THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 363, 9 April 1869, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(from our own correspondent.) Ark wtown, April 5. “Much Ado about Nothing,” besides being the title of o ,c of Shaksperb's plays, is oftentimes applica le to an “ Own Correspondent’s” letter ; but there were no Own Correspondents in Shakspeve’s time, nor Penny-a-liners either, or the Immortal Bard would surely have mentioned them ; nor have we any autln rity for suppos ing that society in those days ever, contemplated such an infficrion. But, if an Own Correspondent or Penny-a-liner’s letter in the columns of a newspaper is an infiictionremorselesslv and unfeelingly thrust upon the reader, what must o the case with Own Correspondent or Penny-a-line;* when there is nothing to write about/ i 1 must inform \ou that Lake'Wakati/i is precisely in the same place as it was last week, and enjoys the sa/ie quiet daily routine of life, exq'pt when its surface is ruffled by /the winds or the padd es of the Antrim steamer. The lake is beautiful t <J look i upon, with its bright waters ghf/ei ing i in the sunshine upon a calm cleft* day; hut nevertheless there is very little of i the useful about it. All the jfactical and substantial benefits c/> ferred j upon mankind by the “ Silent Sea” of land-locked waters, so tie sixty miles long by five miles in breadth, is to bear upon its bosom one small steamer and about half a dozen cockleshell boats engaged in the conveyance of firewood. The lake certainly makes itself useful during four or five mouths out of the year in supplying motive power to tiro Brunswick Elour-mill, during which period .what wheat there is grown in the district, is usually converted into flour. All this flour is by no means local 1 } - consumed. It finds its way down to the Dunstan and the lower diggings, and many tons of Adelaide flour are brought into this district which ought never to come i near it. This results from petty trade | jealousies, the proprietors of the Brunswick Mill having, as is thought, secured to themselves a monopoly of the business, riva storekeepers and knights of the dough-trough decline using the akatip Hour—the fault of the proprietors of the Brunswick Mill is that they have been too enterprising —and thus they unwittingly set to and bum the local candle at both ends, forgetting that by importing foreign-made flour, they are narrowing the productiveness of the district and lessening the money in circulation by a corresponding amount to that which they pay awaj for their importations, ignoring altogether the palpable fact that the raising of an increased quantity of farm produce is entirely dependant upon the employment of a corresponding amount of labor. No policy can be more suicidal than importing an article which can be produced quite as cheaply —if not cheaper—it home. 11 is a thorough exemplification of the old adage, “ cutting off your nose to bo revenged upon your face.” If it pays one business firm to possess a flour mill, surely the same course is open to those who object; hut wisdom is a scarce commodity in a small and isolated community. Good Friday passed off very quietly It poured with rain nearly the who!® day long, and home, by the with an entertaining book, was by far the best place The banks and Government offices were, of course, closed, and all the clerks had a holiday ; but, in both of these cases it is almost a holiday every day. Whoever heard of a hank clerk or goldfields official being laid up with hard work. Such an employment is something akin to being stipe* animated < r appointed Chairman of a Board of Wardens. The proclamation in the Government Gazette that all Government offices shall bo open from 0 30 a.in. till 5 p.m. can scarcely affect this latter individual, who mu.-.t be sorely puzzled to pass away his ] time. 1 Things appear to be looking up a ■ j hit at t*.kippers. The Phamix, which

V/kuuu mmrMtOß^»grai«avatimaurto«e^sßHWQ-4CK*kaewii»ti«e lias risen out of the ashes of the Great Scandinavian Company, struck a good paying reef in their lowest level, and, as gold can be plainly distinguished in the stone, excellent results are anticipated. Some of the claims at the and-hills are getting out good stone. In alluvial gold Skipper’s and the Shotover are improving daily. In fact, there is any amount of ground to be opened up about here, the district having been neglected ever since the rush' to the West Coast.

Th“ Queenstown Corporation have published their annual balance-sheet. It shows a deficiency of 144/. 4s. Gd., in the shape of a bank over-draft. It "appears that some reductions might with advantage be made in the expenditure. For instance, the Town Clerk receives 78Z. 9s. 3d. ; 43Z. 13s. comes under the head of sundries ; expenses of delegates, 27Z ; pic-nioto bis Honor the Superintendent, 14Z. Gs.; other expenses of carrying on the business of the Corporation, amount ing to 46Z. 17s. Bd.; making a total of IGGZ. 13s. 3d., while the rates collected only amount to 22GZ. 4s; lid. This is local self government wit hj a vengeance, rather more than 75 per cent, ■of the actual receipts being expended in their collection an I disbursement. This fact is worthy the attention of ratepayers. In return for seeds supplied by Dr. Mealier, the chief of the Victorian Botanical department, that gentleman has requested that some Paradise ducks might be sent to him to Melbourne. Desirous of responding to the wishes of Dr. Mealier, his Worship the Mayor summoned tho Town Clerk, a d dispatched him with all speed, to ensnare a few brace of the required birds, but the Town Clerk failed to accomplish his mission, and came back to the Mayor empty-handed. The Council now advertise for a supply of ducks from Southland, proposing to repay the donors by a liberal grant of blue-gum and other seeds. Southland is appealed to on account, of the numerous “flats” said to exist there, and where ducks are to be found in large quantities. Enthusiasts inclined to go into the business of catching them, and thus relieve the Queenstown Corporation from their' little difficulty, will be supplied by that body with a liberal allowance of salt, of such mira-

culous power, that only our pinch of it applied to the tail of an unsuspecting duck will ensure its immediate capture.

Thingsare rapidly becoming cheaper, the contract lor supplies for the Hospital were taken at very low rates, on Saturday last. Beef and mutton, Sid per pound; Bread, lid. per 41b loaf; Milk, 4d. per quart. Messrs. Hallenstein, ami Co's tenders were lowest, and consequently accepted T heard that the public are to be supplied with bread, by tile Arrowtown bakers, at Is. shortly, meat has been reduced within the last few days, beef, 7d. and Bd., by the side,(id., mutton, nominal. At the cattle sale, to he held here, by air. Faclic, at the end of the month, 1 lie first trial of sides of mutton. <*y auction, will lie rta.de. The Blacksmiths are the only body that now keep thing’s up to the old standard, prices are just the same with them as tliov were three yearsago. A thorough good agricultural blacksmith and wheelwright; content with a moderate remuneration, might find a good opening at the Lakes.

The Hospital Bull was a v o.iy groat success, about £IOO will be available lor the fuudsof theLstituunn. Everything used upon the occasion was contributed by residents in the district. The FI nr Mill at ayes Creek is to be started at once, a second mill in the district is considered indispensible lor tlie farming interests. The esooit from Arrowtown, on Saturday last, took down 830ozs. of gold. There is a very decided improvement in all mi’dngmatters about here, and the number of miners is constantly

increasing