COUNTRY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3502, 28 April 1873, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

(from our. own correspondents.)

MOERAKI.

As the threshing out of last season's crop proceeds, it becomes obvious that the loss caused by grasshopper, caterpillar, and wind is much more considerable than was anticipated. Oats appear to have suffered uaosp, -and my former estimate of the yield per acre of this crop —although one of the lowest returned from any of the agricultural districts —will not be attained by some six or eight bushels. There appears to be a conviction among sellers that oats will keep their value, and farmers are not at all anxious at present to sink money in threshing. Some considerable purchases of feed oats have been made for supply of local requirements at •Oamaru. As the present price is prohibitory ■of purchase for export, I am inclined to "think the expectations of those who look for a much greater advance will be disappointed, •especially when it is remembered that what remained on hand of last year's crop was far from inconsiderable. On Sunday last, the Rev. Mr Gifford delivered, after service at Hampden, a welltimed and impressive address, calling the attention of his congregation to the changes likely to ensue upon the influx of so many strangers into the district, the duties which thereby devolved upon the older residents, and the necessity of making provision for the social well-being of the recent accessions. He more particularly brought under notice the urgency of placing the Hampden Mechanics' Institute upon such a footing as to constitute it a counteractive attraction to the hotel. Mr Gifford also referred to the expected visit of the Bishop, and the celebration of a harvest thanksgiving service upon the occasion.

The settlement in and about Hampden of two hundred railway navvies has created an activity in that hitherto quiet township not previously known. The event of the week has been the navvies' first pay, and the circumstance was, of course, celebrated with the usual festivities. To see the way in which these men spend their money in gratifying the insatiate lust of beer, one would think that they had never known want, or worked ten hours a day for Is lOd. There is one redeeming feature, however. I hear they have appropriated a portion of their earnings to the establishment of a Sick and Accident Fund. The principle of letting cuttings by contract is becoming more general on the line. The prices vary from lOd to 14d per yard, and the men appear to be quite satisfied with the rate. Some of the -contracts are being taken by parties of the new arrivals. Tiiere is little doubt the contractors are beginning to find it by far the •cheapest way of getting the work done. The irregularity of the sailing coasters, ■upon which we entirely depend for supplies, lias been greatly felt and bitterly complained of lately ; so much so,' indeed, as to cause some of our business people to seriously contemplate getting their supplies from town by "waggons. lam quite prepared to say that, upon an average, orders might be sent from Dunedin to Melbourne, and supplied from thence in less time than it would take to transact the same business, between Dunedin and Moeraki. Whatever benefits we may in ■the future expect to derive from the boasted natural advantages of our harbour, they have not hitherto secured for us either more •regular communication with the capital or lower rates of freight than our less fortunate neighbours. WESTERN DISTRICT. If that well-known bird, the " cockatoo," had any excuse for grumbling, it would be in the "Western District at the state of the ■roads. They are only passable for about three months in the year, unless in a very ■good season. All the rest of the time they -are nothing but fenced in swamps. That is .not the, worst of it. Many of the settlers have had to make their own roads in order to get their grain to market during these three months, ■while all the time they are paying a heavy xoad tax. What does it matter to the farmer whether the priceof grain begood or bad, unless it is good at the only time of the year he can sell? Or, should he keep it at home, can anyone imagine for one moment that a man could be good-tempered when he hears oats are not to be got at 3s, while though at the most he is not 20 miles from alarge city, lie cannot take them there at the price to save his life . It is high time something was done for the cockatoos in this district. What encouragement is there for men to settle down in a place like that ? (and Southland is like that, more or less, all over.) l\ is settlers the country wants, as they are the men that make a country.