COUNTRY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12093, 12 July 1901, Page 8

COUNTRY NEWS.

(Fkos!- Our Own- Corhespoxdexts.)' WAIKOUAITI. July 11.—The Waikoimili Coiinly Council held a special meeting on Friday last," the memWμ being engaged a [l day cor.'iclcrii:g the Counties Bill, l'jJl, now introduce!! in the House of Representatives. The council did not approve of the residential q\;alitk-.uion in clause 15c, being ui tin- opinion that on).- ratepayers should vote, as at present. ' l!c 'clause S (1), the council thought a ratepayer should |ie entitled to vole in aiiv rilling in which he is qualified, and not be confined to one ridin", as wanted in the clause. Clause "•'■ The council thought il impossible to cJosT'the roll 14 days before the election—i« tht-it opinion- 3(1 days being the least time the roll could be prepared ami printed; also, that April be the month fixed to amend the roll, not .March as that is the dose ~f the linancial year, and. conseiiuently, a veiy busy month! Clause .10: 10l should close at ti p.,,,., ~„.. 7 ~.,„.. C |., us( , 03'. Chat the term r>l office be three years as at present, not two years as proposed; also 'th'tt elections be still held in November, not May as suggested. Clause 71a: The council recommended payment of members to be at the rate ui a guinea per day. • S ,f tc «? li , v< " Wi,s ,0 lmv<, "fcnpipd the pulpit m the Wesleyan Church here on Sunday last, nit owing (o iiulisiiosition Hiss Powell of JJnnedin, preached instead. On Mondav evening a social was held in the rbiircli. and the Rev. J. Oliver presided. The speakers were the Rev. J. Christie ;l ,ul the l!ev.T.!i. Brooke, of Duucdni, both of whom gave stirring artdresses, the- latter dwelling on «ome reminiscences o! his earlier life as a minister in tuo np-connlry scattered districts. Songs quartets, and choruses were contributed by Misses Smith, Kayo, .Mrs Fleming/aml Messrs IMeimng nnd Gibson, and a recitation by Miss Campbell. A splendid supper was afterwards provided by the ladies of the eon-rc-ation Preparations are already far advanced to »ivc the reluming troopers belonging to this district a. hearty reception next Mondav eveniue |!>»l l«i..g the. night the mayor is led to h'.eve (hey will arrive. The troopers come bv the train, arriving here at 7 p.m., mitt will be met at the station by the mayor, and escorted »)• the band, committee, and »cneva! public to the Mechanics' Hall, where a reception and social will be held, followed by a uuiiee The Library Committee met on Monday lii'ht last, when a long list of suggested new" hooks was considered, and the secretary instructed to obtain as many as are procurable in town as soon as possible. The committee decided to try for another month the experiment of keeping o»cn the free rrading-room at night, and the librarian was ordered to keep a Cue lighted in the evening. It is to be hoped this Tateat move of the committee to popularise the institution may be successful. At the usual monthly sale to-day there n1 very little stock offering, but (air prices were realised, a few wethers fetching 15s. There bus been a buyer purchasing locally of late, ami till!, no doubt affected the number of entries. WETJIERSTOXES.

Mv 11.-Tl.e Waipori mailman managed lo roach Lawrence ok horseback vesterday afternoon. On some of the worst places of tiic road lip hart lo wall; and lead the horse. A few other men with horses accompanied him. I expect provender for both, man and boost will be getting scarce at Waipori, especially for horses! I hear that there are several Wuipori residents anion" them ihe schoolmistress, 'snowbound n t Lawrence. The teacher is {joins; to accompany the mailman out on horseback to-dav. There have been 10 men working clearing awn'- the snow on the worst places o'f the road, and then they only succeeded in cleiiriii" away as much would let a horse through. Two shifts have been stopped at the OPQ mine for the present, and it is likely that the other shift will have to stop for the want of timber, which cannot be obtained till the snow

Some of the rabbiters have commenced l)o:soiimg, as it is impossible to trap at present. Two men withthree do»< i-ent out hunting last Tuesday, and got JO rabbits. The Hapnv Valley dredge commenced elcvat-

The Golden Crescent'has done no work since the last washing down. It will he some (lavs yet before they will be. able to work. The snow is disappearing very slowly. It is laming here to-day, but I expect suoiv will be falling on the ranges.

ROXBURGH. .Inly 8.-TIIO weather changed 1,14 Wednesday night, and since then we have had a good tlnal of snow, and bitterly cold winds. There were several rain showers early on Sunday morning, causing much snow to disappear, but irost has apparently set in a»ain. Borough Coiineil-Thc local Borough Council are taking slpps to abolish the two wnrdsCentral and Southern; also to declare to 1« noxious weeds within the borough all the p.aiiis mcnUoi'd in the second schedule oi " I hi- Noxious Weeds Art. 1U00." . The Right of the Tfoail.-Travellers are ranking complaints of the discourtesy shown them by some of the waggoners on the road. The subject ol complaint is that the latter will not give way or make room at all. even when the road is narrow, and those passing them in traps are thus put to great inconvenience, and sometimes are in no little danger of capsizing The waggoners may not know that they are I'Miimiltbig an olfc-nce under the Police Offences Act. It would b? very little trouble to I hem In 1 Mil! tlieir trams csitlo a little, and treat tri!vpl|<Ti>, commercial and others, with more rciu!r-y. It was the overbearing practice on tlio put of pome cf the wagoners in driving llimugl, townships on Sundays, sometime* during church hours, that earned them tc gel their wings clipped.

