CASUAL RAMBLINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10425, 24 April 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

CASUAL RAMBLINGS.

TEN FEARS AFTER.-No, IV. [BY A. TRAMP, ESQ.] WRITTEN FOP. THE AUCKLAND WEEKLY NEWS ' WAITARA. Vffl Yictis-A Tide in the Affairs of TownshipsAdvantages of Portion-Gets no Forrader—The Rival freezing Works—Deference—Beef and Beer-Water Supply— Waitara TimesRaleigh— Potentiality of Progress-Public Spirit—Waitara's Natural Port of the Interior—'The M.H.R.-Tops and Bottom:,—'The Two Sams—Racing Progress-Uses of the Race-courss-Constabularjr Duty—Taranaki RegattaThe Bridge—The P.O. Mummies— Sign of Life —Salvation's Progress-Other Churches—To Inglewood. Mr first impression of Waitara — that " there was a dry rot about it betokening decay," formed ten years ago—hasnotsinoe been removed. That there is something rotten in the state of Waitara is evident, but what that something is investigation fails to make quite clear. In recording my first impressions I observed that " unless the New Plymouth breakwater happens to get covered up or carried away, there is nob much hope for any improvement in Waitara." That its stunted growth is due in a great measure to the improved shipping facilities afforded by the construction of the breakwater at New Plymouth is quite true, but there must be other causes, besides the breakwater, accountable for the chronic dead-and-alive condition of Waitara. One, I opine, is the lack of enterprise on the part of its inhabitants, who make no effort to avail themselves of the advantages of their position or surroundings. The brutal act of tyranny and injustice by which Waitara is taxed to pay for the instrument of its own destruction — the New Plymouth Breakwater—seems to have broken the spirit of the victims, and like a subject hupu they are content to abide in slavish dependence upon their spoilers, thankful for crumbs that fall from their master's table. V® victis.

Slmkespear's, "There is a tide in the affairs of men, etc.," may, not inaptly, be applied to' townships. Some of these creations of civilization have the luck, or wisdom, to take the flood that " leads on to fortune," others again omit to take the tide in their affairs at the flood, and never reach the port of fortune. Waitara missed her tide when a simple accident, such as the upsetting of an explorer's boat, upset her chance of selection as the metropolis of Taranaki. She missed ib again when she refused Brogden's offer to make her river navigable for the largest coastal steamer, in return for the paltry consideration of collecting the revenues of the port for 30 years. Since then " the voyage of her life is bound in shallows and in miseries."

The stagnancy of Waitara cannot be the fault of her situation, for it possesses all the eloments favourable to the establishment of a prosperous town and port. It has a good roadstead, where, as I write, I can see a great ocean steamer loading for London, with the products of the province, viz., frozen meat, butter, cheese, wool, etc. There is its port, which only requires the expenditure of a comparatively small sura to make it safe for steamers of the Takapuna class to enter. Ten years ago the b.s. airloch was in the habit of calling at) Waitara, but sho has since been replaced by a smaller steamer. It has railway communication with Napier and Wellington. Waitara, in fact, is the Northern terminus of the Wellington and Napier railway sections, but she has been diddled out of the distinction to satisfy New Plymouth's vanity. Waitara is styled the New Plymouth branch. From the sea inland the Boil everywhere is good, with a tolerably close settlement of the land. The climate is equal to the best in the North Island. Yet with all these inherent advantages, and many adventitious aids to her progress to boot, Waitara " gets no forrader."

In her waters are fish in inexhaustible abundance, and for 60 miles round there is a fish-hungry populationbut she " gets no forrader" with that line.

For two or three years a heavy Government expenditure on roads and the settlement of the newly-opened lands to the Northward has been in progress, the lion's share of which expenditure she ought to catch. Still she " gets no forrader."

Another useful help is the freezing works —kept afloat by the indomitable perseverance, business ability, and financial genius of a single individual—which em* ploys local labour and circulates cash to a considerable amount. And in addition to the weekly pay-sheet of the freezing works she has monthly contributions from the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers placed to her credit. During the past seven months seven steamers have loaded at Waitara, with more advertised to follow. A "ship's disbursements" at Waitara amount t0,£300 per trip, so that the "calling" of the London steamers at her port means some £3000 a year to Waitara, This does nob include the lightering expenses, which are paid by the shippers, and will amount to about another thousand. Lumpers at 2s per hour soon run up respectable cheques. These moneys are all paid in Waitara—yet "shegets no forrader."

