Country News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 376, 26 April 1879, Page 11

Country News.

The new Presbyterian Church at the Upper Hutt was opened on Sunday. The opening sermon was delivered bj r the Rev. .Jas. Paterson to a large audience, and in the afternoon by the Rev. Mr. Ogg. The district is much indebted to the Rev. Mr. Grant for his exertions in bclialf of the new building.

The Wairarapa Daily says : —Two Masterton settlers who have spent the Easter holidays on the ranges report having discovered copper ore in an unlimited quantity, but whether the percentage of copper to the ore makes the discovery of any value remains to be seeu.

Write* 3 a Bulls correspondent of the Manawatu Herald —“ Grass seed evidently ranges at a good figure in Bulls. One gentleman sold to another a bag of rye-grass for ten shillings, received payment, and delivered the bag from his coat pocket ! The victim, very sore, waited his opportunity, and sold the identical bag of seed to a well-know joker for £l, and charged a shilling for the bag. It is unsafe to mention either corn or hay iu the presence of the lastnamed unfortunate.”

A gentleman from the Wairarapa, who has recently returned from a trip to the Tararua ranges, near Masterton, has submitted a number’of specimens of supposed gold-bearing quartz to Dr. Hector, for analysis. The specimens were submitted to the usual test with aqua fortis, which they resisted, lint it is very doubtful whether the metal visible is gold or not. The same gentleman also brought some specimens of copper ore down from the ranges, which will also be assayed. Thousands of tons of this stone are said to be scattered about, but it is not possible to pronounce any opinion on its value until after the assay. Further explorations are likely to be made in the ranges.

The Rangitikei Advocate says The case referred to in our last issue of the man “ wanted ” by the police, and who was found through the instrumentality of a Gazette appointment, was that of a man named Joseph Edwin Dalton alias D’Alton, who was recently appointed native interpreter at Ohinemutu, and has been arrested on two charges of obtaining money under false pretences at Wanganui on the 24th and 26th of August last. The gazetting of the appointment led to the man s arrest, as it gave information to the police authorities of the whereabouts of Dalton, whom they had been looking for since the date of the committal of the offence.

We extract the following items from the Manawatu Herald of the 19th inst.No less than three mobs of fat cattle passed through Foxton on the way to Wellington during the last few days. On Saturday, one driven by Mr. Stevens ; on Sunday, one driven by Mr. Oroker; aud last evening one driven by Mr. Macalister. Mr. Macalister’s mob numbered 131 head.—On Friday night last a Maori whare near Hastwell and Miacara s stable at Horowhenua was burnt down. It appears that some eighteen persons were asleep in the building, when about midnight one of the party awoke and found one of the sides on fire. The alarm was at once raised, and the natives escaped without injury. A native from Rangitikei named Ihakara lost £2O in notes. Some of the other natives lost clothing, saddlery, &c.

The Marton correspondent of the Wanganui Herald of 19th April says “ On Sunday last the remains of the late Mr. Cockburn, who lived to the age of 105 years, were interred iu the Mount View Cemetery. There was a large attendance of friends and relations. The deceased was a native of Portmoake, Kinross, Scotland. He emigrated to New Zealand iu 1851, and was at that time 77 years of age. He was able to walk about till within a few days of his death. His ability to speak about present events showed a want of memory; but his ability to speak of the life to come was very remarkable. His knowledge of the Bible and systematic theology was very extensive. He leaves behind him two sons iu the Wuirarapa, two in Rangitikei, aud one in Carnarvon. He had also two sisters, one of whom died recently in Dunedin aged 95, and another at 100 years. It is gratifying to be able to Hate that though the family came to New Zealand and had to encounter many trials, yet they are now in a position of comfort such as would make them objects of envy in the country they have left. They have every reason to he thankful for being able to afford their aged parent aid in his old age—beneficial as it has been to him, it has been equally gratifying to them.” THE WELLING TON-MASTERTON RAILWAY. A visitor who has just returned from the Wairarapa writes to us as follows : To a stranger your Featherston line is simply a marvel. It is a capital illustration of what difficulties engineering skill can cope with ; while it will always remain a monument to the extravagance and recklessness of peoplo who would pierce the Rimutaka at any cost. The line, one would think, is and must remain a fancy line, so that it was with a good deal of surprise I observed by the traffic returns you published on Saturday that it is worked at the lowest cost of any in the colony, except the Grey mouth railway, a mineral line, I am informed. How long it will remain in such a favored position is a question that may well be asked. So far the expense of maintenance and rspairs must have been slight. The immense wear and tear on the hill-side sections has not yet made itself felt, but before the winter is out very heavy expenditure on the line may be anticipated. Most of the cuttings have as yet stood well enough, but evidently there has been little or no rain. Another six months, however, will, I believe, tell a different tale. A great many of the cuttings between the Upper Hutt and Kaitoke, and for

