THE LAKES DISTRICT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 585, 4 July 1873, Page 3

THE LAKES DISTRICT.

—c—(FROM OUR COURUSPONDKNT.) Arrowtown, July 1. Winter has apparently set in now, with ■a t its accustomed severity, and from appearances, I should judge we are; about to hive some very severe weather. Since Tueslay last the frost has increased in in' trnsity every night, and as there exists largo accumulations of snow upon the ranges, an immediate change is not very prjhahle. This state of affairs is rather discouraging to some of the mining companies, many of whom, after having repaired damages occasioned by the late flood, are now prevented’ from working by the frost. On tile sunny slopes of the hills the water-races are well filled,'and no complaint. «x;st as to the want of the liquid element. Taking mining matters as a whole, there is about the average winter dullness which tuist be expected in this elevated region. The Arrow River Water-race Company, Who were, some eighteen months ago, granted a subsidy under the Pilblie Works Act, have-hot received the money yet. The “Circumlocution Office”, in Wellington have get so far as having the mortgage deed prepared, which was duly signed six weeks since; and still the 1 Company are without the money, S’notwithst anding they havhypothecated their property to the Government. The general.' opinion of the public is that the mueh-vaunted assistance to mining parties to bring in water is a mire sham, and only intended to delude the miners into Government political support for the time being, there never having been any intention to assist them whatever. It is to be hoped that the Arrow River Water-race Company will bring an action for damages against the General Gove mment, and I feel convinced that any Ur y of Englishmen wculd uccid their Verdict fer a very large amount. If

b are to take this affair as a sample, the Gold-fields business at Wellington, under Mr. Charles E. Haughton, must be in a nice mess, and his department completely disorganised. The necessity for a Minister of Mines is becoming daily more and mr re apparent. Watching closely General Government affairs at Wellington, things only look well Upon paper. In the matter of detail and business application there is an utter absence of system, evidently pointing to official incapacity. Let us, however, charitably suppose that the evil is only confined to the Gold-fields Department. In agricultural pursuits there is nothing particularly brisk, as, excepting in a few warm places, the frost has taken possession of the ground. Building and fencing, as far as practicable, is about all that can be done at present, along with a little Carting out manure to feed pasture or for ploughing in when tho weather breaks. There have been a number of heavy losses through wheat stacks getting wet this winter. How this was allowed to occur 1 cannot tell. Surely all those engaged in farming should have learnt experience by this time —that it is necessary to thatch stacks properly to keep out wet. Such, however, has not been tho case, and tho most curious feature in the business is that those who pns'ess the largest holdings, and who pretend to know the most, have suffered the greatest. I his is much to be deplored, not so much on a - cou. t of the individuals themselves—they rather deserve to lose ; but it is a shortening of the food supply of the district, and so everybody loses. The threshing is pretty well all done for this season. The supply of wheat is above tho average of last year : oats and barley less. There are a good many oats being hold for higher prices, which I fancy will not be obtained, as the waggon traffic is practically at an unit, all goods coming by way of Invercargill and local Idem and small. The potato crop has turned out wretched. There is scarcely enough for local consumption, and seed prices arc already advancing. The roads are execrable. In the neighlxsrhood of Queenstown they are pretty passable, hnt in this delectable, region of the Arrow they are something terrible. Between the Merven Ferry and Arrowtown and Morvern Ferry and Lake Hayes,’and from there to nigh the Shotover, they may lie said to be impassable. Ko fight conveyance can travel, and how Mr. Usury* the mail contractor, manages to traverse this “slough of despond” I cannotimag’ne. The roads here were never in such a stats before. It is to be hoped that our new member, Mr. Robert Clark, will do something for us in the shape of repiairs to roads. Nothing, or next to nothing, has been done for the last six years. Arrowtown is something in the position of a beleagured city, being literally jammed in with mud. If the winter lasts two months longer, which in ; all probability it will, our communication with the outer World must be by electric telegraph or carrier pigeons, or perhaps a 1 aloon - nothing having legs or wheels will lie able to roach this unfortunate muddedup community.