EAST COAST LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 354, 21 September 1889, Page 3

EAST COAST LETTER.

[from our own correspondent.] Prav sit by us, and tell’s a tale, Merry. or sad, shall it be ? As inerrv as you will. —WINTEII’S TALE. In your issue of the 12th inst. I perceive the County Engineer calls for tenders for gravelling and metalling portions of the inland Pakarae road—about which few, if any, complaints have been made, while the bridle tracks at our end still remain utterly neglected. The fact is that any influence of the C.C C.» beneficial or otherwise, has quite degenerated into a farce hereabouts ; a monument of corporate do nothingness or incapacity, with—the Engineer at the apex. Only when the rates are due, this august body manifests signs of liveliness usward ; pouches the spondulix, and goes in for further improvements in—the Gisborne Riding ; while Coast people see nothing of the Engineer for a twelve month together. Mrs Brown says that comparisons are “ojus,” and as a rule I coincide with that long suffering and alliterative lady. But they are useful sometimes ; compare for instance, the efficiency of your C.C.C. work, with that of the Wairoa County, and the respective prices paid to various functionaries. You will find that you have the minimum of one with a maximum of the other; while we—well, we pay and growl. . . For very many months some timber has been lying on the inland (Maikatuku) road, originally, no doubt, designed for culverts or repairs of some sort, but left neglected alongside the track, for so long, that I suppose the Maoris thought they had acquired a sort of claim to it. At all.events they have annexed a considerable portion of it. All these things go to show that the road matters of this district have been neglected for an injustitiable length of time, and in a perfectly—l was going to say shameless, manner. And the fact becomes patent that Mr R. Gardiner, Road Overseer of the Wairoa County, and ex sapper and miner, without half the social status of a certain C.E., and probably not so well qualified professionally, does his work a great deal better than that gentleman, so far at least as the out districts are concerned. A death of a child (half-caste) occurred

to-day at Waipiro, under rather peculiar oirkcumstances. The infant (one year) was of splendid physique and perfectly healthy till it was severiy bitten by a rat. on the temple, about three months ago. Slight symptoms of blood poisoning manifested themselves from the injury, and the child fell into bad health generally, from which it never thoroughly recovered, falling a victim to bronchitis as before stated. I am glad to say that the trout ova which ware placed in the Tapuwairo creek by Mr Wallis, of this place, have developed splendidly and are now being transferred to other fresh water streams of the locality. The Californian quail, also imported by that gentleman, are thriving well, and the minas multiplying. The Maoris cannot make out these smart little insectivorous birds as they perch on the sheep’s back picking out the vermin, and Under the impression that they are pecking the sheep themselves, have called the birds “ kai hipi," or mutton eaters.