OPEN COLUMN.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 43, 28 October 1867, Page 3

OPEN COLUMN.

TARATAHI POST OFFICE. (To the Editor of the Waiearara Mercury.) Pioneer Hotel, October 24, 1867.

Sin, —I beg that you will publish for public information the enclosed letter from Mr Hoggard, Chief Postmaster, Wellington. Those who signed the memorial requesting Mr Hoggard to recommend that Mr Carrington’s store be appointed a Post Office will be glad to be informed that Mr Bunny having visited the Taratahi for the purpose of enquiring into the master has this day informed Mr Anderson and myself that he will write to Mr Hoggard that the majority of those interested in the question are in favor of the Post Office being established at Carrington’s, instead of Wilton’s, Your’s &c., Robert Kemble. > Post Office, Wellington, October 15th, 1867. Sir,—l have to acknowledge the receipt of a memorial signed by yourself and the settlers at the Taratahi praying that the Office about to be established in that neighbourhood might be at Carrington’s, instead of Wilton's. In reply I beg to inform you that the memorial has been shewn to Mr Bunny, and he has promised to meet the memorialists and to recommend to the Hon the Postmaster-Gene-ral the adoption of such measures as would be most conducive to the general good. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, John F. Hoggard. Chief Postmaster. Mr Robert Kemble, Taratahi, Wairatgpa. PUBLIC TENDERS. (To the Editor of the MERCURY.) Greytown, October 26, 1867. Sir,— ln your paper of Saturday last you state that Mr A Wakelin has obtained the contract for the teacher’s residence at the Moron. Now Sir this is the first public intimation regarding this work, and I should like to ask when public money has been subscribed how it was that the Treasurer of the Committee obtained the contract, without the tenders being open to all contractors in the usual way through the public newspaper. Your’s &c., James Baillie. WELLINGTON AND WAIRARAPA TRAMWAY.

(To the Editor of the' Waibarara Mercury.) g lß —Noticing a paragraph relating to the construction of Tramways I beg to forward you a paper which I drew out some time ago and may be subject to some modification now. For the three years I have been in the colony I have advocated this means of locomotion as being the system most appropriate to the wants ofthe community. I am not prepared to undertake the inflation of such a scheme as you

shadow forth but shall be most happy to take preliminary surveys and to give an estimate of the cost at which I shall be prepared to carry out-the work on the actual expenses out of pocket being guaranteed, there is no question that a line with moderate gradients can be found ’as I have carefully examined the contour of the district through which the line ought to pass. Trusting you will have the goodness to lay this proposition before the proper quarter. I have the honor to be Sir, Your’s faithfully, G. AICKEN, C.E, (Mr Aciken in the paper to which he alludes estimates forming and completing a permanent tramway at £l2 per chain or £9BO per mile, without being shod with iron, and that shoeing with bar iron will cost £5 10s per chain more or £44o“per mile—together £I4OO per mile. Estimating the distance from Wellington to Masterton at sixty miles, the cost of the Tramway would be £84,000. We cannot avoid thinking £l2 per chain a large estimate for laying a tramway the whole of the road, for which with the exception of a few miles is already formed.—Ed. W.M.