six or seven miles beyond, are iu very soft country, and the batter, well enough for rock or conglomerate, will be found to be quite insufficient. Iu other places where the line runs over made ground the embankments are far too steep, and if heavy rains should fall will require a great deal of attention. The section ou the Wairarapa side of the hill seems to run through hard rocky country, ami no doubt will stand. There is a great deal of dissatisfaction among the Wairarapa people at the delay in pushing on the sections now under contract. I hear that the contractor Inis a good deal of difficulty with hi< navvies. Unfortunately they arc not of the saving class. Their wages, hardly enough earned, find th'-ir way into the publie-h niscs, and iu a-lditi ui to the time consumed iu drinking bouts them are many days lost while the men are really ill from the effect- 3 of drink. But apart from all this, the building of the large bridge over the Waiohiue is proceeding very slowly, and probably will be the cause of serious delay.

PARLIAMENT V. RABBITS. (From the Wairarapa Daily.)

Mr. G. Beetham, M.H.R., has convened a meeting to consider the rabbit nuisance. It is a matter of regret that an innocent edible quadruped should have to be regarded iu the light of a nuisance, to be stigmatised as a colonial pest, and even to throw into the shade the Maori difficulty. There are some people who believe they can solve the question of what to do with the natives, but as yet no one lias arisen among us able to cope with the rabbits. If such a one does arise greater will he be in the eyes of his fellow colonists than even Sir Julius Vogel. The Hon. the Native Minister will take second place if a lion, minister for rabbits is forthcoming. What to do with this Frankenstein of the lords of many acres we know not. By Act of the General Assembly provision has been made to exterminate the evil, but it is easier to legislate on the evil than to give practical effect to the ordinances of our Solons. Some say “ poison them,” and poisoned a good many are, but it is difficult to destroy by this means more than a per centage of them, aud though the proportion killed be a large one, the balance by their extraordinary procreative powers soon make up their numbers again. The fertility of the animal is much more than a match for the device of the Legislature. We almost fancy, too, that rabbits may gradually accustom themselves to arsenical and other similar dainties with which they are supplied, and in time, instead of expiring after tasting the cold poison, be all the livelier for it. Poison may help to exterminate rabbits, but it will not solve the problem “ How to kill not 90 rabbits out of every 100,” but “ 100 out of every 100.” Nothing less will prove of any avail. Supposing as many as 99 out of a given 100 were destroyed, we should not then be safe. The hundredth which escaped would probably be au interesting doe, who, in some shady recess, would shortly begin to train a vigorous family to repossess the country. Shooting them has been tried with but little success. Hunting with dogs has not been of much more avail. There is also some faith in ferrets, weasels, and other carnivorous animals. The ferret does not thrive here. The weasel will not stand a sea voyage. We hear, however, that a weasel has recently been found out which might be brought over from Europe without much risk of dying en route. If, however, we import weasels, and they increase and multiply till they clear the rabbit off the face of the land, shall we not be “ hoist with our own petard ?” When the hungry weasel cannot pop on to a rabbit will be not devour all the game in the land ? Will a hen roost in tho colony be safe ? And when the game and the poultry are all eat up will he be so obliging as to die a natural death himself, conscious that he has fulfilled his mission, and is no more wanted, or will he attack larger game ? The real rabbit exterminator is population. If our millions of rabbits were near a populous European city they would be regarded as a blessing till the last bunny disappeared into the last stew. But we have not population to cope with the enemy, unless wc import a few score thousands of Ocle.sti 'ls to eat them ; and then, like the weasels, the Heathen Chinee, when, their work was done, would require iu their turn to he exterminated. We will take .-mother opportunity before the coming meeting takes place to refer to the Act of the Assembly which gives power to any district to abate (if it can) the rabbit nuisance. In the meauwhile we trust we lur e done our duty in calling attention to a few of the difficulties which,surround the question, and iu contributing in a small degree to preparing the public for an intelligent discussion of the subject at next Monday’s meeting.