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Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 189, 22 February 1878, Page 5

Several reports of school examinations, &c, are unavoidably held over till next week

The Home mail via San Francisco will close at the post-office here at 10 p.m. on Wednesday next.

Crops in the Owake district promise to be fully up to the averagethis year, and harvesting will be general in about a fortnis>ht, should the weather continue favourable.

A School Committee has been elected at Crookston, and is endeavouring to get a school started. At last meeting of the Education Board the matter was referred to the Inspector aud the inhabitants of the district hope that gentleman will pay them a visit soon.

It will be observed from our advertising columns that Messrs J. Blues and Co., Waihola Gorge, have purchased the stock of the late firm of Messrs Grigor and Stewart, Storekeepers here, and will open to-morrow. We notice that Mr Alexander Mollison, sometime of Waihola, and late of Dunedin, who has many friends in this quarter, is assisting witii the business.

We notice Coomps and Son of Dunedin have now quito established an industry at Messrs Andrew, Dickson and Co.'s sawmills, Catlins River, which they started a few months- since, namely, the export of bark for tannery purposes. The bark made use of is principally red piue, which is found to answer their purpose admirably, and the export of which now has attained fair dimensions, and employs a considerable number of Lands.

We understand that Messsrs Davidson and Co. have now finished the building and fitting up of the new river steamer, which may be expected round here early next week. The erection of the jetty is under contract, and any delay in resuming the Clutha river traffic can only occur in the matter of the siding to connect the jetty with the main line of railway. This work is to bo carried out by the Government, and as it is now in Mr Blair's hands, we have no doubt it will be pushed forward with all haste.

A School Committee meeting was held in the Friendly Societies' Hali, Owake, on Tuesday evening last, with Capt. Andrew iv the chair aud a full attendance of members, to receive the report of the Committee who waited on the' School Inspector with reference to the desirability of the erection of new school premises. The Inspector (Mr Taylor) considered the present building quite unfitted for scholastic purposes, and would recommend the erection of a new building. Considerable and animated discussion was indulged iv re the most eligible site, but definite action was delayed pending answers to be received from the owners of two sections with whom the Secretary was instructed to communicate. At a meeting of ihe Committee of the Board of Conservators for the Clutha river, held on Tuesday last, tendeio for the ci ection of a jetty below the railway station here were opened, and that of Mr Matthew Moses, Milton, for the sum of L 228, was accepted. There were live tenderers. The time allowed to complete the work is six weeks, but are we hopeful the contract will be finished before then, as Mr Moses is losing no time. He got notice of the acceptance of. his tender on Wednesday morning in Milton, and the same forenoon he was in Mr Alosley's bush, Inch Clutha, and had the piles selected. The other material necessary he arranged for the same day, and we believe he will commence to erect he jetty in the beginning of the week.

From several communications received from Catlins Biver we learn that much dissatisfaction exists there in reference to the apportionment of the County funds. At the last session . of the Assembly a vote of LIOOO was passed for the formation and metalling of the road to Catlins, and the money has been placed at the disposal of the County Council for expenditure. This sum will do but little to the road, and the complaint is that in consequence of the inhabitants having managed to secure theLIOOO from the Colonial Treasury the Council has decided not to expend any of the. County funds for the benefit of that district. The roads there have hitherto been much neglected, and as the district contributes its due share to the County fund it is argued, and not without some reason, that the district is entitled to a fair proportion of the funds altogether irrespective of votes that may be procured elsewhere. ii!o doubt the Government has at last practically manifested a paternal interest in the advancement of thedistrict, but that is not regarded as a valid reason for its being deprived of a share of the local revenues.

The whole of the. settlers of the district attended at the house of Mr Alexander Orr, Kuriwao, at noon on Monday last, the hour fixed for the nomination of candidates for election to the office of County Councillor for Brugh Biding in room of Mr F. Roberts, whose seat according 'to public notification had become vacant through his absence without leave of the Council from four consecutive meetings of the Council. Mr Thomas Paterson, Returning Officer for thorCounty, was also in attendance. Mr Daniel -Clark was nominated to the oflice, but the Returning Officer declined to receive the nomination. In explanation, he read to the meeting a letter from the Clerk to the County Council instructing him that no vacancy had occurred, and that therefore no election could take place. He also read a letter of an earlier date informing him of the vacancy, and requesting that steps be taken for the election. Tt would be difficult to express the disappointment and indignation felt by the settleis on hearing the announcement that there would be no election. A protest signed by a number of them was lodged in the Returning Officer's hands, and a determination was ; freely expressed : to have. , the ..whole affair sifted. to the bottom. We purpdselv avoid comment in the.meantime.as; we„ have no doubt the correspondence will b.e'rea.d'and explanations given at the meeti^ofthe- Council on Tuesday "'next.'"-" ' A -'".'-■' 'A'"" A A" ' : '*'-■■■ - ■■-■<'--■ < \ x y

We are requested to inform the members of the Glee Club that the practice next week will be on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

Mr R. W. Capstick, Mayor of Milton, has been appointed a Justice of the Peac% his appointment to date from the 11th of December last.

