Local and General.

Dunstan Times, Issue 993, 29 April 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

Section 14, Block 111, town of Ophir, is gazetted as a School reserve. The Cromwell School Committee have agreed with the terms of the Dunedin School Committee’s circular, especially that portion of it which relates to block voting. Chun Ah Dunn, gardener, of Clyde, has been granted letters of naturalisation. In the Government “ Gazette” it is notified that the license fee for shooting cock pheasants and Californian quail in the Counties of Mamototo and Vincent is forty shillings, and to sell the fame is five pounds ; also, that in Lake County, Californian quail may be shot on payment of a fee of thirty shillings, and he sold on payment of a fee of five pounds. The italics are our own, and to which we draw special attention. In the report of the last meeting of the Education Board, we note the resignation of Mr Henry Bishop of his post of schoolmaster at Bald Hill Flat, and his re-ap-pointment to the school at Blacks, vice Mr Christie, who has left the service. The appointment of a fresh master for Bald Hill Flat is, however, not noted. This district has now a large number of children, and we hope is not to be left for any length of time without one. The application for a sohool at the Hawea was Irefused on the ground of want of funds. The application for a pupil teacher at Cromwell was also declined. We understand that Mr Vincent Pyke is making arrangements for visiting Roxhurg, Lawrence, and the centres of population in Maniototo County, afterwards proceeding to Palmerston, and in all likelihoodOamaru on his Land Crusade. We bespeak for him a numerous and attentive audience where ever he may go. In our advertising columns is an advertisement by Messrs Gordon Bros., Braidvale Nursery, North East Valley, Dunedin, notifying that country orders for trees, plants, etc., will be punctually attended to. We were shown the corner of an English newspaper addressed to Clyde, New Zealand. It apparently was mis sont to Clyde in the North Island, as it reached its proper destination with, “ Try Vincent Pyke County, Otago,” in red ink. Mr J. D. Feraud has written a letter to the “Morning Herald” on “The Land Question.” We regret it is too lengthy for insertion in our columns. We take the following extracts from it, which are well worth considering at the present time :—lt is well known that thousands of able persons have emigrated from this Colony, especially from Otago, since the discovery of the gold in 1861, owing to the want of land on which to settle, thereby losing to the Province an incalculable sum of money; and that the various Governments have warned upon the subject for years, but without avail. The only means of arresting the flow of emigration still existing are, in my opinion 1. A just and impartial division of the land should be effected, giving opportunity to the boua fide farmer to settle on it without the arbitrary clause of compulsory residence, at such price per acre that will be reasonable to the farmer and to the estate.—2. That an alternative should be granted. That if intended emigrants should wish to purchase land, they should be at liberty to do so at the upset price per acre on deferred payment of five or ten years, by paying interest on the total amount of ton per cent, per annum. Assuring a free passage to all such emigrants who will prove to the satisfaction of the Government the possession of sufficient capital and skill to cultivate the land applied for and granted to them.—3. That all depasturing land should divided into small sections, to enable the farmers to combine agricultural with pastoral interests. By the above moans there would doubtless in a few years be a settled population of several thousand families conducing to the prosperity of the Colony ; whereas at the present the land in Central Otago enriches about 20 absentees, who, like the lords of Ireland, send managers up to look after their interests. The time has come when the Government of New Zealand must submit to the voice of the people, and reclaim at once the land from the runholders, and give it to the people to settle and adorn it with a myriad of Bulling homestea'ls. It is a well-known fact that tho masses of the people who own tho land and cultivate it, constitute the wealth of a nation, and not the wool, as the “Otago Daily Times ” puts it. What has made France the richest nation in Europe ? It is her 6,000,000 of freeholders—frugal, industrious owners of the soil.

Mr James Mackay, of Bonanza mine fame, was a miner at the Dunstan rush, and left New Zealand for San Francisco in 1864. Now he lives in Paris, and rejoices in an income of several thousands a week. J

A very heavy wind visited Clyde on Sunday night last. Very little damage was done by it, however. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Clyde, on Wednesday last, an interesting (the first of its kind tried in this part of the country) occupied the attention of the Court. It was an information under “The Public Works Act,” and for the ohstruotiou of a roadway by a fence. Evi deuce having been taken as to the obstruction, which was not attempted to be denied, the Goverment Surveyor was examined as to the survey of the road, when he said the road was not laid out or pegged, it merely being marked on the plan. Mr P. J. Wilson, solicitor, who appeared for defendant, contended that a road, to be a road within the meaning of the Act, must be laid out and pegged, ami said the information must fail. Major Keddell, R.M., said as the punishment for the offence charged was a fine or imprisonment, ho could not, in the face of the technical objection raised, do other than dismiss the information. Mr Wilson said the objection was not a technical one. Judgment was given for the defendant, with costs. A really splendid show of moat was to be seen at Messrs Attfield and Welsfords’ establishment during the week. Amongst other things were two sheep—a ewe and seven months old lamb, both turning the scales at 821bs. This is one more instance of what this so-called barren land of ours is capable of producing. Give the land fair play, and we’ll be able to make bettor show in everything than far more advanced agricultural districts than ours can.