Re freezing works. New Plymouth has recently erected freezing works, animated by jealousy of Waitara, some say, but I have no doubt that it was one of the great inspirations of the mountain. In granting Waitaratheconcessionof abutter graderthe Government made it conditional on the London steamers calling there, but I notice they did not make the same stipulation in regard to theNewPlymouth port—another injustice to Waitara. ' Bub New Plymouth has ever been th# pet of Governments. Atkinson paid the interest on her debentures, Seddon paid her dredger bill—twelve thousand altogether wasn't it ? ew Plymouth couldn't be ungrateful. No one appreciates her gratitude more than theex-M.H.R, £. M. Smith. Other Harbour Boards have been assisted and endowed with lands, bub Waitara, the neglected child of the family, must "wrigglefor herself." Waitara Freezing Works lighter their meats and butter directly into the freezing hold of the Home steamer, and patriotically pays a score or two of lumpers two shillings an hour. New Plymouth ships her butter— do no meat freezing—at) the breakwater into a coastal steamer, unprovided with refrigerating chambers, and taken to Wellington where it is either stored in freezing chambers there, or transhipped into the same steamer that a takes the Waitara exports— their local lumper's bill is light. Shipping butter by the New Plymouth route costs ten shillings per ton more than shipping ib from Waitara. Yet Waitara receives the smallest share of Taranaki batter patronage. Why ? Ah 1 " There's the rub."

There are other anomalous peculiarities about the VVaitara and its relations withNew Plymouth. Goods can be landed in the borough town via the river port cheaper than by the breakwater. Rents, too, are cheaper in Waitara. Yet, people find it more advantageous to buy in New Plymouth and cart their stuff back again— miles—to the place it was landed at. Saturdays see streams of farmers' wives, in their traps, hurrying through the township en route for "the town," to do their marketings, while the local tradespeople look on and smile— a'bit jealous. They would nob think of affronting New Plymouth by offering inducements, for country people to trade with them. They are satisfied with small business and large profits. Stooks of ordinary necessaries are limited —fancy one having to go to New Plymouth for a pair of boots!—and decidedly dearer than they ought to be. Luxuries are nob' kept in stock at all.

The best beef in the world is exported from Waitara to London, but for a rich beefsteak, or a reliable pork sausage, ene must go to New Plymouth; they are not procurable in tho lesser town. Cow beef scraggy mutton— call it lamb-and boar pig - are plentiful, ' too plentiful. In beer .also. New Plymouth has the' pull. Waitara < brews :• just las good, but the quenches: bar 'thirst with the opposition article. " . v

A cistern and a few hundred feeb of piping would give the town a decent water supply; but they prefer to buy it by the tank and bucketful—or carry it. The one solitary sign of advancement in the place is the publication of a newspaper —the Waitara Times. The palladium of Waitara's liberty is printed in Stratford, a township that was "standing bush" in times when Waitara was competing for sovereignty with New Plymouth—very kind of Stratford.

In state documents the township is styled Raleigh. Only those who read official literature are aware that Raleigh is its proper and Christian name, but no Act of Parliament can prevail upon the people to use that name. Tradition and custom are stronger than official documents. Waitara the Heathen named it—Waitara it remains. " Raleigh" did once make an effort to have its name changed back again to Waitara, but when it learned that it required an Act of Parliament to do so, it fell back exhausted,' The failure to obtain official recognition of its popular name is another instance of Waitara's virility. The port—the potentiality of Waitara's progress—has its affairs managed by a Board on which the ratepayers have no direct representation— nominee Board pure and simple. The result being that the interests of the many are made subservient to those of the few.

What Waitara wants is a citizen of Mr. Newton King's calibre, or a merchant Prince like Mr. Hatrick, of Wanganui, whose commanding influence and energy would dominate or ignore the little factious of obstructives. Had Waitara possessed such an enterprising and far-seeing citizen, Mr. Hatrick would probably never have had the opportunity or inducement to carry out his bolt? project of making Wanganui the port for the immense tract of country now being opened up by the Stratford-Te Kuiti road to Auckland. All that is required to place the natural port in direct) communication with the interior is the formation of some eight or ten miles of road. Then the staple provisionssuch as flour —instead of being landed and railed a distance of 12 biles to Inglewood, and then carted another dozen miles to Tarata, could be taken from the ship's slings an to a dray and delivered there without further bandling, and the haulage by rail saved. The crow line from Waitara to Tarata is seven miles, and there are no engineering difficulties to prevent their connection by a direct road. Tarata, a township on one of the upper bends of the Waitara River, is 12 miles from Inglewood, on what is called the "Junction Road," which joins the Stratford - Kuiti Road at Pohukura. From Pohukura the road is being pushed on to the Tangarakau—the objective point of Mr. Hatrick's movement from Wanganui. So that, given the short connecting link of road to Tarata, Waitara would be in a position to compete with Wanganui, for the valuable trade of the country between their two watersheds. It will, however, require a vory strong infusion of the spirit of competition to put life into the dead material which at present cumbers the progress of the port.

A piece of good luck befell Waitara when it was electorally separated from New Plymouth. It is now represented in Parliament by a gentleman having a direct interest in the welfare and progress of the port. Mr. Walter Symes, the new M.H.R., owns a sheep farm on the Stratford-Te Kuici road, at Toko, where he resides. From there he sends his wool to London by direct steamer from Waitara, and contributes to the support of the freezing works. He has also a farm on the Wanganui river, near Jerusalem, for which Wangunui is, of coarse, his port. And I question if there is another man in the electorate with a more intimate knowledge of the requirements of the extensive district lying between the two rivers, or who is better able to correctly judge as to the best means to be adopted for its economical development. As Waitara never omits an opportunity to cut its own throat,-a-- majority, of the elector? voted against Mr. Symes. Still, thankful for what support he did receive, and mindful of his own business interests, he will zealously endeavour to promote its prosperity.

