NEVIS NOTES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 1375, 3 September 1895, Page 5

NEVIS NOTES.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] The frost king has at length relaxed his iron grip, and the welcome northern breezes, aided by the sun’s rays, are making a few grassy ridges appear to the longing eyes of the half-starved stock that have, through constitutional strength, survived the ninety odd days of comparative starvation. Such a winter is altogether without a parallel, even the stormy winter of ’7B does not approach it, so far as starvation of stock is concerned. Let us hope the early spring will be warm and dry, otherwise many of the weaker ones will yet “go to the wall ” before shearing time. As for bunny alll the forces, including man and the ferrets, leagued together for his destruction, have been as nothing to Nature’s winding sheet of snow. They have been simply buried by thousands in the valley of the Nevis ; the worst of it is, they have not had the melancholy satisfaction of paying for their feed with their skin. The rabbit-catching fraternity are looking gloomy and dejected, which indicates unmistakably a long store account and a short cheque. The miners, on the other hand, are anticipating abundance of water and % fine summer, added to which the ever buoyant hope of being “on the run,” and keeping there a spell, has its usual effect in a cheerful countenance and brisk step. Notwithstanding the severity of the weather, our school has been kept open all winter, ' with but about three weeks’ holiday, and a day or two now and then, the older scholars attending well. Our local Brass Band is getting on swimmingly and hopes to make its mark in the projected “contest.” We have one very pressing want here, Mr Editor. Could you not give expression to it occasionally in your valuable paper?—t.e. telephonic communication with Bannockburn. We have no police protection, no court, all our food supplies must come from outside, no doctor, no minister of religion; and none but ourselves know the inconvenience of being so isolated, and the delay and expense of communication. We think we have a just claim on the Government in this matter. We have never been clamorous for expenditure of public money, except in opening up communication with the centres of population, and our contributions to the revenue, in the matter of gold duty alone, have in the past been ehormous. We are large consumers of taxable goods, we have no paupers living on public charity, we are a law-abiding community, needing neither gaol, asylum, nor Charitable Aid Board; and we think we ought, at least, hot to be handicapped out of the world of comfort and convenience, because, forsooth, we cannot give a guarantee that the Department would not be, for a time, the loser by granting this much needed public work. It seems to me that it may come fairly within the programme of a Liberal Government to foster and encourage outlying goldfields by giving them at least a fair start,' as well as other more populated places, to none of which will we give place for a spirit of self-reliance, independence and liberality. Since the Post and Telegraph Department of the Public Service is bringing in a big profit surely the outlying districts ought to feel the fostering care of a government that has been termed the very vanguard of Socialistic Protectionists of the weak against the strong.