TAPANUI. _ July s.-froni frost, dry roads, and sunny (ilivs to snow and sloppy trocks is a change tits', is not !il nil appreciated. A fair fall of siiov; on 'Himsclay nigiii was added to considerably on Friday night, and vcstorday the "bc.itifui miow" lay In ~ depth" of close on a font n:i \\w lo.v country, whilst (lie fall on llio mountains mud have breu very much . irovicr. Yesterday a thaw set ill, lull it will l"> foine days lieforp the snow disappears, and in Die. meiintimc slock must suffer, and this morning a fierce sou'-wo'ter and snowstorm arc racing. Fortunately, we liave not been tm.blcJ with ranch snow this winter, and cannol complain of the wcuher mi far.

l.'clurned Troopers.—Preparations arc ljeing made at hnlso In ■wlfonip the local bovs with tho fourth and fifth, and I hear that lia'ndsome ir.ccUlls will he pvescutr.l. m>d tho Ijoys wclennrd at a social. Tupamii's ineeling lapsed, hill llns may lie accounted tor by the fact that the people had spent a busy week in Duuodin and no ,lonlit Trooper Jlorrison will he suitably F.ml heartily welcomed when the lime comes. i As Hip list of relurncd troopers is not hew many of the local men will relurii by tho Tngns, and consequently no definite arrangements can he made.

CLINTOX. July 3.—Tho weather, which lias been very cold and frosty for sonic time, took a doc:dedly wintry turn on Wednesday last. Snow ccn.menccd to fall thickly towards'evenin« and J' iuralay morning found the ground covered. I lie low lying "round carried about 2in, while the hills and back country had a »ood deal more. A (haw set in to-day, but as heavy showers of sled and snow have Vjcen falling all day, the psospecls of an early clearance are I'pne of the best. Farm work, however, is well advanced. The beautiful weather experienced lately and the early harvest allowed' farmers to push on with their ploughingransetjueutty, men and liorses are >eltin« a well-earacrt rest. Turnips are lastingVll this year, no doubt owing to the lino spell of weather we had before the last snap. Stock nre in good trim, and unless foiiielliing exceptional Happens, will come through the winter well Royal Visit.—Our town and district were almost deserted last week for several davs-all who possibly could being away in Duuedin aking part in Hie festivities. All seem to nave enjoyed themselves, and speak well of the decorations and illuminations of the citv. All swear that they were smiled on by the Duche«s some time, or other during her excursions through the streets, while one says h. received a ' hat" from the Dnke for railing out, "Goodhye. Georse," when the Hoyal train was near 1 ehchet Bay, steaming northwimls. I hear of several who were singled out by the li»htingercd gentry, said to he numerous during the. visit, and relieved of various sums of money ranging up to a. pound. Although the trains, were crowded iilmo.4 to suffocation during the week, it i s satisfactory that no accident occurred on the line south of Dunedin J lie railway employees had an anxious and ■iml time of it, at time? working all iiHil. but like true Britons, they stood it, and had no remarks to make. It is fortunate that the weather was One, for if the reception had been a y.-cek later il.inss would have I.een mmlensant all round and the demonstration spoiled Deuarliiig.-I hear that our teacher, Mr J. ■V Stewart, has been appointed, head master of [ne Wailrauaiti school, and loaves to take up his new position in a month. Mr Stewart has occupied liis present position for tho last l< years, and has given universal satisfaction, only as a teacher were his services appreciated; but as a. citizen he was held in th» Ingiiwt respect. As a worker in the Presbvkrian Church he will be frreatlv missed, lie held the nosition of eldw anrl for roanv v<mrs bud lnl tlic ringinir. While all will re.jre't his dsparluro. they will also congratulate him on his n.nv air.iointnicnt, which means promotion nr.d wi«li him success in his new nosition. Tlie Wtntlier Again.-Sinre wrilinu tlio n.hnve the weather has gone from bad to worse. It enmo rather as a sururise to ninny to find on Saturday Cin of snow on the srouiid. but this u-ae (lie case. Since then heavy ruin has fallen, and the snnw is di?am»arine fast. Snowbailiiig was indulged in to a- great extent on Saturday by the youth o'. the town, and any nc(iestrian, known or unknown, who nme within range, %ol pelted unmercifully. Fifty on to one was no uncommon sight, and showed the regard colonial youth lis.ve for fairplay. I noticed one man take the law into his own band--, and rive half a down offontlers a return drubbii!? with a stock whip. .More power to

Ills c!hov,-. It is !" h" honed that the weather will xr-) clear, a- a i-oiilinuM sped oi this wouW haw. .1 serious uffcrt on A::'k.

LOVEM/S FLAT. July G.-The weather during the past week tins been bitterly cold. After a severe frost for two days, a snowstorm set in, onil for (lie last four days it has been a continuous snow, hail, been seriously retarded thereby. Our Kaiyivays.—Xo stntionmaster yet; perhaps, Sir, were you to publish a statement of returns of gootls," mineral, and passenger traffic, from such stations as Allanton, Waihola, and Milburn, and also give us thai from Lovell'a Flat, then we should be better able to realise if we are fairly entitled to an officer in charge.