Public, worship is now conducted at Crookston once a fortnight by Mr Anderson, whose services is much appreciated by ali who have heard him in the district.

No time should now be lost in repairing some of the worst parts of the road through the bush to Catlins Itiver, or another winter will effectually blockade this district for about four njonths.

Harvest will not be general in the Crookston district for ten days although a few patches have been cut. The crops in general look well, and should good weather set in to get the crops secured in good condition the farmers will have nothing to complain of.

We regret to learn that Mr John Duthie, of Messrs Blues and Duthie, Waihola Gorge, met with a buggy accident at Palmerston on Saturday last by which his right arm was broken in three places.

• We publish in another column copy of a petition now being signed in Catlins, and other districts regarding tlie mail service from Balclutha. Tlie alteration asked for seems a most reasonable one, and tho only wonder is that it has not been asked for and granted lqng ago. We do not see that any objection can bjo.raised on the part of anyone against the proposridjarrangement, and considering the benefits it will. confer upon the inhabitants of Catlins, Ahuriri,' etc., and considering also, that the cost of theLservice will not be increased, we believe the petition will at once be considered and receive a favourable reply.

A trial of Wood's Reaper and Binder took place on Brookdale station, the property of Mr D. M'Kellar, on Wednesday 13th inst., when there was a good turn out of farmers from all parts of the surrounding districts. The machine started about 2 p.m., when every one present was eager to see and judge for themselves, aud a regular rush enpuecl around the field, but after a few rounds it satisfied the most scruplous that binding by machinery vvas an accomplished fact. The field selected for the trial was close to the main road, a little below the station. The crop was oats of a fair height but green, and the machine did its work with the greatest ease— the horses walking along without any trouble. Mr M'Kellar kindly provided refreshments for all and sundry, and not a few availed themselves of that gentleman's hospitality. We may mention that the machine was put together and worked by one of our local farmers, Mr Thurston, Crookston, who at the finish described the use of tho different parts to those present, amongst whom were a number of ladies, who seemed to appreciate the value of the machine.

A " deputation, consisting of Messrs Featherston, Melville, Mosley, Roys'e, Wright, Gilroy, Roy, Anderson, Paterson, Barnes, Wilson, and Thomson, M.H.R., waited upon the Minister for Public Works on Wedaesday, relative to the construction of a branch railway line "from Stirling across liioh-Clutha by Port Molyneux, to Catlins River. Mr Thomson, M.H.R. for Uliitha, introduced the deputation. Mr Mosley then presented the petition, which has already been published, and urged that tho same be favourably considered." Mr Larnach said the Government were quite ready to make a survey of the line so soon as a qualified officer could be got to do the work. He was quite satisfied as to the quality of the land through which the line would pass, and the benefit the railway would be asia feeder to the mainline, but he thought the people would have to construct the line themselves under the District Railways Act. After some discussion, the Minister for Public Works again stated that the line would be surveyed as soon as an officer could be obtained for that purpose. 'The deputation thanked the Minister and retired.

At the meeting of the Education Board on Weduesday, the following report , of the Finance Committee was adopted:—' ' The Finance Committee recommend that the time allowed them to report concerning the allocation of funds assigned to this Educational District be extended -JLqr a week. The labour of devising a suitable scheme for the paymeut of the teachei-3 must be left to the Board which ia. about to be elected under the Education Act. As an interim arrangement, the Committoe recommend that for the present quarter teachers be paid at the rate of their respective average quarterly salaries for last year, inclusive of the sums received by them from school fees. To prevent misconceptions each teacher should be informed that the... pay-: mnet thus made to him must be regarded as an instalment of his year's salary, which latter may be in excess or defect'of the proportion thus paid, according as the incoming Board shall determine. As an interim arrangement, to meet the indispensable small expenses of School Committees, your Committee recommend that a payment of 2s 6d per pupil, to be calculated on the average attendance of last year, be now paid to each of them— such payment to be regarded as an instalment of any contribution which may be made by the new Board to the School Fund of each Committee."

