LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume 6, Issue 475, 12 September 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The tender of F. Held, £790 for forming the Maungapakeha road, has been accepted. Thomas Wetherly is rapidly recovering at the Wairarapa Hospital from the effects of his rash suicidal injury. We learn by telegram this morning Pettier* ick’s tender has been accepted for a tern* platform of seven spans, each 20 feet. The public opening of the new L0.0.P Hall Featherston on Friday next is expected, to attract a considerable number of visitors from all parts of the district. The Masterton Forester’s are said to be about to erect a public hall at a cost of £SOO. The News Letter gives the present population of Masterton at between 700 and 800, Mr Carter gave it at 272. Probabiy the exact number lies between the two calculations. The Sire Horse Show is advertised for the Pastoral Association Yards on the 30th Inst and for the Bising Sun Hotel on Monday October 2nd.

Mr W. R- Thompson has been appointed Custodian of the Forester’s Hall Greytown. Applications relative thereto addressed to him will be promptly attended to.

The Masterton and Greytown Land Bill will be read a third time in the House of Representatives on Wednesday next. We learn from the News Letter that Bishop Redwood wi'l say Mass end bold a confirmation seivice in the Town Hall, Masterton, on Sunday, the 17th instant, at 11 o’clock. Tenders are invited till October 7th, for the conveyance of mails between the Upper Hutt, and Masterton, Palmerston, and Waipukuraa, Masterton and Castle Soint, Masterton and Alfredt.on, Featherston and Lower Valley.

The well known favorite Stud horse Kakapo is announced for the coming season. We are requested to remind Grevtown settlers of the following appointments for this evening. Winter Readings, Hospital Committee meeting and Park Trustees meeting.

Mr Carter has returned to Wellington and should another meeting be called on the County Bill question it is improbable that he will be able to attend.

We understand that Mr R. J. Barton, who is about to leave Firinoa to take possession of his newly purchased Station at Fernside, has disposed of the Pirinoa property to Mr P. Hume. The price including slock is we believe between £IO,OOO and £II,OOO. Masterton, on Sunday last, was full of legislators. Staying at the Club Hotel were Sir John C. Richardson, the Hon Dr Mensies, and Messrs Stout, Basting, Brown, and Thompson, M.H. K’s. W. Lowes, Esq., had the honor, we believe, of receiving at Te Ore Ore a visit from these gentlemen.

Saturday last was said to be the windiest day of the season on the Rimutaka, and Mr Macara had to be extremely careful in conveying his passengers over the Rimutaka. The coach was loaded with Legislators, on the box seat was the Speaker of the Legislative Council, who faced the gale as if he enjoyed it. The Hon Mr Waterhouse, and the Hon Dr Menzies, were also among the passengers, the former thought he would be safer on foot, but on attempting to walk discovered that be was being blown off the road and had to lie down to avoid this catastrophe. All got safely over, but the passage was one to be remembered by timid travellers. Speaking of the mode in which th% Counties Bill might be improved Mr Curtis, of Nelson, enquired " Why corn'd not the Councils be entrusted not only with the manage* ment of the main roads, but with the management of the police, gaols, lunatic asylums, hospitals, and even with the management of educational affairs ? I would much rather see the functions created under the Education Boards Bill intrusted to the County Councils than that they should be exercised by the Boards which It is proposed to be established under that Bill. In this way the functions of the Councils would assume real interest, and you will get able men to take part in the management. I have a strong objection to the Government taking over the contvol of the police. It seems to me that the Government of the day will acquire enormous voting power if that is done. They have already a sufficiently large voting power all over the country in the large staff of officials connected with the Post Office, Telegraph, Customs, and Publh Works departments. It may be said that we have the ballot', hud that the policeman, or any other public officer, is not in any way bound to vote /or tie Government; but we know that it is a universal practice for employes of the Govemjnent; in fact most honorable men feel that they would be committing something' like an act of treachery if they did not vote for tfrose from whom they receive their pay. I fea quite sure the proposal to give the Government the control of the police would not be listened to in England, where the control of both police and gaols is given to the connties,land I see no reason why it should not be so in this country.

