WAIKOUAITI.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 422, 10 May 1877, Page 3

WAIKOUAITI.

(From our own correspondent.) April 30th. It in often said, no news is good news, but how (hat answers journalistically is for you gentlemen of the Fourth Estate to tell. Anyhow, not much to communicate is the burthen of my story at prowent. Were it not for tho rather lively proceedings of County and Municipal Councils, since tTpus-liko Abolition spread it.-i deadly Might overOtago, the editorial rnorul or lho reportoral tale would often be pointless and unadorned, and knights of the iron quill have but dull times of it. Hero, for instance, is a sampie of wit furnished to the Bruce County Council during n late sitting of that solemn assemblage of good men and true. While these

gruvo Gothamitcs put their heads togcKctluM*, and pondered ovoi' the design for a County. scTM, a Sir Nincompoop suggested that a crowing cock, strident on a rooking duughill, was just tho.one thing needed. Pity 'tis, considering the antecedents and general leanings of " Old Toko," that ho didn't .advise three barraeontas in a sea, vert, with the motto, " Ye'll rift hand us wanting the siller, ye kdn laddies," or some other fancy, equally telling and characteristic, Bruce- Councillor No. 2, speaking about taking oyer from the Government the Taieri bridge on • the main ■south road, thus says': "The cheapest way to manage that affair would be to burn it, for if wo take the bridge we will liftve. that power," i.e., to burn: That Councillor surely must have a genius for ,fireworks. What an incendiary! The. '•County Chairman, though, like other great men, Ims, for amor patria, scorned great recompenses, and refuses to touch us salary any filthy lucre this year, whate'er betide. Think of that, oh, most vorncioiis Pike, of Vincent! and learn that thnro are patriots hero even as Pitt, who, as Byron tells us, is " renowned for mining Great Britain gratis._ Another peculiarity of Brut 1 - ■ is, that it goes in for the ton.economic midtum in parvo business, cheese-paring, in fact. It advertises for a person to do tho combined work of Clock, Treasurer, and Overseer—the last presumedly meaning Engineer and Inspector of Works, as it has resolved to

employ no professional man. This mas-ter-of-none and jack-of-all-trades style will not bo found to pay eventually, you bet.

Come we how to the Port Chalmers

Municipality, and there wc find Councillor Millar, a relative, direct or collateral, of facetious "Joo," no doubt, pathetically asking tho Mayor to adjourn the sitting, to givo that august body a chance "to blow their baccy." Possibly, like Dr. Syntax, Miller thought that— As the curling futnea arise, ■ \ They seem an-ascendiug sacrifice, "'"•'•■ Oft offbrod by his gratitude To tho Good Parent of the good,

and possibly he did not. Mr. Mayor, feeling bis own and the Councillors' dignity lo bo at stake,- refused at once to let tlio calumet go round, and, in language commensurate rrith the impropriety of the request, said never, oh, never ! would ho lead himself to such reprehensible conduct. _ 'Eight you are, oh, worthy antipodean imhator of ever-notable Whittin;;ton. A fay your shadow never grow less in thi'i great land of bosh, this fertile valley of over-flowing bunkum I Ami yet another Municipality—sweet Ml. L'ilda, u.iready so widely known for ii'-i very tree and not easy wny of dealing with corporate matters. Tlio latest out of tlii:-! quiet Council is, that during an exciting ,(lis.iur;sinn, altercation having arisen between his Worship and other dignitaries, Ids Worship invited a Counciilof "out on the lovely grass, my boy," by flsjicuff:), volunteering to tako the gmt either right or left, lie wasn't particular which" The Councillor didn't see SJ-. the little mill had to. be shunted. Great boys, eh! these Councillors, County and Municipal. Henceforth " valorous as the Mayor of St. ELilda," "witty-and wise and self-denying as the men of liruce," and " funny as the man oi' the Port," will become household woicL-; in the lnnd. Of the Council of

this place it can bo averred truly.that, while considerable difference of opinion exists on County questions, yet, on the wholo, so fur, its members are temperate,' decortfus, and gentlemanly in the carrying on of their duties in these regards, setting an example to many other public bodies in Otago. The Government has granted free passages on railways to the members of Councils, where such a mode of travelling oil'era. It is nothing but fair, then, that where no similar means

can lit! had travelling expenses should be allowed Councillors while going about on County business. Tin,' mil way works arc now making strong murks of advancement in this m.-igliborhood. So tar as I have seen, parlies are now working from Binn's J.'oinl to the Beudigo Hotel, a distance of sf.-V(-.-n or eight mi lea. This gives some work. But day after cbiy T. sec scores of mm walking the 'main road, house, chatIvU, «ll iliei;- worldly possessions on their back, swaggiug in search of employment, now difficult to be got, and likely to be more so by find us' midwinter, griping bcil.ii on laborer and small capitalist, draws on apace. This dearth of work arises from County Councils'muddle, a great drag on prosperity ; injudicious locking up of the waste lauds by a board of nominees, which by its Jetting I dare not xiiib upon I would debars many persons from expending money in the purchase of land, and hiring of labor, for the reclamation and cultivation of the soil. Squatters, Wore they to spend time as much money as they do, or have been doing, will never effect such

vast improvement, or provide so great an amount of work for Colonists as will be achieved by having tho land in ''small holdings, amongst many holders. The sooner the Waste Lands Board realise this fact the better it will he for everyone concerned in the. prosperous future of New Zealand. And -why a nominee Land Board ? Why not an elective one ? Why not a paid one? The duties are most important, and closely bound up with the future weal or woe of the country. Good, fitting men are required, and their whole time required for the efficient working of such a trust, and it is meet they should bo selected electively, and not be the creation of the.Governor and his advisers. An adjustment of this mutter should have place in tho Assembly this forthcoming session. All other topics Jailing, the weather helps to eko out a "par." Well, sir, the weather here has been foully wintry since the ,27th April till now, and -no sign of change, yet cold, muggy, rainy, and boisterous". , As Hood says, "No sun, no moon, no stars —November." No, not November, but May just dawning, with a thorough winter look in her gloomy eyes, frosty face, and nipping, chilling breath.