The greater proportion of the inhabitants of Waitara are top liners, and it says much for the publie spirit of the bottom fellers that they are able to maintain three hotels in the town—were it not for the respectable appearance of its three hotels Waitara would look mean indeed. What little backbone there is in Waitara is to be found in the pubs. There is no lack of new blood in the hotels.

Publicanus is just as changeful here as elsewhere. The only change I shall notice is in the Bridge Hotel. Our old friend Mr. S. W. Nicholls, has sold out of it, and taken to farming pursuits. He is succeeded by Mr. S. R. Fairweather, formerly of Raglan. Samuel, the first, has visited most part* of the globe, and was for sometime in British-Columbia and the United States, and the Otagan and West Coast goldfields, and in the course of his travels gained considerable information concerning the ways of the world and human affairs generally. As a member of the Town and Harbour Boards he naturally wanted to give Waitara the benefit of his experience, and a few progressive ideas be had picked up—They sent the Salvation Army round to pray for him. Then Samuel the Second turned on his electric light to show them how to do things, but they didn't see it, and the electric spark died out. The two Sams pull together on the Board, but till they get more Sams-on I am afraid Waitara will remain in the hands of the Philistines. In return for this little bit of " copy" I will pay tho Bridge Hotel the compliment to say the man who cannot make himself at home in it, under the present management, is not worth accommodating. The New Zealand Herald is, I notice, regularly filed, which in itself is guarantee enough of a progressive spirit in the landlord.

Waitara has a good racecourse—or rather " the makings" of onea few first quality hack racing "cattle," and a small bat enthusiastic " sporting push." aitara race meeting was, I believe, an old-established " fixture" when many now prosperous clubs were nob in existence—nor the towns that support them. It is so old-fashioned that it considers the erection of a grandstand an innovation nob to be permitted, and on this account the racing authorities refused them a totalizator permit—very properly, too,. I think— jockey club that cannot raise a grandstand is not worth a totalizator. Last season, however, it recovered the lost privilege of using the machine, through the influence of the member for the district with the colonial secretary.

The' racecourse is also the recreation ground, and they have cricket and football in season. The saddling paddock is occasionally utilised for P.R. purposes when bushwhackers find in necessary to settle their little differences, by fighting for a "belly-ful." A "set-to between two " choppers" came off on the morning after the regatta ball. The principals had bub little science, and the referee and spectators —a hundred, or so—still less knowledge of the rules of the game. I did nob get there in time, or I might have given them a few points on P.R. etiquette— is no occasion to be on time at other peoples' fights, but if it is your own affair it is best to "get on" early. So Jem Mace used to tell me. The mill on theWaitara racecourse was good while it lasted, and both men were satisfied that they had their "belly-full"— battle was declared a draw.

Yes, there is a policeman, but you cannot expect a man who has been doing constabulary and other duties in a place like Waitara for any length of time, to " get on" toameetingof that sort. The principle of changing country constables with reasonable frequency is, I think, a good one. In ono thing Waitara gets the bulge on New Plymouth, that is the possession of a water for holding a regatta. Along the frontage there is a splendid reach of river, and the public sightseers can have an uninterrupted view of the coarse and tho race from start to finish, unless— was the caw last regatta day— harbourmaster allows the family steamer to moor herself right in the line of vision from the judge's stand. Although Waitara has a' monopoly of the water, qhe magnanimously allows her show to be called the " Taran&ki Regatta," and as New Plymouth cannot wolf Waitara'a one ewe lamb, she condescendingly patronises it—a little. The other town-

ships send along their contingent of patrons, and with a fine day Waitara collects to her regatta 2000 or more spectators, and with the merry-go-round, the boxing kangaroo, and the Salvation Army to amuse them in the intervals of the boat racing, the public get a good day's sport for their money. Indeed, for a day's outing and wholesome fun and recreation, I can recommend nothing better than the Waitara regatta.

The mosi conspicuous public building in Waitara is the Post and Telegraph Office. The ex-member for the district once told them to burn it, but Waitara could never be guilty of such an act of vandalism as to destroy so plain a landmark of its antiquity. New places like Hawera and Stratford may afford elegant public offices and smart officers, but that ain't Waitarastyle. Anything smart in the Waitara Post Office would be an incongruity. The one branch of business in Waitara that shows any sign of lifo is the railway department.

Another public building, the Waitara Bridge, is suffering severely from dry rot; in fact, it is a galloping consumption or dry rottedncss, and has become a public danger. The Salvation Army has many sympathisers in Waitara, but even the blood and fire religion looks in a sickly condition, and has not added to its strength in any marked degree in ten years. As the other churches can scarcely be considered public property, I won't go into them. Put the Judge in the waggon and we'll tak3 a ride to Inglewood.