THE COUNTRY.

Evening Star, Issue 3200, 23 May 1873, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

BLACKS.— The doipgs of Mr Donald Reid {H*d his party are ppeatinß great dissatisfaction in this part, and the roan popvli is greatly against them for the shameful waste of time and public money they are causing ; and from what I hear of the opinions that are generally expressed by most of the people about here, they are very much in favor of tne course taken by the Superintendent in not accepting the gentlemen named by Mr Reid as a Government, in fact I think he must have meant it as a direct insult both to his Honor and to the people of Otago, or he never would have proposed them- It a great shape that the time pf thp CopnpU apd the ppney of the country should be frittered away in such personal squabbles as Mr Reid ohooses to indulge in to gratify his own private ends. I thought it was clearly proved at the last election for Supcrin- . tendent that Mr Reid was not the head man in Otago, and I am sure if he were to contest another such election at the present time he would find himself still further in the cold. His dog-in-the-manger principles will not suit the np-country people at any rate. A few months ago he would not be Provincial Secretary, now he will not allow any other person to be if he can help it. If the country is to pay men to sit in the Council squabbling as to who shall hold this or that office, the sooner a dissolution takes place the better, and I think with you in one of your late leaders, there arc a great many of the present members who will never sit there again. -The weather has been changeable since I last wrote, but no rain of any importance has fallen as yet. The miners, who obtain their water from anything like good creeks, have a fair supply at present, but nothing permanent yet.—An entertainment was given here on Tuesday last for the benefit of the school funds. It was very well attended and a great The performance consisted of two Earts! ’ Mr Wm. Pyle, of St. Bathans, very indly consented to exhibit his dissolving views as a first part, which gave great satisfaction, and reflected great credit on the exhibitor. The second part consisted of readings and singing, most of which were very well rendered, and were much appreciated. Altogether it was one of the best evening’s amusement we have had at Blacks.

Arrowtowx.— During the past few days the weather has been wet and stormy, and consequently unfavorable for threshing operations. The mountains surrounding the Wakatip are showing a thin coating of snow, —Mr Warden Beetham’s last report contains some valuable remarks in reference to the movement £qr initiating mining companies with sufficient capital to develope portions of the field which nave hitherto lain' dormant. This movement will, it is confidently'believed, result in great benefit to all concerned. The whole of the field is, from

the nature of the workings, one essentially requiring capital, and it is only a wonder that so much gold has been obtained by small parties of miners. Even in their case, during the last few years, both the miners and storekeepers have been severely tried in endeavoring to carry out comparatively small undertakings with limited means. Great hardships have been endured, greht anxieties suffered, and in many cases valuable properties have had to be aban donedl Since the introduction of Chinese, whoso admirable system of co-operation, economical habits, and perseverance to some extent supplied the place of capital, _ several valuable areas have been opened up with important results—enough to show that the principal gold dejKwits are nearly untouched, as stated by Mr Beetham. Ere long, great competition will arise for the possession of areas of ground which have been lying unnoticed for years, or, what is worse, have been allowed to he tnfcen up either under leaeps or special grants, without proper supervision having been made to compel the holders to employ a given amount of labor or capital proportionate to the extent of the area granted. In vast numbers of cases all that has been done has been to apply fora lease, forward the required deposit, anil, after obtaining the lease, pay the rental; no effort having been made to open the ground, which was thus locked up to the great injury of the other miners and the revenues of the country. In regard to special grants, the case has been still worse, as no money whatever has been received, while the ground has, in many cases, been lying for years unworked. In granting leases in river beds it should always be stipulated that tailings, either from the terraces or otliunvlso, should have free course. The Winers’ Associations at the Upper Shotover and the Dunstan are paying attention to the defects of the leasing regulations and special grants. In granting largo areas of mihing ground, measures should he taken to guarantee that proportionate capital ftud labor W employed, otherwise grants, wwh aa

at present sought by companies, of one or more miles of river bed or deep lead, will become injurious monopolies.—The Shotover Terrace Company are making preparations to admit of the employment of about thirty miners shortly, and the Arrow River Company will soon conr mence their preliminary works. Arthur’s Point, on the Shotover, offers a most promising field for further prospecting, as it is a locality which has yielded enormously as far as worked. The Cardrona is another portion of this field, in which a well-defined lead of gold of very great richness exists, and which will, ere long, attract a.largo amount of capital.—Much anxiety is felt as to the fate of the petitions in favor of a bridge at Morvcn Ferry, forwarded to the Comv cil. The subject forms the topic of interest of the day. Our demands for public works (apart from the bridge) are comparatively light, some L 30 0; but L4OO is required for a new schoolhouse, as the present structure is a mere dilapidated shed. The school-house at Miller’s T lat has been re-opened, and a gentleman named Andrews has been placed in charge as master, who seems to display much energy, tact, and ability in organising the school, ana has secured a fair attendance of pupils, considering the scattered population.