THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 306, 6 March 1868, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(PROM OCR OWS CORRESPONDENT.) QuEKxsrowx, March 3. The Lite favorable change from continua' wet to dry weather set in just in time for the agricultu ists, wlio, notwithstanding (hat they had such fine crops, began to have serious doubts of their ever ripening ; but their minds ire at rest on that score now, and each and nil oiudit to be satisfied wish the real'y magnificent crops of grain which seem universal. Thanks to the reaping machines the work of harvesting is rendered comparatively light and rapid at the same time, hand labor being now an a most obsolete cu torn, promising soon to bu forgotten From what I s"o of reaping machines, those that combine strength with s'mplicity answered the best. The more complicated sort are continually breaking down, and necessitate a considerable expend ture for rep irs. One that I saw at wnrk in a field of oats at L ike Haves, belonging to Mr. Cope, of Clyde, cut down thirty acres in three days, without a single stoppage, the corn being tied up in sheaves o,iid

placed ready to cart away to the stack. : The work was beautifully done, the I machine scarcely leaving a straw behind. In fact, had the field been cut by hand labor free of cost, the machine would be preferable, on account of there being no waste whatever. The yield of wheat will be exceedingly large, far in excess of the wants of the district, and a market for flour must be found somewhere clown y «r way this season I think some of the spirited men of the Dunstan should set themselves to work and start a flour mill; it could not. fail to prove of immense benefit to the district, and plenty would grow wheat on findin" that they could get it ground. In' America, I am told, speculators go far a-head of the cultivator, and, having takeu up an eligible site, erect their mill, and they always find that plenty of cultivation springs up around them. I am sure that such would be the same on the Dunstan. Supposing the squatters do hold all the land, they must give way when the people demand it. Men before sheep any day ! A mill at the Dunstan would get a good deal of support from here. It would be quite as well to send you down wheat as flour. Vany of the Arrow farmers would be customers, for at the best there is no little lost time in going to Frankton to sell wheat, and iwo markets are always preferable to one. A very destructive fire broke out at Mr. Humphrey's farm, Frankton Flat, on Saturday afternoon last. It appears that the chimney of the dwell-ing-house caught fire, which communicating with the thatched roof, the whole place was speedily in a blaze. So rapid was the spread of the fire, that the inmates saved no property whatever. A public meeting of ratep.iyi rs was held in Queenstovvn on ri lay last, to take into consideration a redticth n < f the \ unicipal rates, 2s. in the 11 being estimated as nnexcessively high rate. Nothing definite was arrived at by the meeting, it being generally understood that after tho present year the Council intended reducing the assessment by one half. It appears to me that movements for ihe reductio of rates will become infectious, and that similar action will be taken in other municipalities. The country municipalities up to the present time have beeu very useful bodies, and many local improveme ts have been effected by them ; but their course of usefulness seems to have run ou', all the good they wore capable of doing being done. For instance, the 17)00 grant in aid, together with the I' 2 to i'l subsidy on rates collected, have i been spent on local iraproevmeut-s and nothing now remiins, or will remain after the present year, but the actual rates to be collected. Now. as th" ; salarv of the Town Clerk, Assessors, and Inspector of Nuisances, together with the incidental expenses of carry. iug on the municipality must necessarily absorb so largo a proportion of the rates, people will object to pay, Dignity is all very well, and so are appearancs, but the keeping up of J either may be too costly ; so if the goldlields municipalit.es wUh to hold th"ir way it will be well that ihev take warning. An old saying ins it that ''Coming events cast their shadows before them." The meeting at Queonstowu on Fridiv lis' must be considered a shadow of public intention not to be taxed merely to pay the salary of the Town Clerk, &c. Ratepayers are sure to interest themselves in solving tho nice li'tl" pro-1 blom of wh it proportion the expenses of conducting a municipality bears in relation to taxes collected. In mining matters thor" is nothing worth particularising The diggers seem all pretty busily employed, and there are no complaints. The yield of gold keeps up its average, and there is full employment for all. No man need be idle now, as there i-; plenty of work at harvesting at 10s. per dav and found. Looking at the Lakes District as a whole, it is decidedly prosperous, and as soon as the large sums of money laid out in fencing and iinpro iug land becomes re-productive, the p ace will decidedly go a-head. The election of a member of the Mining Conference produced considerable excitement. A very intelligent miner, a Mr. Swyer, of Cardrona, was elected, beating Messrs. Johnson, andors, and M'Whirter. Your district having elected Jlr. M'lntvre has given much satisfaction here, that gentleman having a large circle o! acquaintances in this quarter.