The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 318, 18 November 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1879.

The present Ministry have much to contend against. First, a difficulty in floating the Five Million Loan, and, secondly, a low wool market. Both these items mean scarcity of work to the_ ordinary laborer, who grumbles against the Government because it is a Government. Lucky Sir George Grey to have escaped these misfortunes and the imposition of heavier taxation; but lucky New Zealand to have cscaped (Sir George Grey's Government at a time when it needs good men at the helm of the State, Messrs Macandrew, Sheehan, Fisher, and the like are not statesmen, only mere tyros in the art of statecraft, and would have wrecked the ship ere they knew it was among the breakers, The first, especially, has no claim to the title, being but a narrow-minded man, fairly well fitted for office administration, The country now possesses at the head of affairs men in whom it reposes confidence, A feeling of satisfaction exists that thoy are at the head of affairs, and the action that is to be taken to place the country upon as firm a footing as possible will be for the good of all. There is little doubt that New Zealand is about to face the result of the Public Works policy, The hitch in the floating of the Five Million Loan, although only a temporary one, brings us face to face with our position- the necessity

for increased taxation. Moreover, there is an uneasy feeling that we are going too fast, and that the Public Works policy has been carried sufficiently far. What is the use of a policy that certainly enables us to grow crops, but affords no market for them wheii grown? Oats at 2s 2d in November (Dunedin price) and large stocks on hand, simply means that it is inadvisable to produce so largely, What, then, is the use of a policy that in effect means a large expenditure but a. limited production \ The chief basis of

the policy was that it would open up the lands of the country and briii" about a vastly increased production. Now ouv farmers find that they cannot sell their produce. Nothing will stop the extravagant ideas of our legislators than the knowledge that their constituents in the country districts have their barns full of unsaleable grain, and that if they attempted to cover New Zealand with a network of railways as thick as the lines on a chess board not a single bushel of that grain could be disposed of except to some outside purchaser. As soon as our M.H.fi.'s perceive that railways are useful for carrying only, and not for providing markets for an increased production, a reform will be instituted, and the Government of the day will not be pressed for a line in this or that direction. Railways only afford facilities for bringing things to market. The market has yet to be found.

Mr E, Wrigley invites tenders for painting the Victoria Hotel Tenders are invited for fixing floodgates, <k, on the Akura toad. The Loyal Masterton Lodge, M.U., 1.0.0. F., meets this evening. Special coaches will leave the Club Hotel, Masterton, to-morrow at 10 30 p.m., for the pastoral show.

( Mr McCarthy advertises that the saloon 'bus will leave tho Empire Hotel for the Pastoral Show at 10 a.m. to-morrow. The directors of the Caledonian Society meet this afternoon at the Prince of Wales' Hotel to arrange programme, &e. We understand that a public meeting will be convened in connection with the approaching Mayoral election at Masterton. The Carterton Rifle Volunteer soiree to-morrow evening ought to attract visitors/not only in its own neighborhood, but from Greytown and Masterton. A Wairarapa settler who went down to the Christchurch show, told us that listening to the Governor's speech there was worth the expense and trouble of the trip, The net amount realised by the Masterton Fire Brigade from the late lecture delivered on the phonograph was £5 14s 6d, a welcome addition to the somewhat slender treasury of this body.

The Financial Statement was delivered in the House last night. Owin» to its length we cannot find room for it in our present issue, but hope to give the substance of it m our next. The first strawberries we have seen for sale in Greytown were exposed in Mr R. Freeman's window on Saturday evening. Many gazed with eager eyes, and no doubt anxious thoughts, but still seemed to keep their hands deep down in their pockets. Complaints have been made of one or two old and dilapidated buildings in Main street, Greytown. being left accessible to navvies and others who may be roaming about. If a spark was let drop these old places would bum like tinder, and endanger the larger buildings close by. The matter should be taken in hand by the Borough Council as early as possible.

