ARROWTOWN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 6

ARROWTOWN.

The estimated expenditure of the Lake County Council for the year ending 31st March, 1878, appears to be the subject of very general comment by Dunedin and down-country newspapers. So far as things have gone yet, no charge of reckless expenditure can really be urged against our County Council ; in fact, they have managed very economically rather than otherwise. The fault lies in the loose manner in which they have made up their statement, and which has been taken advantage of by our neighbours at Vincent, with the idea of puffing up their own self-sufficiency. It is a thoroughly well-ascertained fact that Vincent County is more lavish in expenditure than that of Lake, and the same balancesheet, in the hands o f our astute neighbours, would, doubtless have appeared a more enticing and acceptable document. In a very great measure, its want of perspicuity must be attributed to the hurried departure of Mr H. Manders, M.H.R., for Wellington, who, as Clerk to the Council, has* just concluded his six months' engagement. Mr Manders, so we are told, having entered into the happy state of matrimony conjointly with his legislative dnties. The item £210, advertising and printing, is certainly a very large amount, but then, it must be recollected, there are two newspapers published . in the County, and they are owned by the Mayor of Queenstown, with Mr H, Manders as the presumed editor ; why the accountsfor advertisingasdprintingaresolarge.needs no further explanation. Office and stationery, at firat sight, does appear an immense item, but in thig is included che salaries of the Chairman, Clerk, and Inspector of Works. Election expeuses, assessment, &c, £350, includes the valuator and collector's salary, so that, after all, the grand total, £1260, is not an excessive amount for the gross expenditure of the County Council, and I question very much if any other similar body can be worked aC a less expense, unless the uhairman gives his services gratuitously. If members for ridings require nothing for their services, and travel many miles to the place of meeting, it is reasonable to suppose that the Chairman should do the same. Of course, any gentleman occupying that position in a County Council will occasionally be put to expenses outside of the duties connected with his office, and it is right thtt he should be recouped. A direct vote for moneys thus actually expended might be, perhaps, better than a standing salary. However, we may congratulate ourselves that, for services rendered, we are not paying beyond the legitimate value. Still, the question, are all these services necessary 1 is by no means solved. The only way out of the difficulty is by an amalgamation of Counties, and a very general opinion prevails that, were Lake and Vincent Counties blended together, much public good would result, while the expenditure of one County would, in respect of management, suffice for both. As at present constituted, County Councils in interior districts represent too small an interest to be influential bodies, and this ia especially noticeable in respect to those of Lake and Vincent. Aconsiderable number of Chinese have been leaving us during the last fortnight, bound home for the Flowery land, the whole of them take away as the result of their savings sums varying between £100 and £600, and some perhaps more. The Chinese difficulty, or rather question, is a difficult problem to be solved, and the more experience we have of it, the more difficult does it become. Individually, I have given the subject a very great deal of consideration, and the only conclusion I can come to is that, unless we do as the Chinese do themselves, we shall never get over it, or rather we shall never get over the Chinese. The truth is that the

Mongolian strangers contest the ground with us upon our merits, and they win, by the exercise of virtues which we fail to apply. It is all very well to style them heathens and semi-savages, but close observation proves this to be a popular error. In a theological sense they may perhaps be heathens. Still, their moral conduct proves them' to be no worse tfean the majority of so called Christians ; they are most scrupulous in the observance of all their religious rites, are strongly bound by the ties of kindred, and possess an inordinate love of home ;. there is not more thanoneinadozenwhodoes not read and write, while they settle most of their difficulties equitably amongst themselves. They are frugal and industrious, and thoroughly understand the principles of co-operative and united labour ; they assist en another in distress, and generously lend to each other in the carrying out of any enterprise or speculation. Thus it usually happens that when a Chinaman desires to clear out for the Flowery Land, it takes some time for him to gather in' his money, which may be distributed about long distances apart. For instance, a Chinaman engaged "Backing" goods at Macetown may have money lent to a gardener at Cromwell or Queenstown, besides loans to mining parties at the Shotever and Cardrona, while he may also have a portion of his capital lodged in the hands of some of his countrymen engaged as storekeepers or merchants. Their money, as a rule, appears to be mostly invested somehow or another. So far as I can learn, there arenumerous small and profitable investments in China which these people can engage in when possessing Bumi from" £100 and upwards, and which they appear eager to save money for to embrace,' family ties and the love of home doubtless influencing them -in this direction. In the matter of daily hbour, the Chinese are not so very far behind their European contemporaries ; and a well disciplined Chinaman, ■ in most all ordinary occupations, is not to be deapised. As a rule, in very hard slogging work they are not up to the European, but there are exceptions, and I have observed cases where John has, been the best man, even with a long-handled shovel. Very laborious labour does not suit them generally, but they willmake up for very many deficiencies by close ' application, and the fable of the "hare and the tortoise " is repeated over and over again. A friend of mine, a stonemason, and who has had a Chinaman working for him for some months past, assures me that he finds John a most exemplary hodman, and he has served three masons with mortar and material at one time, a work which few Europeans would do. Generally speaking, Chinese earn from one to two shillings less per day than Europeans, but'this is in consideration of their being slower workmen, and not because of any insufficiency in the quality of their work. In cases where patience and diligence combined are required, Chinese labour, I am almost .ashamed to acknowledge, is rather preferred. It is not likely that the Chinese will supersede us in every kind of labour, still they' must do so in a numbsr of instances, and while they are admitted into the country with the same freedom as other people, there is no way out of the difficulty than to fight it ,out ' upon its merits. J Clap-trap, or treating the Mongolian as an inferior being, will avail nothing, and while he continues to be a com-, petitor in the labour market, we have ,no ! means of defence but the use iof .ttiei same weapons by which we are assailed. In I laborious occupations they have even been known to excel. For instance, there for some time resided a* Clyde a Chinaman engaged as striker to a blacksmith. ' In the use of the heavy hammer scarcely any European could equal him, while his love of brandy was such that he would, drink >off . a tumbler full at a single draught and resume his. work again' without any apparent effect. Now, this was a case where strength, dexterity, and! a high state of civilisation were combined' : and what 'objections could be urged against this' particular Chinaman? or was he a worse heathen than many of his Caucasian neighbours, who rashly jump at, conclusions before making themselves thoroughly acquainted with the facts of a case. , .