GLENOMARU.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXI, Issue 1042, 13 July 1894, Page 6

GLENOMARU.

4. (From Our Owx Correspondent.) The weather has been very wet lately, and very little outside work is being done. Tho roads are in a frightful mess, especially the clay roads. It is a pity the county members do not live up Hunt's road or up the little Onmru. I think if they did they would find some ways or means to rectify matters. From Greig's sawmill up to the bush is as bad .is Hunt's road, and nothing can be worse than tint for it is simply impassable. Under the present financial position of our county councils, and especially this county which has so many bush roads to look after, T see but one way out of the difficulty, and that is if the Government do not finish and make the new roads let the local bodies resign, and then something will be done either by subsidy or a better way of raising rates than at present. None of the county councils have the means to carry on or keep in repair the roads within their bounds. The present system of local government has had a fair trial, and it does not meet the requirements of the country. Let it then be abolished for a more feasible scheme. What with salaries, poor rates, and surfacemen's waires — if enonirh surfacemen were k^pf — the revenue of this county is not snfiicient. Who over thinks that one surfaceman can keep in repair the ronds in one riding? It would take three or four to each iidinir, but then there are no funds ; I therefore the sooner somo other system is ! introduced the better. It is high time, for with the low price of produce the farmers are not fit to sinnd th« strain of more taxation, let alone having to put up with sludge channels for roads. The railway works are being pushed ahead, there being about 100 men employed, but with wet weather and low prices for their work very little can be made by the co-operated contractors in a climate like this, especially in the wintor season. 1 notice by the Hon. Treasurer's speech at Oamaru the Catlins co-opera-tives make the smallest rate per day. Are the men inferior, or are the prices loss than anywhere else ? I know they cannot work more than four and a-half days a week at this time of the year. In mentioning about tha turnip crops I should have stated that those on Mr Win, M'Lean's farm, Ahuriri, wpve the best I have seen this season. Whatever manure he has been using it would be safe for other farmers to follow his example. I have been through both Taieri and Tokomairiro Plain, but a more even and more prolific crop I never came across. , Some parents in tho Glen have sent/ their children to other districts for education owing to the distance they have to travel here to school. It is a pity that parents should have to bear the heavy burden of boarding their children away from home when, if the school were placed in the centre of settlement, everyone would get advantage of it. It is to be hoped things will not last long in this state. I would suggest to the railway authorities that a truck or two of gravel be placed on the coach, stand at Glenomaru for the convenience of passengers by trains, for it is very inconvenient to wade over the boot-tops and then sit in the train or coach for a long ride ; also that a fire-plaeo or stove be placed in the ladies' waiting-room. As passengers from Owaka and Catlins have to wait for two hours for .the midday train on Wednesdays and nearly half-an-hour for every other train, there being no hotels or refreshment rooms, it is very uncomfortable to sit in such a cold place at this season of the year. I do not think the cost of a stove would be much. Mr Black, of Owaka, has started . butch erinw, and commenced to cut down

the prices, especially of mutton. The butchers nro like the bakers. When flour was high the bread «va3 dear, but when flour is cheap th«y do not lower the prices accordingly. We all wish Mr Black every success. Mr Charles Mnaon has taken poaaeasion of Mr Marr's place and brought his family with him. Miss Mason is an accomplished violinist and pianist. She will be greatly welcomed by the lovers of music here, and will be a great acquisition to this district. We hope to hear her at our first school concert. I hear that a good few are working on the State or Sutherland farm bushfalling. How in the name of wonder men can make a living wage at the price the Chief Surveyor offered I cannot tell. Even the poorest farmei's in Catlins district would be ashamed to ask anyone to fall bush for the price, Whoever fixed the prices did not know anything of bushfalling, and I am certain the Minister of Xiands cannot approve of it. I would suggest that he or those who fixer! the prices for the specifications bo asked to resign their present position and be sent to Catlinß to fall bush at the same figure. It is a disgrace that men of no capabilities or common understanding should be appointed to do such work. Look at last season's bushfalling how the work was skimmed owing to the lowness of the price. It will cost twice the money to do it over again, and the taxpayer will have to pay through the nope for it. As I said before I am certain the Minister of Lands doea not know of the matter. Should this meet his eye let him ask respectable settlors in the Catlins district what is a j fair price for the bushfalling, to do the work honestly, and he will be surprised I know. From the above you and your readers will learn why Catlins settlers would noh go to work on the State farm, and men were taken from Oamarn and other places to do the work. The Oatltns men knew they could not make enough to keep soul and bndy together, let alone support their families.