The frame of the new Wesleyan Church, Greytown, was raised yesterday afternoon, Judging from the size of the timbers, and the extent of the ground covered, our friends have an idea of providing plenty of room. In the hands of the well known contractor, Mr E. Gray, we expect to see this building make rapid progress, and add considerably to the appearance of that portion of Greytown.

The custodian of the Masterton. Cemetery informs us that some one has been stealing therefrom some of the ornamental pines recently received from the Wellington botanical reserve.

We trust that the show of the Paßtoral and Agricultural Society, to be held at Carterton to-morrow, will be well patronised by visitors from all parts of the district, Lust season it had bad weather to contend with and there was some excuse for the paucity of the attendance on that occasion, but this drawback will not, we trust, be experienced on the present occasion. It is the duty of all interested in either land or stock to attend gatherings of this character, and we trust that no one will shirk it,

Our Empire city friends cannot compete with Masterton strawberries, We eat some grown by Mr Lang yesterday which were almost gigantic, two of them weighing a quarter of a pound. A small number of them were sufficient to feed the whole of our staff. A member of it suggested that next time strawberries are left at the Wairakapa Daily Office they should be accompanied by sugar and cream. Wo do not, however, insist upon this condition. ' The settling for the Canterbury Metropolitan meeting took place on Saturday afternoon. The following amounts were paid :-H. Goodman, dE7I7 10a; R. Ray, £79613 a; W.Walters, £142155; Mason and Vallance, £205 10a; H. Prince, £338 4s; J. Lunn, £10; S. Powell, £10; P ; Cutler, £5; 0. H, Owen, LIS;D. OBrien, L 190; E. G.' Griffiths, L 570; J.W. Mullock, L 256105; H. Redwood, L 200.. ■ The. following nominations have been received by the Secretary of the Waihenga Races :-Waihenga Stakes : H. Taylor's Prince Albert and bay filly, R Gillies' Orphan, T. Kay's Diver, T. H. Hill's My Grey. Sapling Stakes: J. Fabian's bo The Link, Martin Te Ore's d f Tawa H Gillies' b f Whitau, H. Taylor's b f May Queen, J. Macara's b g Le Roy, E. Wmteringham's b g War. Hurdle Handicap : T. H. Hill's Ada, J. Macara's Forest Queen.

We belive that Wellington readers, writes the N. Z. Times, are mainly indebted to the senior member for the Wairarapa (Mr Beetham)for the following two new clauses which have been added to the Bill, granting protection to miners or prospectors on Grown lands outside mining districts :-9. It shall bo lawful for the Governor, if he shall think fit, on the receipt of a fee of five pounds, to grant protection for any period not exceeding six months, to any person mining for gold within Crown lands outside any mining district, under regulations from time to time to be proclaimed. 10. In the event of the lands so protected being included within the boundaries of any mining district which shall be proclaimed a mining district after the grant of such protection, such land shall be deemed to be held under the provisions of the Acts in force in such mining districts relating to gold-fields, and shall be subject to the rules and regulations then in force for the tune being within such mining district, and may be dealt with accordingly, These clauses will probably meet the case of the Wairarapa prospectors, whose efforts have been somewhat crippled owing to the insufficiency of the security afforded to them under the existing Acts. If this Bill becomes law, we see nothing to hinder the claims pegged out in the Wairarapa, where gold-bearing quartz has been found, being at once protected under it. There lias been some talk about claims extending over a number of acres being granted to prospectors in the Wairarapa. We trust that any attempt on the part of original prospectors to exclude all new coiners, and to secure a monopoly under the guise of protection, will be carefully guarded against. The reward for the

discovery of a payable goldfield in this provincial district will probably offer sufficient inducement to the first discoverers of payable gold to invest capital into the undertaking. As it is, no doubt, desirable to encourage prospectors, it might perhaps be also advisable to allow the original prospector on ground at a distance from any other working, who first claims protection under the regulations to be issued under this Act, to peg off a claim of twice the usual area allowed to diggers or miners on proclaimed goldfields, "