EAST COAST LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 339, 17 August 1889, Page 3

EAST COAST LETTER.

[OWN OORBBSPONDXNT.—“ NABBAIOB."! fray sit by us, and tell's a tale, Merry, or sad, sliill It be ? A; Sisrry as you trill. —Wnmaß’a Tam, THE PRESENT—AND THE FUTURE. Whether by coincidence or design, but most appropriately anyhow, I find in your issue of the Bth inst. a portion of my weekly letter, which refers to the disgraceful state of our roads, “cheek by jowl" in your columns, with political notes from Welfingtoa, wherein reference is made to the impending secession of Waiapu from the presently constituted Cook County, And Sir George Whitmore, 1 further notice, in supporting the Bill, dwells very justly upon tho “ growing importance " of the district, and the fact of there being “ no real ” connection between it and Gisborne, There is little doubt that beyond T.ologa Bay (a fiortion al which only I believe is included n the embryo County) the mutual interests of the Coast, don't count for muoh, and are lessening day by day. so CONNECTION, Weekly communication by the U.S.S. Co.’e boats with Auckland, has brought that city of wholesome competition and low prices as bear to us as Gisborne, manifestly to the disadvantage of the letter from every point of view, while the extending telephone will soon plaoe us en rapport with the outside world, and confer upon us those privileges which have hitherto been enjoyed by yciir dietriot of the unpleasantly suggestive appellation alone, Nor am I aware that there is any tip, or bond of in affeotionate or fether nature, existing between Wai&pu aafi the rest of tho cumbrous CiO, all present tint usvoreaua

of which wou'd materially damage the well-being of either—at all events, certainly not Waiapu. On the contrary, I opine that the younger and healthier (I speak both politically and from a sanitary point of view) would be muchly benefited by cutting the connection “ right off," as tho Yankees say, both presently and most emphatically, in the not distant future. Waiapu, up to the present, has certainly not bad its share of the good things going, to which, under the Counties Aot, it has been and is clearly entitled. This Act provides, I believe, that the rates of any one riding may be spent within that riding. Quite so. And it may bo spent elsewhere, as has heen sufficiently demonstrated ever since Waiapu had a revenue. It isn’t bo long ago that the 0.0.0. quietly ’appropriated some £7OOO to £BUOO from the County rates, which was wholly expended in the Gisborne Bldin-t, It is to ba refunded by “ degrees," and will bn, doubtless, in the “sweet by and bye," “ the millenium’’ arrival, ct when the “kye cam' hame." Meanwhile we have a two man power road repairer at work on our bridle tracks, and arc expected to rest contented, while your Marine Board pundits are chucking or trying to chuck good money after bad into the Pacific, We are interested in your harbor (please note the italics) only in as muoh as a “ first charge may be levied on all County moneys ” tbereanent. Not otherwise. No, sir, by no means. Furthermore, the C C.C. in their often before manifested wisdom may construct a railway (for all I know) alongside the iron pipes which they may also lay down to convey apocryphal petroleum from Weaverville to your town. Or they may run it on from your metropolis to the oorner of Nicholas, Kaiteratahi, or Sheoleum itself. Are we interested ? Certainly not. Shall wo have to psy ? As surely, our quota, and, being about as big as half the County, a considerable amount too. THE ADVANTAGES WE TOSSKSS. Eight hundred thousand acres of all sorts of land about comprises the area of our Riding, neatly equal, I take it, to half the whole County aforesaid. Out coast presents equal fitcilitiea for shipping with your own, barring of course your “ Harbor," the inestimable advantages of which we ata magnanimously prepared to forego in cur insane (?) desire for separation. Our population is rapidly increasing (vide shipping intelligence), we have plenty of land, lots of sheep and cattle, and, Mr Editor, in your oar, money to make the marc go. We have had a visit from A. Tramp, Esq., which marks an epoch; wa have hot springs, oil springs, Crawford’s XXXX, and Matthewaon's whisky. What in the name ot goodness more is needed for the constituting cf our Riding into a County, rejoicing at all events in a more euphonious name than Poverty (Suva the marl:) Bay ? 11 We havs viewed it, And measured it within all by the scale, The richest tract of land, iove, in the Kingdom, There will be mads seventeen or eighteen millions, Or mors, as’t may be handled.” I hove mentioned A. Tramp, Esq., in the foregoing. Narrator has had the pleasure of spending a jolly evening with that very entertaining writer, ” who has seen men and oities," and possesses a meet souvenir of the enjoyable time in the shape of tho first volume of his " Ramblings.” You have read them, of course, Mr Editor. Recommend your friends to do likewise, if they want a treat, GENBBAI. ITEMS OF NEWS.

Thera has been no improvement in the weather since my last, gale succeeding gale with moat tantalising regularity. The schooner Gisborne passed during the week, being unable to communicate, and the next day (Thursday) being finer, the s.s, Australia arrived, bringing passengers and cargo. Mrs, Miss Conelly and family (10), Mrs Parkinson, and two other ladles, were among the former, and a quantity of goods were lauded. The ladies speak in tho highest and moat eulogistic terms of the kindness and attention they received on board during their passage from Auckland. While the ship was lying at anchor in the bay, two of her officers landed, and actuated by that extraordinary monomania which invariably characterises the sailor in terra firma— forthwith got on horseback for a few minutes. One of them got under weigh with little difficulty, having perchance secured a tolerable moke, Narrator rather commiserated the other, who mounted a veritable Ngatiporou screw, and vainly endeavored per argumentum baculinum to “ witch ” the (Waipiro) world with feats of noble horse, manship. Mr Somervell, carpenter, <fco,, of your town, arrived overland yesterday, accompanied by three other tradesmen. They proceeded inland to Makarika, being engaged to build a woolshed &0., for Messrs Somerville brothers of Christchurch, Tologa Bay, and Waipiro. Concert and dramatic entertainment at Waipiro about the 20th inst.