DUNSTAN.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 206, 21 October 1873, Page 6

DUNSTAN.

(from our own correspondent.) October 11, 1873. On a former occasion, I drew attention to the fact that our town was in want of a certain useful member of the communities which compose townships, but as yet there has been no response. This time 1 hope to be more fortunate, seeing that I must fly at higher game. We are sadly in want of a Town Councillor. Municipal honours are a little below par here at present. We had all the machinery ready to elect one the other day : that is, we had a Deputy-Mayor appointed, —his Worship hjmseif having gone to the races, —the Town Clerk was ready with the Act, but no would-be Councillor was found. So I just thought I would mention it, as they are going to try it on again on a somewhat different lay ; and should there be any stray municipal honour aspirants within your range, it is to be hoped they will give us a turn, and relieve us from our present difficulty. Still, I believe we have more Councillors now than can well agree. But I think I recollect hearing of Macandrew saying once that diversity of opinion was the life’s-blood of constitutional government. I do not know if that saying of his would apply where one Councillor says, “Here is my bill for a certain quantity of quarried stones which I delivered for the use of the Corporation,” and another Councillor says, “ The stones were used for work which was principally for your own benefit, and we will not recognise your bill.” I cannot see that such differences as these raise the scale of constitutional or municipal governments ; but it seems they will arise. However, the new Councillor need not be alarmed ; if he does not supply any stones, he will not bo personally interested, and that goes a long way. Though we will not come up to expectations as to the importance of the present year for Clyde, still our Councillors are not without work before them. They are to get £3OO to make the road through the town ; and the Clyde Municipal Waterworks Ordinance wants attention, to say nothing of the Court-house, the Library, and the common. Had the Lords Cnii i.... i j i.l -1.1- - . . -

tenants) not put a set on the Bridge Bill, we should have reached the climax of our prosperity all at once.—l notice Vogel is going to have a new way of settling the diversities of opinion between the Houses, under some system of adding the majorities of one to the minorities of the other. I think that is rath er lame for Vogel. Why could he not round them all up in one mob, and let them all say Aye or No at one time. The Dunedin pigeon shooters have rather taken a rise out of their up-country opponents, —who were to meet them at Lawrence, by not coming up to scratch. lam ignorant of the preliminaries of the arrangement, but it certainly looks rather ridiculous that some of the up-country men should positively be on their way, having sent on their guns and traps to Lawrence, before any news came to thf effect that the match was off. , .3, , 'his district seems at present to be infested by dome sort of night-hawks or owls, which are heard of sometimes on one side of the river, and then on the other. Their favourite prey seems to be the gold from the miners’ sluice-boxes. The gamekeepers of the district have been on the trail, counting the claws of the depredators and the number of their nails, but cannot yet make out whether they are a Celestial or modern species. I should recommend, as these Dunedin shootists seem to be afraid that they cannot shoot pigeons, that they be invited up to practise on them.- But if those worthies cannot be persuaded to leave town, the up-country team should present them with one of these portable shooting galleries and a few bushels of nuts. With a little practice of that sort, perhaps they may come forth to meet them on a future day, October 16, 1873. My last not reaching you in time for the last issue. I have now to state that we have been supplied with a Councillor in the person of Mr Aldridge, who I have no -doubt will perform his part honourably and well. ' I see that although you mention several likely candidates for your civic chair, yet you seem to anticipate a dearth when the time comes for it to be filled. Your town before this has boasted of tw r o Mayors, surely now you will be able to muster one. On Wednesday last, 1 observed a goodly number of your citizens in Clyde, having come down to pay the last tribute of respect to your departed townsman, Mr Allan by, by following his remains to the Dunstau cemetery. The fruit crop this season promises to be a remarkably plentiful one. The Monte Christo gardens never showed in such fine blossom, and the same may be said of the gardens formerly owned by Westwood and now by Walker ; in lact, every garden around .the place that can boast of a tree wears a healthy and promising look.