CARTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1202, 15 March 1895, Page 14

CARTERTON.

The valuations for the Wairarapa South County have been completed by Mr James Moncrieffi jun., and show an increase on rateable values since 1892, when the last valuation was made, of L 184,720. It will interest your Wairarapa readers to leai'n in which sub-division the 'increase' has been made, and the following table will show: —

Totals ... ... .£1,723,793 £1,858,513 The increase is due not to a rise in value, but chiefly to the inclusion of Native lands leased to Europeans, and those occupied i by Natives whose titles are individualised, , and also to Crown lands taken up within the last three years. A circular from the Commissioner of Crown Lands covering a schedule of questions in connection with the proposed Fair Bents Bill, and asking for replies to be sent in, was discussed at the County | Council meeting on Saturday. It was j freely criticised, the feeling expressed being that the question of rents was one that would be regulated between the parties interested without the necessity of calling for State interference ; as one councillor remarked, “ If a landowner leases land at too high a rate he simply won't get paid ; " A resolution was passed, “ That there is nothing in the relations between landlord and tenant to call for Government interference, and this Council regrets the Government have thought fit to move in that direction." . , . ___ . At the quarterly meeting of the Wairarapa Licensing Committee a complaint was made that persons against whom there were prohibition orders in existence in the Martinborough district were frequently to be met with at Martinborough under the influence of drink—- “ habitually drunk" Mr Considine said, and he is a member of the committee and living in that township. Constable Bowden explained that although the law made it penal to serve a prohibited person it did not exclude him from licensed premises, and it was quite gossip for prohibited

persons to get a supply of drink through third parties in bottles. The Bench had to be content with this explanation. I am glad to be able to report a better feeling in the stock market—more particularly in regard to sheep. At the last stock sale the bidding was much more spirited and the class of sheep entered were improved in quality, and found ready sale at rather better fates than recently. The effect of picking out the best and earliest of the iambs for the freezing market has resulted in lowering the average quality of the flocks, and many store sheep put- into the saleyards of late were only fit for boiling down. The demand for cattle has had the effect of inducing everyone who can 'to rear their calves, and at the last sale there were a lot of “skim-milk critters" that did not secure a bid. Some farmers think anything is good enough for the yards, but experience will soon teach that it is a shortsighted policy to attempt to rear stock on refuse.

1892. 1895. Carter bon Riding .£342,506 .£361,856 Gladstone Riding ... 383,364 425,0S6 Grey town 217,569 234,523 Feathers ton „.. 338,169 357,141 Otaraia ... .... 224,725 262,113 Awhea 217.460 217,794