SWITZERS. (From Our Own Correspondent)

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 95, 4 December 1869, Page 3

SWITZERS. (From Our Own Correspondent)

The sale of town sections held here yesterday, was very poorly attended, only two or three persons being present ; five sections in the town of Waikaia were sold at the upset price of £5 per quarteracre. As yet there are but two dwellings on the township ; but I hear that one of our principal storekeepers is about to build rather extensively upon the sit© of the new township. The Hospital also is in course of erection adjoining the town boundary— at least the tender is accepted. One <">cHot) +.bat, was sold was situated in +\ia. oon+re of 3, valuable crop o£ potatoes, which had beeu planted, by an uiifominate wight, on the faith of having occupied and cultivated the ground for three years as an agricultural lease applicant.

It appears that although the deposit lias been all the time in the hands of the Government, they now decline to grant the lease, and did not even put a valuation on the crop growing. It seems a hard case ; but doubtless there are two sides to it, and we shall probably hear more about it, as the whilom occupier defies the purchaser to enter upon his property or to touch his crop. It would be a piece of wisdom hardly to be expected from a Provincial Government, if the powers that be, were to reduce the price of the back sections to £2, instead of £5, and were to allow those sections that had beeu once offered to be purchased by private sale at the upset price. The Government advertising system ia such an absurd farce, that it is entirely valueless in such localities as Switzers, where very few people ever see a "Gazette," or an v Advertising Sheet " either. This was particularly noticeable on the occasion of this land sale. No less than three persons, within my own knowledge, who wished to purchase aeo tions, knew nothing about the sale until it was all over, and then expressed themselves mightily chagrined at the secret manner (as they termed it) in which the business was conducted. Of course I do not allude in any way to the manner in which the Government temporary auctioneer (Mr. Nicolson) performed his duties. All was public enough afc the sale if the public had been there ; but the town that was offered for sale (on the ground) is a couple of miles distant from the populous centre of Frenchman's Hill, and it was known to but very few persona that a sale was to take place. I have not the least doubt, that if a few placards had been posted up in conspicuous places, a considerable number of allotments would have been sold. On Monday last the Switzers Popular Readings, as they are termed, were recommenced with great e*clat. The Schoolhouse was crowded. The proceedings were commenced by voting John N. Wood, Esq., E.M. to the chair. Mr. W. takes great interest in these readings ; indeeditisto the efforts of some members of his family that we are mainly indebted for their recommencement. The prologue (nothing can be done on Switzers without a prologue) was spoken by Mr. Bailey, who had written it for the occasion. Among the readings were, " Thatcher's Tame Duck, G. M. Coy (limited)," "Old Wife's Song," Ingelow, "Train's Jumping Frog of Calaveraa C 0.," " Aytouns Heart of the Bruce," " Pastor M'Knock's Address," "A Black Job," by Tom Hood. All the readings were excellent ; the crowning success of the evening was " Jack and the Beanstalk," an original piece by Mrs. Nugent Wood, which, if you have room for, you would do well to print in extenso. I may say that the permission of the fair author has been solicited and kindly granted. There are to be twelve readings in thiß series, and it is probable they will be well patronised by the public. The proceeds are to be devoted to the commencement of a public library on Switzers. There is great fear that the Government will neglect the completion of the metalling of the road near the present township till the winter sets in again, in which case Frenchman's Hill will be cut off from communication with Dunedin via Tuapeka ; the same as it was last year, and all for some 20 chains of metalling. It is rumoured that we are to have a money-order office and savings bank attached to our local po3t-office, which will be a real boon to the public. The people of Switzers seem to appreciate the Black Horse beer, which figured in your advertisement a while ago ; for we are favoured now with periodical visits from one of the proprietors of that (hereafter to be) far-famed brewery. The Progress Committee here are urging the Government to cause a track to be cut through the timber at the head of Gow's Creek to Campbell's diggings, so as to throw open a communica- ! fcion with this place when Campbell's is , " snowed in "in other directions. This will not be a very heavy undertaking, probably £200 or £250 would do it, and a large excent of practically inaccessible country, almost certain to prove payable and well-known to be auriferous, will be opened up. We have had very rough squally wea-* ther the last day or two, but little rain has fallen.