FEATHERSTON RECREATION GROUND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 188, 18 June 1879, Page 2

FEATHERSTON RECREATION GROUND.

To Ik Editor of the, Waihaiuiu Dam. Silt—l observe that in your issue of the lotli instant your own correspondent culls attention to what lie terms "the last piece of folly on the part of our Local Board" in carrying a street through the cricket ground. In doing so, I feel sure lie is only expressing the opinion of the whole community here. It is, in my opinion, a monstrous piece of absurdity, in addition to the perpetration of a wrong against tho whole town, that the only piece of ground we are blessed with as a recreation ground should he thus unwarrantably encroached upon and utterly ruined by the action the Board is taking. The piece of ground referred to was soino time ago fenced in with a substantial wire-fence, ploughed, and laid down in grass at a very considerable expense, which, I believe, in one form or other, was paid out of public money (being defrayed bypublicsubscriptions,proceeds of soirees, &c.), and now because it lias entered the fertile brain of our Locai Board members (or some of tliern) that it would look nice to have a street made across this portion of the township, the Board has been indiscreet enough to sanction the making of the street referred to, which I take leave to assert, is neither necessary, nor is it desired by any of the townspeople, wlin are tho people most interested in the construction of it, or otherwise. Your correspondent very justly remarks that Featherston exceeds any other township in the Valley in the number of its streets; and any man of ordinary common sense, looking at tho direction the proposed street ia to to take, would at once bo convinced that either the Board consisted of incompetent men, or had si much money at their command as not t( know what on earth to do with it, or wort anxious to give employment to the " pool unemployed" about the p!ac:> beggiiij: for work! I observe with regret that in c 'usequenct of the action of the Board in this matter, the fencing which enclosed the ground has all been removed (on wliatanthoi-ilylknou not), and consequently what would have made a good, though small, enclosure it which cricketers could have played theii matches, as well as ail'ording a nice playground, for the children attending tin public school, has again, become a barrel waste as of old. It is pity that a public meeting was not convened, and a deputation appointed, to wait upon the Buart with a view to preventing the porpetratioi of such an act of folly 011 the part of tin Board, and waste of public fluids; but. am afraid the matter has been left too Ion; abeyance, unless the Board thinks lit t< niter its determination in this case as wa, done by the old B'.wrd on a -furincr ocea sion, when it found the making of a eer tain unnecessary street through a swam] was cried down, and although it was parti; formed, was very wisely abandoned, i they persist in carrying out their preseii intention, the townspeople will only fun consolation in weeping over another gros, case of 11 the one little ewe lamb." I certainly endorse what your corns pondent says about the Railway Station The language to lie frequently heard thu'i from half drunken idle 1 loafers is not li for men—not to say ladies or children.— lam, itc., Ojkeeykk. To Ik Editor of Ik Waik.wai'A Daily. Sir, —I read with great interest a lead ingarticle in your issue of the 12th inst. re ferring to the advantage of importing inii Now Zealand 2,000 English farmers, to "ether with their capital. That this, is tin very tiling wanted, 110 one will dispute but you do not place before the pub!; how it is to be done. There is only o:i< way that would prove successful, and tha is for the Government to sot apart difteren blocks of first-class agricultural land, am have it surveyed into farms of all sixes, so a to suit both large and small fanners; iliei place so many thousand acres in England Scotland, and Ireland, so that these tlirei countries would, partake equal])' in ilr advantages arising from such a sale. A 1 being complete, the next step would in the selection of an old and experience! colonist to be despatched Home for. tin purpose of selling this land, to none im practical farmers, receiving as a deposi half tho purchase money. The petsoi selected should visit not the towns bu the country villages and farmers' place.) I feel confident of the success of thi scheme. Oil.my last visit to the oh country many would have come back will me if they thought land could be got at i reasonable price.' It may be said, why not secure this lam for our sons. Not so. For while we an doing this, wo are keeping New Xoalant back*; as it is wo are like the man who hat 500 acres of fine land, and was only abh to work 50, while the remainder was no paying its own interest. We are nov paying interest on millions of acres of lain unoccupied. That, if sold to Englisl farmers, would lighten our burden, Tin Maoris should be compelled either to sel or cultivate those millions of acres, so ai to lighten our taxation. 1 know hundred: of wealthy farmers who would come t( New Zealand if they only knew there was such a place. You cannot imagine liov ignorant farmers in' the old country art about the advantages of settling in Ncv Zealand; I hope therefore you will writi again on this subject, and bring tin matter strongly before the Government This, along with a good loan of not less than £0,000,000, wfll show tho outer work the vast producing resources of' New Sea land, Only by the last mail numerous privati letters, which I will place in your hand; if you wish to come to mo, setting fort! the misery now prcvaiing in Ireland among the farmers large and small; tliej say they do not know what to turn theii hands to to make it pay, as all kinds ol produce are swamping theii' markets, imported, they say, from America,' Australia and New Zealand) tho latter increasing her yearly allowance fast, This, witii their high rents, poor rates, road rates, country rates, and numerous others, winding up with income fax, is putting then: on their boam ends. They sily its as hard to make a pound now. as £lO twi years ago, and the times arti getting still worse. Thousands of sheep (lying with the' liver complaint, brought on by wel seasons... ' .;. In cwiclusion, I may slate that now is the- tiiwe for. New Zealand ,to show England lifer friendly relations—by borrowing her idjc -millions and casing her farmer; from bondage, —I am, Ac., , | Wm. MoKeevek,