The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 18. 1881.

Dunstan Times, Issue 987, 18 March 1881, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, MARCH 18. 1881.

Beneathtkerule of men ENTTREi.yjUBT<v pen is mightier than t/iCSWORD

We anticipate great, good to the District from the advent of the Counties’ Railway Commissioners. Never was a movement better timed. A few months ago it would have been impossible to have moved in this matter with any chance of success. The leading merchants of Dunedin were apathetic or antagonistic; the runholdera were of course opposed to it, as it is only natural they should be seeing that the promotion of the Otago Central Railway means thft settlement of the people, on. thy? lands, -i, iif 3 J n»,w,; a l « rt-u.l ') )<J OOtl

and the cntting.up of the runs. But ouo of thuß u midden changes which are inscrutable, ha» taken place in po. pular and the opponents of the .Hailway have enlisted under the banner of progress. It is needless to enlarge npon this. The Commissioners hav» seen the country, and the products thereof, and satisfied themselves as to the capabilities of the soil in the interior of Otago Their reports will no doubt go a long way in the removal-of the prejudices, begotten of want of information, which seemingly has induced the coastal community and the Parliament to concur in the damnatory and utterly untruthful report ofthe Lloyal “Lightning " Commission Onr Member Has often lieeu cnarged with exaggerating the productive power of the soil, but, as was admitted by the Commissioners, and also by the reporters ot the Daily Press who accompanied them, he has understated that power,, for the reason, as assigned by him, tha r he dared not tell more than half the truth concerning it, if he wished to be. believed The reports which, have already appeared in print, more than confirmed all that Mr Pvke has ever said upon the subject. Let the people not make anv mistake The non-constructiop of the Railway means that the re-leasing of the runs in the present enormous areas. The two things go together. On the other hand the construction of the Railway means the cutting up of the runs and the settlement of the people, whence will ensue increased population, and there withal a renewal of prosperity. With our plains and valleys in cultivation, and our hilltops in the possession of resident holders, our people will thrive as they have never thriven yet. And the “ u earned increment ” caused thereby will go to the State, consequently to the community at large, in tead of swelling the incomes of a few capitalists. Another point must not be lost eight of. Two of the Commissioners are also members of the Waste Land Board. They have seen with their own eyes that the land is good and fertile, and when, in future, applications come before them, or questions affecting “ waste ” lands of the Crown are being dealt with, thev will be able to speak forth from their own knowledge, and tell their fellow members what kind of lands they are and what manner of climate it is wherewith we are 'avored. They will not be dependent for their information on the statements of interested individuals, and biassed Chief Surveyors, who would fain persuade the Board that fiom Dan to Beersheba all is barren. The nest meeting of the Vincent County Council will be held in the County Offices, Clyde, on Wednva lay, the 23rd instant. The notices of motion to be dealt with appear in another column. The Blacks Agricultural Show was held yesterday, the 17th instant. On account of the lateness of the hour at which our report reached ns, we are unable to publish it in this issue ; .next -week we will give it at some length. We are pleased, however to state that a good number of exhibits in each class were entered, and that the first agricultural show in the Dunstan District. The concert.to have been given nnder the auspices ef the 1.0.GT., Court St Dunstan, Clyde, in aid of the funds of the Dunstan District Hospital, is, we are informed, to be postponed, as it is thought that it will clash somewhat with the soiree at Alexandra on the 241h. The soiree to he gi\en at Alexandra on Thursday next, if can be judged from the frequency one hears it spoken of through the district, promises to be a great success. , Harvesting is all over and the work of threshing has commenced. From what we can hear, the yield will be fully up to expectations. One paddock of oats bn Spotti’s Hundred, we learn, has given a yield of 48 bushels of'clean grain to the acre. In the Warden’s Court, Alexandra, on Monday last, an application was made to the Warden for the cancellation of a water license. After bearing arguments, the application was granted, and the race declared abandoned. Thus far things went smoothly, but affairs were not to be allowed to rest so quiet. Two young men who were in Court, thinking that if the race was worth the troublp of capcellingdt might bo worth owning, immediately set off on foot for the purpose of markup; it out; some time afterwards the applicant for cancellation also set off, but on horseback, with the same object in view ;. after him a third party set off. On the road, it appears, they all came into collision, ami tw-o hats wore slightly “ dinted with a bit of a stick one bat was lost, and it is sai l some blood made to flow. As the affair is likely to engross the attention of the R M , we shall withhold any opinion on the subj set, Allies in the Australasian says “There is a mining company at Sandhurst, organised about twenty years ago, which jogs along at a sober pace, paying its way, but paying very few dividends. It has been remarked for a very long time that just before the annual meeting of shareholders the vielda imnrnvo. and at that meeting a divi-

yields improve, ana at taac meeting a dividend is declared. The correlation of dividend with the annual meeting is, perhaps, adventitious, but the two occurrences have become so indelibly associated in the minds of the proprietors that one of them—a lady contemplates moving a resolution “ that in future'the annual meetings shall be held once a mouth. •**

