GOLDEN BAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 126, 29 May 1891, Page 2

GOLDEN BAY.

(From our own Correspondent.) Business in this diatriot for eome time past has been unusually dull, but now there are obvious signs of improvement. In the Takaka distriot the hops have materially assisted to thia end, and the high prioe of sheep, oattle, and produco is making the farmers oheerful. Tho timber trade Beems also to have taken aa improving turn, and sawmillera are looking forward hopefully to better times. Sawable timber iB, however, getting very scarce in the valley, and atten« tion ia being turned towards the vast areas Of timber in the Aorere valley, At no very distant date this latter valley will receive attention, and justly bo too, for the difficulty always urged against establishing Bftwmillß in the Aorere Val-< ley is after all more imaginative than real, There is a substantial bridge across the river) and to tap the best timber country, haulage would hot be so great nor the road so bad as was theoase in the Upper part of the Tak&ka Valley prior to the opening of the tramway. Cpllingwood for the last four inon'thß~has been quieter than, at any poriod during v ho last ten years, Here, however, it iB also pleasant to notioe a revival of trade. The news of Johnston's United oatting tine reef in the uprise, paused a stir in mining oirolee, and it to anticipated that the mine will be' again freely manned and crushing recommenced in about a week hence. Yesterday the township was un. usually lively, being Court day, and ooine important ottaeß* both oivil and ' oriminnl being on the oauße list, Two solicitors from Nelson, Messrs Fell and Maginnity, were in attendance, being engaged in a private arbitration cqae, whtau occupied their

attention and that of the Arbitrator (Mr Wilson Heaps) until after eight o'olook in the evening. On the criminal Bide of the Court Richard Fisher and, Graham Fißber were oharged with staling a ram, the property ot Wilham, Soaaden,of Wapftra. Attar a lengthy hearing the former wan discharged and the latter oommftted for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court, bail being allowed, the accused in £50 and two Bureuea in £25 each. Three informations had been laid by Mr Maginnity, solioilor to the PubUo Ball Company, against Riohard George Peaoook, Seoretary of the Company for embezzling the funds of tho Company but qb the acouaed, againßt whom a warrant had baen issued, had left t&o distriot and could not be found, tho obarges could not be prooeeded with. lam informed that the defalcations amount to upwards of £60. I have juat heard that the alluvial miners iu Lightband's Gully, one of the oldest workings in the district, have been doing remarkably well for the past week or two. A report recently reached here that a powerful English syndicate had been formed to work the coal and iron deposits, and we are all anxiously awaiting further news. I sincerely hope the report may prove well founded.