INCH VALLEY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 4 December 1880, Page 2

INCH VALLEY.

(from our own correspondent.) The shearing is now nearly finished, and much wool is being conveyed down country to Palmerston by waggons, This season's clip is reported to be a very good one, and it is only a pity that the Palmer-ston-Waihemo railway is not available for the transit. The formation of the railway seems now to be making very little headway, and there is apparently every likelir hood that the money already spent on this undertaking by the Government will not be made to yield suoh a return as might have heen obtained if the line had been available for the present wool or coming grain season's trade. Besides the loss which the Government suffers, there is another which the settlers must bear inasmuch as they are paying taxes to supply interest for the money that has been spent on a line which, by push and enterprise would be a great public boon to this district, but which yet remains ' unfinished, unavailable, and unprofitable. I am told that unemployed" who are working at the railway are engaged at a price per cubic yard of excavating which will not allow them to earn more than 4s Qd per day. Surely the Government could out of the grant of last session afford to give the men 6s per day. seeing that the colony is temporarily suffering from arj overdose of immigration, and men therefore cannot get steady work at anything else. I anv -sure that" even 5s 6d per day regulay

on the railway works would not bo relinquished by many in view of the slight inducements held out to them to " swai it." At the same time, by keeping the men at the work, the public good would be served in several ways. A deputation from this district interviewed the Minister for Public Works on Wednesday warding this matter. a

The weather was very dry up to Sunday last, but since then we have had sufficient moisture for a little while. The crops are therefore looking much better than they were previously.

Steps are being taken to float a company to take over the Inch Valley Flour Mills. I am not yet able to say what i .neasure of success the scheme is likely to I obtain.

The fruit gardens in this district have suffered very much from frost, and apples &c., will not be so plentiful as in former seasons.

Trout appear to be getting scarce in the Shag River. This is attributed to the number of anglers who have visited tho river for some time past. Some people blame the Chinese poachers.