OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7112, 9 July 1886, Page 2

OPUNAKE.

[from our own correspondent.! Jolt 7. — Yesterday tho town was alive with Maoris arriving from all parts to attend the opening of the meeting house at Waiau. The festivities are to be on an unusual scale of completeness, and it is probable the town will keep a general holiday in honor of the event. Another bach of the McGregor immigrants has arrived, and Mr. D. MoGregor leaves to-day to escprt them to the land of their adoption. This gentleman certainly deserves the thanks of the country, as he has been instrumental in introducing several of tho class of settlers of which we need so much and Bee so little, viz., the farmer with a small capital. Tho vagaries of the import trade ara receiving an exemplification at the present time. Whiskey is out; flour is scarce; and various other items of general consumption are not to be had. The Btoresare wanting several leading lines. Goodß are on the Hauraki, and have been there for aorne time. One storekeeper is aaid to have over £600 of stuff on that veßSol, which ia diligently trading backwards and forwards, curefully passing and repassing the bay, until such time as the captain's conscience will command that the wants of the people here shall be supplied. To add to the local difficulty, one retailer, disgusted with the Hauraki, sent to Nelson for some stores; they unluckily were nhort shipped by the first Union boat; the next, tho Hawea, did not land that trip at the breakwater, and so the stores went to Auckland. On the return trip the same thing occurred, and now they are wandering about Bomewhere on the ooast in the hands of tho Union Company. Another storekeeper haa invoices of goods shipped per Hauraki & month since which are not delivered, and yesterday had to sell the boots off his feet to a determined native. The ono feature which gives a prospect out of these shipping tronbles is the near finish of the work of tho survey of tha bay. Judging from words casually dropped, there seems to have been found no difficulty which will interfere with the erection of a jetty at a very small cost, while the trouble of big sees, &c, is found not to exist, inside tho reef, in the roughest weather from any point. Very shortly Mr. Thomson's report will be sent in, and then, no doubt, action will be taken at onco to remove tho cbanco of partial starvation which is now being experienced.