PUERUA.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 208, 5 July 1878, Page 6

PUERUA.

[from otxk, ow courespowdent.]

Messrs Robertson Brothers' thrashing" mill passed through here yesterday (thY, 28th June); having- finished in this and the Port Molyneux districts. They have been at work eleven weeks. They have been very unfortunate as regards the weather on this their first visib to the district. Only the first two weeks was fine weather, and during" that time they were able to finish Underwood and Cheviott, with only one day's stoppage. Any person seeing- the rnrll at work this season would think there was a grear scarcity of laborers, as so many well-to-do settlprs of twenty and twenty five years' standing 1 followed the mills. But the district has long 1 been working* upon the system of " I'll help you and you'll help me," and the more crop grown the more the system is reported to, as it keens some from paying wagps, while at the same time they receive wag-es themselves. As an example : — A has five days' thrashing-; B has only one ; consequently B gets four days' wages, while B is getting his own work .done, and so on in the same way until the season is over.' I believe a number of; the farmers have been reading- and studying. Adam x Smith's "Wealth of * Nations," where he : says :'-—-" The [ greatest improvement in the productive

power of labor, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgment with .which it is anywhere directed or applied, seems to have been the effect of mi eqiul and greater division of labor."

Messrs Soinervilln Brothers' threshing mill has ag'iuu crossed the Punnm, being 1 the second timp. this season. This time rhfy are going- to the Upper Puerua Flat.

Our first concert and readings for the season took plao> last week, but as the evening: was wet, eo!d, and dark there was but a very puor attendance, which was to be regrnt'ed. lam sorry to say the reading's have never been so succe sful here as they appear to ha in other districts. I believe the cause principally to bfi that the school being* at (be extreme end of the district prevents our respected minister and family from attending 1 occasionally. Besides, a great number of residents are in that end of the district, and when the. two hours' dancing- was added to make it more attractive-) a number g-ave over ; going;, Headers and singers are also very scarce, and we have very often to be obliged to outsiders to assist us.

B;\d weather, bad roads ! is the farmers' cry now, but it is a good thing 1 they cannot artd bad prices this year. JNow is thu time that the Ahuriri settlors find those in oiit-lj'ing districts would reap the benpfit of railway commuDication (it they had it), with their bfirns and other out-buildings filled to overflowing' with grain and other produce. The state ,of the ordinary roads will keep them driving 1 it to the market for months, whereas if they had the railway now, while the prices are high, the money could be employed to advantage some other way. But that ia not the only evil, When the good wepther comes and the roads dry the settlers are kept driving* grain and plodding- along 1 from early morn to late at night for weeks, when they might be clearing- and ploughing-, adding 1 to the acreage of their already well culti- ! vated homesteads. What with road I rates and the County Council going to levy a rate to pay a taw men salaries, and the prospect of further taxation looming 1 in the distance, the settlers may well complain. Now is the time for Hoad Boards, Road Districts, and settlers themselves to take united action against the County Council's proceedings, and, if they cannot prevent the proposed rate, they can compel them to give each road district their share of the rate levied upon them. I think the residents in the Clutha County were too long- under the good old Provincial system,, which worked so well, to look kindly upon the oppressive County Council.