COAL CREEK FLAT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 371, 8 July 1874, Page 3

COAL CREEK FLAT.

\Trom our own Correspondent)) King Frost has been reigning almost Supreme lately. The water for sluicing is short of demand, and the dams afford amusement to the skaters — even ladies may be seen Wijoying themselves on the ice. The river is T«ry low, and while the cold weather lasts must continue so, thus affording remunerative employment to a large number of beachclaun holders ; but owing to the millions of tons of tailings sent into the river, a great many good beach-claims are buried too deep to pay for working. . The cold weather has driven in most of the miners from over the bills. Large quantities of gold arc being obtained at the Waikaia, if reports are correct. Butler and party's dredge has paid well this season. They have removed their dredge to Borne new ground, which is reported to be payable. Some of the claims at If oa Flat ■are paying well. Wood and party's is steadily working on payable ground. There is a- great scarcity of- timber for making sluiceboxes: nona to be had for the past two 'months.

While the" 1 sitting of the Provincial Council lasted, we thought something might be done for the Teviot district, and a few blocks of land opened to satilfy the earth-hutger of our residents, but although our member worked hard, our usual luck has apparently 'attended His exertions. I- cannot agree with your correspondent "A Looker-on," in Wednesday's Tttapeea Times* with regard to the temper of Mr. Macandrew. The insult of the Teviot people was nothing in comparison to the inBultjt the squatting party heaped on him before" his election in 1867. I believe Mr. Macandrew to be a gentleman above taking notice of such trifles after elections are over. It is evident that, by the large majority of votes which he secured at the Teviot at the last election, the Teviot people think highly "of Mr. Macandrew. How would " A Lookeron*' interpret Messrs. Reid and Bradshaw's conduct ? And if the Provincial Government

choose to cripple and swamp the Teviot and

. other districts by allowing the lands to be-sheep-walks instead of farms, the inimDiCants will have to migrate to fresh fields and pastures new. The "Melbourne Leader" of 13th June, 'commenting on New Zealand, says : " 10,000 immigrants are afloat, bound for New Zealand. Certainly, the Colony cannot go on borrowing at the rate it has been When this fund ceases, there will be an enormous number of people thrown out of employment, unless they can either be placed upon the lands, or industries be established to provide work for them. Failing this, they will gradually leave New Zealand for the Australian Colonies, and the prodigious debt

now being piled up for immigration and public works will have been incurred in vain, Ac." Otago, at the present time, is something like what Victoria was under a squatting Government. The squatters in Victoria, while they had the chance, grasped all the land they could ; but fortunately for Victoria it is very large, and the people found out, before all the land was absorbed by the squatteM,

the Bquatting*policy, and now the squatter is known in his true character, and treated accordingly. But Otago is very small compared to Victoria ; and unless another land policy is carried into effect, other than the present Government scheme, there will be no Crown lands for settlement in Otago in a very short time. " Our district would support a large population if the lands were opened, but at present the adult population is decreasing.