A JOURNEY TO WARKWORTH.

Wairoa Bell, Volume IV, Issue 151, 24 June 1892, Page 2

A JOURNEY TO WARKWORTH.

A few miles beyond Matakohe, Paparoa is reached. This is another of . the special Nonconformist settlements, that was established in 1862 and 1563, and in some respects is the prettiest of the lot. Paparoa boasts two churches, an Anglican and a Wesleyan, (the latter having a parsonage attached to it), a hall built by Mr. Gr. Cliff, an old established public school,

three or four stores, a post and telephone office etc. The bridges of Paparoa are very substantially built. The scenery on the road as it winds along the bank of the river is very pretty, The land in Paparoa is of very broken character, but the grass is fairly good. This settlement has been famous in the past for road deviation, and heavy compensations attached thereto From the summit of the ridge beyond Paparoa a grand view is obtained down Ihe Puhi river. The l-oad then descends into a deep hollow, and winds around the headwaters of the Pahi. The g-radio- on this part seems to lie very indifferent. The best looking grass on the journey seemed to he at Mr Hardy’s place (formerly Gardner’s). The road now keeps to the top of the ridge until Mr Davies ’ si ore is reached at Maungaturoto where I put up for a time, and got good accommodation for myself and horse. Mr Davies has greatly Improved bis place of late, his house now consists of a large two storey building, very comfortably fitted up affording ample accommodaiion for travellers. There is a store adjoining which at the time of my visit was being greatly enlarged. Mr Davies has also erected a Foresters’ hall, as there is a Court established in ■the district. A slaughter-house, stock-yard, and stable are near at hand. Toll this bespeaks great enterprise. Mr Davies’ bouse iu fact was pronounced by one of the company to be good for everything except whisky, the absence of which did not appear to effect the well being of anyone. Maungaturoto is the capital of the Otamai ea county. The R. M holds his court here, in Sir Davies’ hall The County Council hold their meetings here, m a large room at Mr. Davies’. They also have a room for the exclusive use of their clerk, Air. Hemphill, where their plans, papers etc are kept. For nil this they are only charged the sum of £5 per annum. From Mr. Hemphill I learned various interesting particulars respecting the working of the Otarnatea County Council. Their working expenses were a trifle over 13 per cent (listen to

this) with a, revenue which last year was about £2,300. 1 hey have no debt, Tke note of this ye Hobson County Councillors, they have £4OO banked at fixed deposit, Consider this. Each riding receives only the money which it collects. No riding is in debt to another. Take note of this. In fact no riding would permit another to owe it money, for the simple reason, that every riding wants all that it, can get.

When a new work is proposed, they first ascertain the amount at the credit of that particular riding-, and how much of this will be available for the new work. If this is insufficient, and thc work is urgent, some individual interested in it, peihaps offers to advance the sum necessary to complete it. This is repaid out of next year’s rates. Hobson County Councillors think. Is not this better than running up a big overdraft. The Otarnatea Council are opposed to overdrafts, as they consider the interest simply so much money taken off the roads. The Council have a most efficient Clerk in Mr Hemphill, whose services they value so highly, that they have recently voted him an increase of salary of £2O. He will in future got £l2O a year. The legal expenses of this Council are very small. Listen again, oh Councillors.. The chairman draws up specifications for contracts, and does most of the inspecting, and they get good work for their money. All this makes one regret that Otarnatea was severed from Hobson as we thereby lost the controlling influence of their common sense and experience. Well does Otarnatea deserve the title it gets of the model County. Maungaturoto is striving to get a cattle show. This honour is at present monopolised by Pa.pa-

Mr Davies had promised to see that Roomy (my horse) was safely housed for the night. Shortly after dark he c-amo to me and said that he considered Roany was a peculiar beast. I asked him what fault he had to find with him now. Well, he said, I put him in that loose box, and there was only a man hole for him to —et out of. He got his hind leg's and tail out somehow, and the rest of him followed soon after. There sure enou'—h was Roany, browsing contentedly on the limestone, none the worse for his gymnastic exercise, and there we decided to leave him. Iu the evening a jolly party (despite the absence of the- afore mentioned whisky) sat down to cards ■; Wairoa being pitted against Maunga. turoto. Wairoa carried everything- before them, Maungaturoto only scoring- through my partner attempting to cheat., and thus loosing- us three tricks lam sorry to say, however, that on the second night the tables wore utterly turned, and Wairoa left without a. rag standing-, our opponents not oven affording us a chance by cheating. The next day a Court of review for the Otamatea county was held. The valuer, Mr W. W. Ai.-j.el seemed to be thoroughly up in his work and had fff! details at his finger ends, being able to hold his OW4 well against the objectors, except in the matter of the AStimate of Kauri timber. In this respect the Court had no option but to timely take the figures, given by 'Mr Brarpley, the representative of the Kauri Timber Company. One thing- would not fail to strike an observer, namely the different standards of values adopted by the different valuers. For instance with a single exception, kauri timber is valued at Is pel- hundred feet. JhU over the whole of Gtaiipi,tea. agd iiodney the kauri i» only valued at fid per hundred feet. Again, some good grass land in Matakohe wag valued at £5 per acre. Grass laud, equally as good A Eloteo was only valued at £1 per acre and 10s for the Jand equally well off for roads, It is difficult to suggesjt a remedy, for though Courts have the power of raising as well as lowering values, iu praciice it is never done. Courts conk! not value a place disproportionally to surrounding properties,