WAIRARAPA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3213, 31 May 1871, Page 3

WAIRARAPA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

THE CARTEUTON RIFLE VOLUNTEERS.

It affords me much gratification to record one act of liberality on the part of a sturdy English farmer on the Taratahi plain, which is well worthy of imitation. Mr S. Oates, unsolicited, called on Captain Fairbrother the other day, and placed a sovereign in his hands for the benefit of the Rifle Club which has been recently established at Carterton. Captain Fairbrother says, "A 6 this is the first instance of he kind that has happened in Car terton, aud the first I have heard of in the district, though I trust it will not be the last, if it is not asking too much I should like this gift to be acknowledged in your columns." I may mention that Mr Oates is one of the much abused Australian immigrants. He came from Melbourne in the Seringapatam; did navvy and other hard work for a time ; sent for his wife and family from England ; bought some land on the Taratahi, and is now a prosperous farmors, the winner of a threshing machine, and the father of a family now mostly grown up, who are well able to do battle with the forest or with any other foes, ons of them being an expert rifle shooter, 'and the winner of innumerable prizes at our athletic games. On the Friday previous Captain Clelaud presented the following prizes to the members belonging to this corps which had been won at the late General Government prize firmg — to Corporal John Bassett, '£10; to Private H. Eagle, £0, and to Private D. M'Kenzie, £5, The Carterton Volunteers thus secured amongst them no less than £21 out of the £40 awarded to the companies in the Wairarapa. Corporal Bassett received the medal for the province last year, and he will receive it again this year, and also the prize rifle. He is a modest, unassuming, steady, and deserving young man. He is also one of the Provincial Government immigrants, having arrived with his mother, and brothers and sisters, in the Queen Margaret about the time Mr Oates arrived in the Seringapatam. He is now married, and is a prosperous farmer at Carterton, aud I may add, one of the first subscribers obtained in this district for the " New Zealand Mail," which, I submit, is an additional indication of his intelligence and worth. PENNY HEADINGS. I am happy to say that a series of public readings are given weekly at the Carterton Town Hall, which has been kindly placed at the disposal of the Committee for that purpose. They had been previously carried on at the schoolroom by the teetotalers, which was found to be not large enough for the audience who attended them. On Monday last a lecture on Total Abstinence was delivered, and afterwards several readings were given, interspersed with songs. At the request of the audience the readings are to take place on Monday evenings during the winter months. On Thursday evening the usual weekly readings took place at the Town Hall at Greytown, when a large and fashionable audience attended, who expressed themselves much pleased with the entertainment. GREYTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT. A meeting of the electors, convened by advertisement, was held at the schoolhouse, Greytown, on Thursday evening, for the purpose of electing a school committee under the Education Acts of the Provincial Council The attendance was small, and no speeches were made on the occasion, the movers of the several resolutions contenting themselves by merely proposing them to the meeting. Mr A. K. Arnofc was chosen chairman, and the following list of persons to act as a committee was submitted to the meeting and adopted : — Messrs Boys, Knell, Moles, Kirschberg, Caselberg, Arnot, Hastwell, Smith, Walker, Petherick, Lucas, and Baillie. Mr Lucas was appointed collector, and Mr Hirschberg treasurer. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. I)r Welch, one of the requisitionists, forwarded a resolution to the chairman to the effect that the meeting should be adjourned until the new Education Act came into force ; but as it found no proposer, it could not be put to the meeting. queen's birthday. The 24th May was not celebrated in this district except at Carterton. There the day was duly honored. A match between the Masterlon and Carterton Rifle Clubs came off, which resulted, contrary to all expectations, in an easy victory for the former. The weather was rather unfavorable for accurate firing. A return match will come off at an early date at Masterton. After the match both clubs sat down to a substantial dinnerat the Royal Oak, and this over the loyal and patriotic toasts were given. The health of Captain Cleland was drunk with enthusiasm, and also that of Captain Fairbrother, to whom the Carterton Rifles owe much of their efficiency. A ball in the evening, at the Town Hall, which was a decided success, agreeably terminated the proceedingß. I should have stated that, the corps paraded at 10 a.m. and fired a feu de joie when three cheers were given for the Queen. MILITARY INSPECTION The yearly inspection of the militia aud volunteer companies of this district, by Colonel Harrington, took place at Masterton and Carterton on Friday, and at Greytown and Featherston on Saturday last. I have not heard the result of the Masterton inspection, but at Carterton the gallant colonel — all colonels are or should be gallant — justly complimented Captain Fairbrother for the general efficiency of the corps he had so long commanded. At Grejtown the Militia, the Rifles, and the Cavalry, mustered in force at 9 a.m., at which time Colonel Harrington arrived on the ground and proceeded with the inspection, He expressed .himself pleased with the appearance of the Militia, which contrasted very favorably

with that of Carterton, and he observed that the way they acquitted themselves was very creditable, considering they had been three months absent from parade. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the Rifle Volunteers, which was once the crack corps of the district; but their shortcomings may be in part accounted for by the circumstance that for some time past they have been virtually without a commander. Of the Cavalry, he spoke in high terms of praise. He observed a general improvement in drill, equipment, and general appearance. The appearance of the troop excited the praise of the bystanders, and the manner they went through their exercises afforded Colonel Haringtou the pleasure of complimenting Captain Boys on the success of his exertions to make his troop a credit alike to him, to them, and to the district. After the inspection, Colonel Harington, accompanied by Adjutant Cleland, proceeded to Featherston, and, in the afternoon, inspected Captain Donald's corps of Rifle Volunteers.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WAIHENGA

A meeting of the subscribers to the fund for the erection of a church at Waihenga will be held on Wednesday next at Waihenga. We are glad to learn that gentlemen not connected with the Presbyterian Church here subscribed liberally to the undertaking; as it is felt not to be creditable in so large a district as the lower valley, where some of the largest stock and land owners resided, many of them for the past thirty years, not a place of worship or a school has been erected. The Rev. J. Ross, the active and intelligent minister of the Presbyterian Church at Masterton, and who has for some years held religious services periodically at Mr M* Master's station, and in other parts of the district, trusts that there will be a large attendance, as business of importance will be trasacted. MEAT PRESERVING COMPANY. A meeting of the shareholders in the above will take place at the Fusing Sun, Grey town, during the present week ; but as the advertisement does not appear in either the Independent or the Mail, the proprietor of which has been at the expense of publishing special reports of their proceedings, while both journals have taken a lively interest in the success of the company-, and have a very large circulation in the district, I do not see that it is my duty to advertise such a meeting without their authority. IMPORTANT TO ADVERTISERS. If only as an interesting item of news from tins district, it was my duty to have mentioned in preceding communications that a Wairarapa edition of the New Zealand Wail is published specially for the district, which has already obtained a very largo circulation. I do not see that any false modesty on my part should prevent me from mentioning this circumstance, particularly when I am assured by a subscriber that when it was made known to one of the "Wellington auctioneers he immediately had the good sense to order those advertisements he wanted country readers to see to be inserted in its columns. A country correspondent, owing to the dearth of intelligence, has frequently to report occurrences which are to happen, as well as those which have already done so ; and as I have reason to believe that a knowledge of this circumstance has prevented notifications appearing in the advertising columns of both the Independent and the Mail, it is not my intention in future to continue the practice, except in the case of notifications relating to religious, educational, benevolent, and other kindred objects. I sLall always be most happy to report meetings and other events after they have taken place ; but it is through the advertising, and not through the correspondence columns of a newspaper that the announcement of their coming should appear.