OUR WAIRARAPA LETTER.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 121, 2 March 1881, Page 2

OUR WAIRARAPA LETTER.

_„ _, , Jr^ M^.^__^ .^.» — ~ Ivnoit our owk ookrbspowdmtt] Gbbxtown, Febbttaet 27, 1881, The weathei here for the past month has been very dry, so dry m fact, that the country is completely scorched, and food for catt'e has become seri«msly scarce m. the Lower Valley, and water m some of the townships has become nearly a marketab'e article, m consequence of so many wells having gone dry. In many cases ■there are frpm ten to a dozen families running to one well for water requisite Tor household purposes ; but as I writ?, a light rain has set m from the south »west, which it istn be hoped will continue for two or three 'day*. | A good deal of speculation. has b^en rife hfere relative to the origin of j the late fire, and destruction of Fabian's store, and some unpleasant r. marks have ifou&d ready au-iitors That there is a mastery; attached to the affair is obvious. One pecitiar thing m connection with it is that two of the brothers— of whom be it understood there , are three— shnu'd happen to be away together this particular evening at some twelve miles distant, and returning, when about-a mile-from home saw the fire, hastened with all speed to find tVeir owiv shop being devoured by the element. One of the first of the neigh hors who was on the scene of the fire, -put the question to the remaining brother—" Wfceregare y<W two

brothers, are they m the hous ?" The answer was, " No, they are away, and I don't think they will be home to-night." Another thing which has excited some little amount . of chat, is the preciseness with which all their books were, locked -up m the safe. Again the excessive insurance, vis., £4,0)0, . it is estimated that this more than covered the whole loss by £1000. if such were the case, why, all I can say is, that they were most sensible men. But of course doe al'owanceinustr always be made for 'Dame" Rumor," who is always to tha fore, my own idea is that every man is allowei to think, but there are times when he must not think -too^dadly^--^^=aisS^^saaaK^2=!. Some timeib, otabout March last, it will -te_iemem^er«d the Wilding Guardian haxT&tr artiele--bn^n^aStriac : iio ; S of the WestCoas' Railway. It contended thtUbe Government were justified m their "refusal to construct the'sb-caUSd West Coast Railway while much more necessary railway works are demanded m other uarts of the colony.. I* is infe esting 'o people at * distance to watch the progress being made m this important work,*. Th62 Wairarapa Standard ot. the mh-iDßbi re -printed the article m question, m the course of which it remarked :'• It' would answer the interests of Wellington fe tter if the line were made through to connect with the Napier section." i hi 8 yjew. it will be remembered, was announced by irapiicatiorTrath* Quardumnn the dae above mentioned. The Standard. circulating among.every member of the House of Representatives, most necei- - J sanly dpjmuch to fc detrimjnt of th& scheme or project. This d imaging panfc graph to the scheme would not h«ve beeoN" likely to have dme th»v mischief then, coming from the 6Fvardian,fis it will nowv A lar^e and most important meeting of rnnholaerß was held m Carterton on the 2oth to consver-the a arming i crease of scab m the district, and the defectiyenesg. of the Scab *ct It wa- 'stated that at the present time there are some 220.000, or onethird he whole number of sheep m the district infected m the meaning of the Scab. Act. This is an unfortunate,, if not an alarming state of affairs. It was held by most of the speakers that the Act was defective, and to its defectivehess the increa-e of scab was imputed, but Mr. Biinny. M.H.8., contended that the Act was not defective, it was through neglect he said that people's flocks have got the scab, but sheep he said were not the only scabby things at. present m the colony^ He referred, I presume, to the "scabby Government. Two resolutions were passed urging upon Government the necessity ot amending^ certain clauses of the Act. and to tike more stringent iieasnres for the- enforcement of the Act m the Wairarapa. . '... r ...-, f .