of the Board several of the ratepayers did not endorse, consequently, at the last meeting of the Board, several ratepayers, led by the largest ratepayer in the district, put in an appearance, and let the Board understand they were there to protest airainst a jfd rate, as they thought £d in the £1, as formerly, was quite sufficient to carry cut the necessary works required in the district. The Chairman of the Road Board informed the ratepayers that as no notice had been given of a public meeting, he thought it only fair to other ratepayers to move the adjournment .of the present meeting for some other day, as he did not think the Board wished

to do anything that was not Iwa with the wishes of a majority b»t'h.*** time notice had been given of US '? 1 ''* the oar, to strike a rate 11 *>* the Board could legally cot lw,i d if notice' he could not tell, dmlKL** have legal advice, and lav it be! '' , ttt meeting The meetingXdcd %Th in the Masonic Hall on the aftcrln of' 1 "' 1 12th instant, immediately after Ivfpi , th * cattle sale The district was fit >'« sented. Mr. Pollock presided, anlifo?**the mettinx of the business to bet or,n *l that was, if a jf.] rate was to be il& d ' did the majority of rat-payers wisllr i ' " f to _d m the.,. Mr. H llman W. I. Wright seconded, "That tlrh' proposed by thb Road Board viz-I •' a « £, be struck for the current yeal 5 Charles &hmherd proposed as' ail, Ir ' ment, secoaded by Mr. W. H. Mn.'li*''['"''■ the rate foi the current year be id ilk I?? Before the chairman put the motion lit" those present to give their views on W ject, as he hid lctral advice from a l. able firm of solicitors in Auckland 7' 1 Messrs. Hill and Mahoncy, and they V' 1 ' opinion the Road Hoard could not go *! ?' the gazette .jotico of i'd in the £ * If 1 '? ratepayers spike in favour of a /,[ rail', , thought the Road Board ought to he thll judges of our requirements. The iVi-J l" 1 rate the more money would be ohtainajc ' subsidy. Others spoke in favour of a lovJ • t ' a and as usual, jet the members of the J,!) have it straight, from the shoulder. '11 u poser of the amendment asked leave i° seconder to withdraw, as in f IV , the legal advhe the Board must' \t the notice given, viz., strike a yd rat C this stage Mr. It VVylie proposed, whi v, duly seconded, "That the rate ten i , struck by the Hoard, viz., j'd, but this u ? ing respectfully request the said Boai onl. to collect id in the £." The Chairm i tun this motion first, and asked for ; _ _1 »■ ,{ hands, 'Jo' being held up in its favour Ti'" original motion " that the rate he $> with no proviso,'' was then put, and then were only 16 hands held up in favour of h\\hl amendment was declared carried, aud \&* ' ' vote of thanks to the chairman, the nidi* separated.—[Own Correspondent.] V