EAST COAST AND WAINUIORU NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5713, 17 August 1897, Page 3

EAST COAST AND WAINUIORU NOTES.

{From Oni' Oirii Correspondent). August 12. "Witli the exception of tlio first two days of this month we have as yet had very little spring weather, rain having fallen more or less every day since, The roads and tracks arc in a ycry muddy condition. The Gladstone-East Coast-road is stated to be worse tliuii at any time during last year, the citra amount of trailio oil it this winter in a great measure accounts for this. Fortunately there arc no slips of any consequence. At Jackson's Creek the old slips there arc again on the move, and may cause serious trouble in the event of much rain falling, Mr A. McKonzie paid a visit to (he Coast this week, taking a mob of about 51)0 fat wethers from Glcnburn for the Wellington market. What a very important district the East Const is becoming,and how rich sonic folk must think we are! Even Mayor Hcagerty, of Greytown, wants to annex our territory with the l'apawai bridge, A dose of A'ew Zealand, or Wairarapa geography would do this enterprising gentleman good. What a much-bridged river tlio Huamahunga will soon become. Tlioso bridge repairs! When, oh when, will something definite be settled? Uiic thing seems evident that the unfortunate East Coast settlers (who liai;o so long and patiently been the milch cow for the Carterton ratepayers), will have to put their hands in their pockets. Such an unjust attempt to saddle one portion of a district with a rate has iioyer, I fed sure, been perpetrated by any local body in the district before. It is almost a work, (an injustice) of" Colonial magnitude." A most dangerous and pernicious precedent is being established when it is sought; because a river divides two subdivisions of a lioad district, the settlers on one side are alone to be responsible. Would the Carterton settlers think it fair if in the event of the Waioliinc, or Waingawa Bridges being damaged that they alone should bear tho whoic burden ? I think not. The t'eatherston and Wairarapa North County ratepayers u;ould soon be asked for their quota, aud justly so. Our case with the Hurunuiorangi bridge is analagous, It is too awfully generous of the burgesses of Carterton to come to the rescue with some ,CllO, when they think their business interests arc in jeopardy by the Taueru river being bridged and communication being opened with ilastcrlou, Apart from this, in all fairness a certain area adjacent to the west bank of ltuamahunga and which has benefited Ijy the East Coast rates being spent in the past on its roads, should ho made contribute towards those bridge repairs. The Chnirman of tho Taratahi-Carterton Hoard says that No. 8 Ward must repair these bridges. It would nppear that the Chairman cares not how unjust a rate maybe, so long as his own particular; bridge—the Kokatau—is put in order. Your contemporary, the Observer, waxes farptious anent the long coastline of No 8 Ward, saying tho gulls flying: about there aro numerous, but >' they do not come inland to permanently settle." We plead guilty to a good deal of simplicity out here, but we have just sense cnoiigfr to beware of the inland cormorants I

The building of the Taiierii bridge seems far from settled yet. Mr Warden lloorc married it at Gladstone to tlio bridge ratepayers; a fow days later Lawyer Dunny at Masterton writes a bill of divorcemont against it, Tho whole business (if some of our public men do not soon ovolvc a little commonsense) can be put down as " muddle," writ large,. , ,