1 A clean certificate has been granted to Messrs Mitchell and Hirjchberg for their ' flock at the Taita. Mr R. E. Blade, butcher, South Grey town, advertises for sale, his business and premises. [he Treasurer ot the Wairarapa Hosp'tal acknowledges the following receipts : —J. Cotter (monthly subscriptions, employees saw mill), £1 Ss j Mrs Field, 10s ; J. Watson, 20s. Mr Tail’s numerous business engagements compel him to remain this week in Grey ! town. He will therefore continue to take (photographs at his rooms until Saturday ! next, ! A soiree in aid of the Greytown Night School fund will be shortly held. It is con* templated, we believe, to present prizes in connection with these evening classes. The Government—if we now haye a Government —has decided to define county boundaries, and consequently, the motions for select committees for that purpose have been discharged from the Order Paper. We have received from Mr F. Cooper an extremely handsome and interesting garden catalogue for the current year, which is alike creditable to his enterprise and to the printing establishment of Mr B. Burrett which has turned it out. We hear that Mr Hanson, District Engineer, has taken charge of the road district through the Forty-Mile Bush hitherto under the superintendant of Mr Munro. We notice that Messrs Black & Co.’s, factory at Greytown has been pushed forward by the contractor Mr U. A. Wakelinso expeditiously that the establishment is now open for business, and the sound of the hammer and anvil has commenced to charm the ears of neighboring residents. Mr T. R. Procter, who, six months ago travelled through this district, with t the largest stock ot jewelry ever brought to it, has again yisited us, with a still more gorgeous display. Mr Procter is now at Masterton, and will shortly visit Carterton, Gieytown and Featherstou! We learn from the Wellington papers that Sir George Grey in' ends serving writs upon each member of the Government to recover the penalties they have incurred. It is also announced that it is the intention ot the Ministry to introduce a Bill to relieve themselves of the difficulty they have blundered into. As the House did not meet before half past seven o’clock last night, we are unable to publish any telegraphic report of the proceedings in our present issue. A once well known Greytown identity Mr J. A. Petherick, was yesterday engaged in estimating for the construction of a log bridge across the Waiohine. Though of a temporary character it will consist of several spans, and will be placed over the channel where last week it will be remembered a culvert was washed away. The permanent bridge will consist, we believe, of six, twenty feet spans, tenders for which will be duly advertises. The reason assigned why tenders for the temporary bridge were not invited is that no more time may be wasted; but Greytown contractors and the up«country settlers require to be informed why so much time has been allowed to be wasted before determining on the bridge being proceeded with. The editor of the News Letter questions the accuracy of our correction of his erroneous contrast between ths cost of maintenance of the Greytown and Masterton offices respectively. We take some trouble to be accurate ; unlike our contemporary who allows himself to be hoaxed by any individual cruel enough to give him a little information, such as “that a settler is about to build a £5,000 house at Greytown” &c. &o. But rejecting the difference between the cost of maintenance between the Greytown and Masterton stations, we reueat again that the item of contingencies for Greytown for the year ending June 30 was increased by nearly £6O for the reasons stated in our issue of the 9tb, and this irrespective of any additional expenditure which the relieving officer might have rendered necessary. Our contemporary is unaware that a relieving officer is allowed m addition to his salary, a specified daily amount for his expenses, and in his calculations leaves out an item which materially affects the result. In a recent issue, in answer to some absnrd statement published at Masterton, we asserted that the Pakuratahi contract could not be finished in less than two years, and that if the Tunnel, and Incline contracts, were finished at the same date all reasonable anticipations would be satisfied. A correspondent who ought to be well informed, writes to us that the Pakuratahi contract is likely to be completed before the Mungaroa. As far as we can judge, there is a poor prospect of the Railway line being extended into the Wairarapa, within two years of the prsent date. Contract times may expire this year, next year now or never, but the completion of the contracts, and handing them over for traffic is a very different tbing- Ibis not right to deceive the public by leading it to believe that the line will be completed within a time which men with any knowledge of the subject, declare to be impractio ible.