Our Cromwell contemporary is a remarkably ingenious and enterprising individual. He has, or is supposed to have, or tries to make the public believe that he has, a ‘real live correspondent at Dunedin. In his last issue there appears » letter headed “ Dunedin Gossip,” “ From our own Correspondent.” The “Gossip” is appropriately so termed. It is just the sort of wishywashy stuff that Mrs Gamp and Mrs Harris would interchange over a tea-table. Hut the “Gossip” is dated “April 23” that is last Saturday. Now, by the postal arrangements, it is certain that a letter mailed at Dunedin on Saturday could not possibly reach Cromwell till Tuesday—after the publication of the “ Cromwell Argus ” has taken place. It is therefore manifest that our contemporary either has a special mail of bis own, or that his “Gossip” is wired to him, or that his Dunedin correspondent resides in Cromwell —the latter being the most probable contingency. Next, there is a letter signed “ Ratepayer,” and dated from Alexandra, which contains a confused muddle of sentences alternating from County business to the Re-leasing of the Runs, and back again—evidently an attempt to draw several red herrings across the trail, the chief object apparently being to vilify and vituperate the Chairman It is a gross insult to the town of Alexandra that the “ Cromwell Argus” should cause every offensive and unmanly letter to be dated from there. On reference to the County Roll, we find that there are only three County ratepayers in Alexandra—namely, Mr Theyeis, Mr Drummy, and Mr Rivers, and we venture to say that neither of 'these wrote the libellous letter referred to. The inference, therefore, is that the anonymous scribbler who shelters himself under the pseudonym of “ Ratepayer,” and professes to write from Alexandra, is a Cromwell faineant. A Chinese named Ah Pew has written to the Chief Secretary of Victoria, asking for permission to remove the bones of his cousin Chum Too from the Pleasant Creek Cemetery, so that he (Chum Too) may be allowed to “ sleep in the land of sun and Mowers.” Ah Pew’s cousin—or his mortal remains —was buried six years ago. The permission asked for. says the “ Age,” will be granted. A young girl, daughter of a settler in the Oamaru district, was kept from school one day recently to assist in the potatoe field. When she returned to school the next morning, she banded to her teacher a note containing the following unique specimen of composition—“ Keptatomataterin.” In the good old times in Melbourne, on his way through the bush in Bourke street, just beyond the gully, tbe genial Nosobloom rolled pleasantly home, He bore animosity to no one, and was engaged in some mental exercise as to what reason he should assign to Ins wife tor the lateness of the hour. Just then he fell over a reclining bullock. As the disturbed animal rose to his legs, the bell that hung from its neck rang musically. And Noseblnom promptly said, as bo sat on the ground, “ All right, waiter. Hot for me, hut no sugar.” And he lived to see eighty.—iß-des. In the telegraphic intelligence of tbe “ Daily Times ” of the 23th snstant, appears the following, under date Naseby, 23rd instant “ Some wonderfully rich specimens of quartz have been brought into Naseby from tbe recently discovered reef in the locality of Rough Ridge. One of the specimens consists of stone containing onethird of gold, the best specimens ever seen in Naseby. Probably none better have been seen in Otago.” We see no notice of tbe discovery in the local paper of the 23rd instant.

There is a probability of a water famine in Wellington, the water in the reservinr bavin an extraordinary low depth of 12 feet 9 inches.

The value of the hop crop in the immediate neighborhood of Nelson is estimated to be between 1.30,000 and L 35,000. The expenditure .upon the picking of the crop is estimated at LICOO. A serious accident occurred on the p> n „ lyn (Dunedin) Cable Tramway on Saturday night last, through the officer-in charge turning the brake the wrong way T| )G line has a steep incline of 1 to 8, and the accident happened when the cars were some 400 yards from the lower starting point. The “ Daily Times ” says “ From the information I hat can be obtained, it seems that Mr Hannah turned the screw the wrong way, thus lifting the slipper-brakes away from the rails instead of forcing them down upon them. The consequence was that the car got away on it rapidly, and in almost the twinkling of an eye it reached the bottom of the hill. The distance is under 400 yards, and the grade is 1 in 74 or 8. At the end of the line is an underground drum, round which the wire rope travels. This portion of the machinery is covered hy wooden planking four inches in thickness. The gripper-bar (the one connecting with the “jaws” before mentioned) is an inch and n-half in thickness. The car travelled at such a rate that this bar cut its way like a knife through the planking, a distance of about six feet. The way was thus taken off the car, which then rolled over on its side. On the train at tho time there were eight passengers and four cmployes, of whom several were injured. Tho “ Ashburton Guardian " complains of farmers neglecting the system of rotation of crops.

Have yon heard of the Jlilton Pottery Works! Have you seen any of Iho ware? If not, po to Bepg’s store, Clyde, where there is a large variety. The low prices will astonish [Advt.]