THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 577, 9 May 1873, Page 3

THE LAKES.

— o— OOP. CORRESPONDENT.) Arrowtown, May 6. The chief excitement is of course the bridge across the Kawarau Falls and the want of confidence vote passed upon our member, Mr. Hallenstein. A vote of want of confidence in a member is a rather serious 'matter, and I am very doubtful that, had the meeting at the Library Hall only have considered whatjlhey were about, they would not have passed it. The district, so far as the Arrow is concerned, is left perfectly unrepresented, while; the Provincial Council we are not much better off, as Hr. Innes, who ;nay be said to represent the Arrow division of the Wakatip district, to please his constituents, must vote aginst Mr. Hallenstein ; therefore, so far as district matters are concerned, we have a positive and a negative, and between the two nothing good can come. It is stated that Mr. Hallenstein w»nts the bridge purely to benefit the'finn of Messrs. Robertson and Hallenstein, so as to place their flour in your market cheaper than the Arrowtaills, and that he only represents the district purely for selfish motives ; but 1 will ask, who is not selfish? And, as the whole affair arises out of a little storekeeping jealousy and trade rivalry, I can only ask again, what storekeeper exists who is not pre-eminently selfish, or where is the miner who would not prefer having a good claim himself than that his neighbor should have one ?To a'Very large extent, storekeeping interests have too much sway over the interests of the gold-fields; and, and what is specially planned for private advantage, is advocated under the guise of public benefit. The bridge at the Kawarau Falls will, ns a matter of course,largely benefit Messrs. Robertson and Hallenstein. Still it will benefit others also, especially our Southland neighbors, who will be able to ride home on their steeds without being mulcted by steam-boat owners for ferriage across the lake. The distance to the Hunstan will not be shortened, even were a road made from the Morven Ferry to the propoied bridge, nor would the Arrow lose any of its traffic, as the direct route from the Kawarau leaves Arrowtown five miles behind. A bridge at the Falls would only hurt some three shanty-keepers at Lake Hayes, Shotover, and Frankton, inducing one blacksmith and some half-a-dozen “ cockatoos,” who now and then dispose of a few bags of oats or chaff to waggoners. Still, for the interests of theWakatip generally, if the Falls bridge is to interfere with the erection of one at the Morven Ferry, it would be better that it should not be built, as the interests of the district would undoubtedly suffer. Mr. arguments that the Falls’ bridge would cheapen articles of consumption, such as timber and meat at the Wakatip, and horsefeed at Cromwell, are purely specious. Timber, owing to the shutting up of one mill, has risen half-a-crown per hundred feet, while horsefeed is very much dearer, becaasc Mr. Hallenstein holds nearly all the stock. As to meat becoming cheaper, the bridge would tend to the opposite, as at present cattle are made to ford the Kawarau, when otherwise they would be subject to toll. A reduction in the rate of the carriage of goods from Dunedin, from the same cause, is ridiculous ; and, even could a saving of ss. or 10s. per ton be effected, consumers would not gain. Goods are nearly as dear now in Queenstown and the Arrow as they were ten years ago, and storekeepers never did better. If a bridge at the Falls can be erected by private enterprise, and the Province is not to be called upon to contribute largely for roads and approaches thereto, let it by all means be built, and the more of such works the better; but if it is sought to div ide a district and benefit a few persons at the expense of others, there is every cause for opposition. In a matter like the present, the Provincial Government should ascertain for themselves how matters stand, and whether there are any wire-pullers at ' work. Two well-known residents at Queenstown took their departure last week for Europe and America. Mr. William Warren, the proprietor of the Wakatip Mail, is paj Ing a visit to England, while Mr, William Giles Huff visits America, As director of the local press, Mr. Warren’s absence will be a severe loss. His journalistic management has greatly advantaged the people of Queenstown, while the uniform liberality and unprejudiced nature of his newspaper has won for him universal esteem. As a member of the Town Conneil, Mr. Warren was almost "over-zealous, and, it I may judge from the Columns of the Waikatip Mail,— he surely would not print speeches he did not make—was chief orator forthe last twelve months, and since the retirement of Mr. Henry Mandcrs. In the matter of the water supply question, Councillor Warren was most zealous ; but, happily for the owners of the One and Two Mile Waterraces, his Honor Judge Grey held a different opinion respecting the rights of meum and tuum than this worthy Councillor. Mr. Giles Huff was also a Town Councillor ; but, although he possessed a large amount of good common-sense, did not make any brilliant shine in the Municipal Hall. His great feature was the making of ginger-pop and dispensing the necessary lacteal fluid to make palatable our matitudinal and evening meals. In this Mr. Huff has been eminently successful, and ought to enjoy the holiday which he really desreves.