PROVINCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 1330, 1 November 1870, Page 2

PROVINCIAL.

. ♦ " ■ DuNEDrN". — Our correspondent writes : —At present we are in the midst of a , contested election for the Provincial Council. Mr Dillon Bell, who was rerarned eighteen months ago by a Dunodin constituency; got the chance of going to England on a Government expedition, and like a prudent man he availed himself of it. The consequence is his seat became vacant. The candidates are Messrs John Bathgate, Thomas Birch, and H. S. Fish, jun. The trio are well known. Two of them sLvn \rh nfr we have got in this part of the world for representative men, and the other (John Balhg&te) bas worked himself sufficiently far forward to be a man of note. Mr Fish is the Mayor of Dunedin, and has been before the public j for some time past. How he got there no one is able to say, but there he is, a living example of that social phenomenon which sometimes glorifies men at the expense of merit. Mr Pish has devoted a good deal of study to the fine arts. He is the author of some of the more effective designs in paper-hanging, and the impression is that his soul is rising with his circumstances — that in fact he looks forward to a day not far distant when he will be in a position to decorate the ministerial benches of one or more branches of the Legislature. On one occasion he was designated a shaky younsr man, which, by a very simple process of fiction, Mr Fish construed into a tribute to the energy of his disposition. Bathgate aims at being an experimental politician. Many of his schemes are nothing more than the result of a too sanguine temperament. The great objection to his philosophy is that he aims at establishing an administration t on the model of older countries — coun- ' tries whose institutions have been wrought t up line upon line and precept upon preI cept, by an experience which took root in ■ their virgin soils. To adopt one of the , maxims of his own country, he attempts fco put an old head on young shoulders, an anatomical operation that has never yet succeeded. Apart from that, Mr Bathgate is a thoroughly honest man. He is honestly impressed wifch a desire to see the province advance, and although the fact is not generally known, few men have spent more towards assisting in the development of its resources. It is one pf- the -curiositie&-of- colonial society to find him brought into contact with a person of Mr Fish's mould, and what renders the. fact still more a curiosity, is the probability that he will be beaten by him. — In view of the Superintendentalelection, a few feelers have been going the round of the provincial press. The prog was applied on behalf of Mr J. B. Bradshaw, in the form of communications to the editor, signed " A Miner." The authorship is imputed to a Miller's Flat speculator, who attempted an address to the electors, but never mastered courage to risk a poll for the election. Had the province been raked up from end to end — from the mouth of the Waitaki to the uttermost end of Foveaux Straits — a more unlikely man could not have been found. Bradshaw's political career has been an unwearied effort to worm himself into emolument ; and, moreover, he is only a stump of an average grade. "When the delegated powers of the present Superintendent were suspended, Mr Bradshaw came down from "Wellington to thwart the free exercise of the office. That took place little more than three years ago, and now his name is mentioned for the very office he sought to violate. That shows you the dose of political inconsistency some of our parasites are prepared to swallow. The more likely names are Reynolds, Cutten, and Dick. A. strong endeavor will be made to oust Mr Macandrew, and unless Southland comes to his rescue, he will have a hard tie for it. — Apropos of Southland, it is rumored here that since the Superintendent had a look at your balance-sheet, his annexation enthusiasm has been dampened. The Southland railway however is now looked upon as a work of some commercial value, whereas hitherto it was thought to be a mere local illusion. I shall not be at all surprised if you find some of our more enterprising merchants paying you a visit to take a bird's-eye view of it. Waka.tiptt. — A lengthened spell of dry weather has just broken, and a continued rain was expected. The crops were beginning to assume an unseasonable hue, but the rain would put them right again. Oats are rising in value, and at the date of our advices had reached 7s 6d per bushel retail. Chaff, potatoes, and other articles of produce are reported scarce and high in price. — Three new dredges are in course of erection for the Shotover. The report from the one at work below Arthur's Point is that the river is too high to admit of the ground being properly worked. As a speculation, however, the concern is said to be promising. — At the Moke and Moonlight districts the population is increasing. — Amongst Chinamen the Twelve-mile, above the Arrow, continues in good repute. The river bed workings average from £Q to £8 wages per week. — A few days ago a nugget weighing 2\ ounces was unearthed. — Water is plentiful, and the prospects of the place for summer workings are good. Watkawa. — The following communication from Waikawa is reprinted fro m a contemporary : — Why is such a beautiful spot

as this so much neglected ? Here we have an abundance of forest timber, a magnificent harbor, second to none in the Island, flax on the clear in abundance, •within an easy distance of wator communication ; yet we are waiting for stores from Dunedin, and we know not what time we will receive them. Starvation is staring us iv the face. Provisions are quite run out. B. y the way, a married -couple commencing butchering and storekeeping, and who would not expect to make a fortune all at once, but would content themselves with a reasonable profit, might get on very well. The saw mills, the property of Messrs Anderson and Co., have commenced work. Mabtin's Ba-T. — A memorial, signed^ by 20 settlers, reached Dunedin last week, urging G-overnment to establish monthly communication either by steam or sailing craft. The want of communication of any kind operates so seriously that the new settlement is threatened with being broken up. — The middle of last month five parties passed through Queenstown en route for Dunedin.— The track from the head of the lake has been completed as far as the western side of liake Harris, on the Saddle. The travellers report that when once it has been carried on to the western side, the more serious difficulties of the through route will be removed- — Sections comprising blocks I. and_ll.j. at the township facing thejake, Lad- been "taken up, antrcEe~settiers were engaged breaking up the soil, preparatory to putting in the crops. — The weather throughout the winter was fine — much finer than that experienced as a rule on the east coast. • Tokostaxribo. — From the West Taieri we learn that sowing is nearly complete. The crops are reported to look well. Flaxdressing is carried on with a degree of energy which bids fair to render it an important pursuit. — -A Tuapeka correspondent: reports seasonable weather, although the cultivations on some of the spurs which were but lightly ploughed would be the better of a fall of rain. — The erection of a battery to crush the cement debris of the Blue Spur in its passage through the tail-race is spoken of by the owners of one of the Spur claims. In many instances these workings are situated at an elevation which gives the tail water a force sufficient to carry away the cement in lumps, consequently a deal of gold is lost. At the Woolshed" (Q-lenore) a new branch of mining enterprise — at least for the place— has been discovered. It consists of a cement formation in many respects resembling that of Gabriel's. The opinion is that it forms a belt extending from Tuapeka by Weatherstones and Waitahuna. It .is a hard stuff to work, but a well-directed powder blast, with a good body of water, can be made to operate upon it effectually. Oamaett. — The Times reporbs : ; — Considerable transactions in grain have taken place, the demand being brisker and buyers operating more freely. G-ood wheat is worth 2s 9d to ss, according to sample. Oats are easier — present value 2s 7d to 2s 9d, with fair enquiry^ -BaTißy-stiir~^ull, indeedr~tirere is"" no demand for this grain. Flour, £13 ; potatoes, 30s, no enquiry. The total number of bales of wool (including a few bales of skin wool) shipped from this port during the year 1869-70 was 8190. — In a temperately written article on the forthcoming election for Superintendent, the Herald reviews the qualifications of the alleged candidates. Messrs Bradshaw and Brodie are spoken of hopelessly. Mr Reynolds is accepted as a good man, but objectionable on account of his seat in the General Assembly. Mr MacanI drew's claims for re-election are wholly ign ored. Messrs Thomas Dick and "W". H. Cutten's supposed candidatures are the only ones mentioned. This is the first article on the subject worthy of consideration that has yet appeared.