We notice a few of the worst places in the Upper Owake road are being put in a muchneeded state of repair, but we certainly think it would not seem too expectant to ask that a few pounds more should bespent on the. approaches to both crossings of the Owake, which have been left in such a state that even at present, with the roads in the most favourable condition, it is almost impossible and very dangerous to fetch over; a dray more than half laden; while when the roads have assumed their winter consistency, the probabilities are that the 7 crossing of an empty dray would be too risky an undertaking to attempt. While on this subject we may mention that the presence of what appears to be an artificial duck. pond, right across the lower Owake road, and over which a rather primitive bridge, just broad enough for a single. dray has been constructed, has often caused us to -ruminate — more particularly when the roads are f bad,. a by : no means infrequent. state— upoiv.the.. apathy shown by the Road Board representative. of .the district in not having a culvert erected the full width, of the, .road A.or. or .better still filliug up tho pondA. Possibly this latter course thight interfere" withLthe riparian. riglitsL of the individual who: formed this liquid trap, ;but doubtless hewould

forego tliese wheir Be reflected upon the increased safatyand^ : convenience it wouldhe'to' the public making use of the rqli^. %'^ ;A' A'"- '■""_- .;■ L' 1 '

Members of the Balclutha Athenseum Committee will please keep in mind the monthly meeting on Monday first at 8 p.m.

The members of the Catlins Railway Committee will please observe that a meeting is called for Tuesday evening at tlie East Clutha school.

It is reported that Mr J. P. Armstrong, of Dnnedin, is likely to b 9 a candidate, at the next general election for tho. representation of Mount Ida in the House of Representatives. A

At the Dunedin weekly sale on Tuesday Messrs Maclean Brothers sold fiU head of fat cattle on behalf of Messrs M'Donald, Wright, and others, Inch Clutba, at from £9 10s to £11 per head • also 450 merino rams, from tlie flocks of Messrs Ayson, Warepa, and Watt and John • stone, Kaihiku, at satisfactory prices.

At the meeting of the Waste Lands Board on Wednesday, the plans of land contaiued in the Warepa Liuudred, viz., blocks IX and X., and a portion of block XI, were approved of, and the consideration of the mode of dealing with tho land was adjourned for one week. The map of Wyndham township was submitted to, the Board and approved of.

Good 'progress is heing made with the erection of the new Presbyteriau Church here. The walls have now been all weatherboarded, and the roof is ready for tbe shingles. The foundation of the spire has been laid, and the framework commenced. The building was inspected by Mr Wales, Architect, on Tuesday, who expressed himself highly satisfied with the quality and pi ogress of the work.

We notice Messrs Dabinett and young, of Catlin's River, have found it necessary to considerably enlarge their store, although they have only been established about twelve mouths, — this in conjunction with the advent of a second butcher and baker, whose advertisements will be noticed in another column, also a disciple of the trade ' patronised . by St. Crispin, are the most practical proofs of a progressive, flourishing district.

An occasional correspondent from Catlins River writes us in reference to a case of grossly inhuman treatment of a cow by a resident in the neighbourhood of the saw mills, and if what he asserts is correct, this individual certainly deserves condign punishment under tho statute for the protection of dumb animals. We refrain from publishing the name of the party from a charitable supposition that it arose through an uncontrolable ebullition of temper that may be regretted and will not occur again.

The New Zealand and Australian Land Company have now Wood's Reapers aud Binders at work upon their Totara and Edendale stations where they are giving every satisfaction.' ; Another of these machines was started at Clydevale, this week, and on Tuesday last a large number of the surrounding inhabitants were present to see and judge for themselves as to the manner in which the work was done. Mr Bryden.then had the machine tried with many different classes of crops and subjected it to the severest tests. It was found that upon steep ridgy grouud Ihe machine would not work satisfactorily. In travelling from the cutter to the binding apparatus the grain could not be kept in proper position, aud slipped to the one side or the other according to the lie of the ground, so that when it was taken hold of by the binding gear the band was placed too near the base or top of the sheaf and was not effective. All means were tried to obviate tbis difficulty but without success, and it was obvious to all that as at present constructed the machine will not work upou steep ground.It was believed, however, that no great difficulty will be experienced in constructing machines suitable for such ground. Mr Bryden's experience with these Reapers and Binders upon the various stations is that with comparatively level ground and fair crops they are a thorough success. With only one man and a pair of horses the machine will easily cut an acre per hour, making a much cleaner job than the ordinary reaper, the proved saving bemg from 6s to ?s per acre. We have no doubt these results arrived at after full trials by a gentleman of Mr Bryden's experience will be regarded as conclusive by the settlers generally iv these parts. %/ . y