SANDON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5099, 27 July 1877, Page 5

SANDON.

(FROM ODE OWN CORRESPONDENT.) 23rd July. The following gentleman have been appointed directors of the Sandon Steam Flour Mill Company :—Messrs. James Bull, D. R. Lowers, H. Hammond, Henry Sanson, J. Harris, George Phillips, Alexander McDonald, A. Bailey, and Thomas Gifford. All the shares—6oo in number—have been taken up, and .the greater part of the first call of ss, in the £ paid. The directors are now calling for jlans and specifications for the erection of the 'building, and are ascertaining the cost of the machinery, all of which is to be of the most recent description, with all the latest improvements. The company intend if possible 'to , have , the mill in working order in January next, in time for the harvest., i ■

The weather has been beautifully fine during the past fortnight, enabling the farmers ; to nearly complete their wheat ; sowing. It is supposed there will be wheat enough grown in the district to keep the mill going the whole year; if so, the townships of Palmerston, Foxton, Feilding, Haloombe, and other places, instead of sending to Wellington for flour, will be able to get supplied from the Sandon mill. , ~ - - -. i ■ ■

Several petitions are in circulation for signatures here. , The one, perhaps, that will be the most numerously signed will be tlfe anti-separa-: tion of the county one. The committee who have charge of it fully expect tp get .between six hundred and eight hundred signatures. At a large public meeting,at the iohpolhouse'at Sandon the people were unanimous i in , their opinion, which; was ;against the division of the county.: They did not believe the Government would entertain the Manchester Block petition for separation, as it would be a precedent for other places in other counties to come forward for the same thing, whiclr would be creating a lot of petty governments at a great expense, using funds .which would be better spent in the making of roads and other .useful public works, Another petition is being numerously

signed in favor of the Local. Option Bill; another against the Sunday liquor traffic; another in favor of giving religious instruction in schools; and one will shortly be presented to the Assembly, asking the Government to make the Boston and Sandon line of railway. Estimates have been prepared for the cost of the line from the, junction of the Palmerston line to Sandon, a distance, of about twelves miles. The County Council is willing to give £SOO a-year towards the working expenses, and £3OOO is the estimated revenue of the line. This would pay the working expenses. and a good percentage :on the cost of construction, besides providing a sinking fund. These favorable considerations should, I think, induce the Government to undertake this important branch line of railway. ' Mr. John Stevens held an auction sale at Bull’s last Wednesday, which was well attended. Cattle: realised good prices ; and a good lot of wethers from Mr. Lee’s run fetched 11s. 3d. ; more were inquired for. Mr. . Soarrow, ’of Sandon, who has got his name up (and: justly so) for pig. breeding, exhibited some suckers from a Canterbury ;sire, which averaged 255. each—over Is. per ,Ib. if they were sold by weight. : .There is a good demand here for:seed and feed oats, which are now fetching a high price. Eresh butter is in good demand. Potatoes are plentiful and dull of sale.