THE LAKES DISTRICT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 597, 26 September 1873, Page 2

THE LAKES DISTRICT.

(from our correspondent.) Arrowtown, Sept. 23. So we are to have a Municipality at last! That fact is settled. The tug of war between this and Queenstown may then be supposed to commence, when our neighbors will come in for a pretty fair snubbing should they fail to confine themselves to their own municipal quarters. A generous rivalry will, however, do good, and it is to hoped that the two municipalities will strive to mutually promote the interests of the districts without aspiring to the destruction of each other. Public companies are all the go just now and, so far as 1 can learn, some of them have very fair prospects of success. The business of a director is 1 ecoming quite a profession. A certain profit should the company float, with no loss should it no*, is a thoroughly safe investment for the use of one’s name. The name of a leading tradesman in a prospectus is a valuable appendage, and is worth I don’t know how many shares, all free gifts, costing nothing. 1 snpp se, however, that in this respect the Arrow is not singular ; but 1 should rather like to see directors taking a large bonafide interest instead of merely lending their names for a consideration. The mail which should have arrived here on hriday was twenty-four hours behind time, the delay being caused by the nonarrival of the Dunedin coach at Clyde. How Mr. Henry has managed to* so successfudy scratch through fiom the Dunstan these last two months I can scarcely imagine, as the roads have been in a fearful plight—worse than any other winter. This evil will continue to get worse eve v y year unless their repairs are let by contract, instead of the present wasteful and ineffective system of day labor. The Wakatip Depasturing Board has been abolished by the Government, and high time it was ; as, having no powers for the division of the country into cattle blocks, it could do nothing but issue licenses, which duty might be as well performed by the Receiver of Revenue. The runs will, of course, be sold, which is the best plan the Government can pursue, leaving sufficient commonage for the use of the farmers and miners.