OAMARU.

Otago Witness, Issue 1155, 17 January 1874, Page 12

OAMARU.

Since the unusual gaiety and excitement which characterised the holiday season at this place, there have been few events of aay great interest or novelty. I did not choose to burden your, fully occupied columns with any description of the New Year's sports, or those even of the ordinary type, and nothing unusual occurred at them. I may, however, state that the Caledonian Society have every reason to be satisfied with the result of the preparations which the Diiectors had made. The grounds were visited by an admiring crowd of spectators, and upwards of £90 was drawn at the gates. I was only present for a brief period, but from what I there witnessed, it seems evident that the annual games of the Society are now considered indispensable to the perfect keeping of the opening day of a New Year. The grand feature in connection with the programme was the ooncert and ball, which came off in the Volunteer Hall in the evening ; for then the returns obtained were devoted to a really practical and benevolent purpose ; and 1 am happy to state that, after paying the Provincial Brass Band for their assistance, a net sum of over £60 was handed to the Hospital Committee. We have been favoured with a return of rainy weather, which was beginning to be urgently required. I do not remember of ever seeing here such a downpour as took place on Saturday afternoon, the gutters and sewers of the streets being filled to overflowing in a few moments. It is to be hoped that besides supplying housewives with a temporary supply of water, the grateful change of weather may have the effect of stopping the ravages of the caterpillar amongst the crops, for I hear that this pest has again made its appearance in large numbers, which might have boen anticipated by any one acquainted with the nature of the moth which propagates them. These were to be seen in myriads in early spring among the grass. The fact of the periodical recurrence of such a destructive insect should lead those most interested in its eradication to take active steps in promoting the acclimatisation of insectivorous birds— the only effectual remedy, I think, for this farmers' plague. Starlings are fortunately becoming now very numerous in this immediate district as well aa at Otepopo. There is one lot of these birds of a literary habit, choosing annually to build their nests and bring forth their young on the eaves of the editor's office of the local paper. The great difficulty in connection with the successful introduction of birds to this and other districts in Otago, is the want of shelter — for the planting of trees and shrubs by the settlers is sadly neglected —a neglect which will be regretted ere many years go round, not alone for the scarcity of timber that will be felt when the natural bush is destroyed, but for the indirect consequence in keeping the chief enemies of insects from settling in any numbers in a country devoid of sheltering wood and coppice. From the vigorous style in which the plantations of all varieties of trees grow on the one or two estates where this essential work has been entered upon, 1 trow that no better investment could be made either from an individual or public point of view, and it is to be regretted that the conviction is not shared by every landed proprietor in the Province.

Harvest will, I am told, soon begin — and great is the fear that hands will not be obtained in sufficient numbers ; but recently the arrivals of men have given quite an animated and bnsy aspect to our streets. It i 3 singular, but nevertheless true, that almost every day for the past week I have been asked for work by new arrivals ; but of course this circumstance, inconsistent with the general cry for labour, may arise from the want of any organisation whereby new chums may be directed to those who may be in want of men.

Business of all kinds is at present prosperous, and tradesmen are in receipt of high wages. Wool is now coming in in large quantities, and is being shipped as speedily as possible. The bay has been recently studded with steamers and sailing vessels, and the weather has been favourable upon the whole for loading and discharging. As for the breakwater the work has been much interfered with in consequence of

the holidays, and progress i« not very apparent. No further advance has been made in providing the additional school accommodation, as no reply has been vouchsafed to the application for a site for a new grammar school, and the tenders for the new north school have not been opened, so that the educational year will soon commence under precisely the same drawbacks as last year, and I fear that unless something be speedily done to remove these, that an injurious effect will be produced on the educational advance of the town. In connection with this subject it seems to me that a fine opening is presented for the establishment of a young ladies' school. There is certainly a small one, and, I believe, excellently conducted by Miss Allport, but it is far from meeting the requirements of a large town such as Oamaru is new. The Girls' High School in Dunedin may be of great value to those who can afford to send their girla thither ; but there are numbers of families here anxious to have facilities for completing the education of their girls, and were such an establishment started as I have indicated, I believe it would prove not only a great advantage to the community but would turn out remunerative as a commercial enterprise. The continued inadequacy of school room suggests the topic, and confirms me in the impreßsion that the suggestion should be favourably regarded by those who are competent to make it a success, I trust also that some energetic step will be taken to initiate and carry on evening classes during the approaching winter, as there are great numbers of lads engaged in business and work during the day, whose imperfect education might be advanced if an opportunity were given to attend a night school. Since the improvements made on the Mechanics' Institute there has been an increase of membership, but still the paucity of new books forms an obstruction to its complete success, and I think some^ measure ought to be adopted to raise a library fund.

An attempt has been made to asphalte the foot-paths of the principal street, but from some cause the work is unsatisfactory. A private firm purposes cementing the pa+h in front of ii A s premises, and if it should turn out successful, the system may ultimately be preferred to the asphalt process. The work of permanently forming and metalling the main street through the town is being proceeded with, but the contractors do not make muoh progress.

Town Beotions continue to be in great demand at fair prices, and the erection of numerous dwelling-houses and stores denotes an unabated confidence in the prosperous future of the town. New potatoes of excellent quality are freely coming to market, but the price is still high enough to constitute them a luxury. Fruits are abundant, and at fair rates, while the necessaries of bread and meat continue as before, with a tendency downwards.

Grass-seed ia being bought in large quantities for the North Island and elsewhere at about 4s per bushel, but if I mistake not an advance of 30 per cent, may be calculated on as the season advances.