Wo received,by the last Homo Mail tho report by the Director* of the “ Royal Blind Asylum and School, Edinburgh ; also an appeal to Colonists for assistance to re' duco the large amount of debt on *Uo lift stitution. We hare placed the report and circular on tho table of our Public Library, The Rev. J, U. Davis, of Dunedin, is about to get up a monster petition to Parliament for the suppression of consults tions, svreeps, lotteries, and other Common forma of gambling We have for a very long time viewed thia system of gambling as being moat pernicious. When at the time it was confined to a simple one or two hundred pound sweep or consultation there might not have been so great haim, but now they have increased to the mammoth proportions they have, it is. we must think, high time for the Legislature to step ia The Victorian’ Legislature have succeeded in patting their heel on the movement; there should bo no difficulty in Npw Zealand, and we hope tho action of the Rev J. U. Davis may have the desired effect. The station holders and residents on the past side of .r.he Clutha from Bendigo to Lake Hawea are greatly inconvenienced for the want of some direct communication with the outside world. There are two mails a week between Cromwell and the Wanaka, both taking the west hank of the river. As there is but little or no distance whichever side- of tho river ia taken, we think it would make no difference to alternate the route. ’ A little correspondence with head quarters might have the desired effect of making the alteration. At any rate no harm would be done, and we suggest it be done quickly. A letter or petition from the residents to the member of the district might perhaps be the better means of reaching the head of the department. It is announced by advertisement that Nye and Fisher’s “Party of Oddities” will appear at the Town Hall, this evening. Professor Taruburini, the Italian Wizard, will, it is slated, perform some feats of magic. Miss Nye and Mr Fisher, are established favorites in Clyde, and, we therefore anticipate a bumper house. , We would again call attention to the opening meeting o' the Dunatan Presby- \ teiy, which is to be held at Alexandra, at noon, on Thursday, the 24th instant (as advertised in another col'unin). On the evening of the same day the anniversary tea meeting of the Presbyterian Church will be hold in the Town-Hall, at halfpast fi, and we hope to *>;e it largely attended. -• ; The Lyttelton Times says:—“lt is understood that Mr P. E. Spofforth has been offered a position in the Union Bank here. Should he accept, and it ia known that he desires to settle in New Zealand, there will be some lively , competition between the cricket clubs for his services.. ParamoT.-j. the -well - known Dunedin cricketer, is .about to take up his residence hero - , so that if, as there was at one t'lne some chance of his doing, Palmer, th’c. Victorian bowler, also comes to Christchurch, the local batsmen will have to look well 1 to their practice next season." j We have had the pleasure of inspecting some mammoth marrows and apples i brought down from the Upper Clutha | by Mr Pyke, and which are to be sent to Dunedin for exhibition. One ia a green round marrow weighing nLh on 401hs, a”d only three-parts grown at that. The other is a lqng_yel!ow specimen of 21lba weight. These came from Lake Wanaka—one from the garden of Mr Thomas, the other from Mrs Russell’s garlen. Also two apples grown by Mr Maidment at-'the Luggate, and weighing three and a’ ha i A small bag of wheat from Mr Grant’s fawn at Mt.- Barker, looks re markably well, showing 65 to 70 lbs to the bushel. Perhaps these will have some effect in convincing the Philistines that the county is not so barren as the “ Lighting’’ Commission would have folks believe. The statement made that Californian wheat is deteriorating through the constant cropping of the laud with too same kind of crops, without fertilising it, is one ihat our colonial farmers should take to heart It is impossible to keep on cropping lands, with a de eriorvtiun, and the sooner this is known the be ter will it be for all parties. A farmer in the Wanaka district accepted an order for four an 1 a half tons of viheat for rabbit poisoning purposes one day last week. Our farming friends need have no fear of being unable to get rid of - their wheat crops—that is, if. they are a trifle suiutty-r-isq long -as bunny exists. t The proprietors of the flour mills to be erected at Luggate Creek, Upper Clutha. are making a ahow of work. They have a quantity of stone on the ground, and they have engaged a gang of men quarrying. The stone in the neighborhood of the mill site ia of excellent quality, and should make a strong substantial building.