KAITANGATA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 13

KAITANGATA.

(from our own correspondent.)

March 14th.

By an unfortunate mistake my letter for last week's issue was not posted in time, so that I shall be obliged to recapitulate a little, even at the risk of my news being considered stale. On Thursday, 2nd inst,, the newly-elected Licensing Committee met for the first time, in the Athenasum. Mr W. M, Shore was appointed Chairman, and the 'ommittee proceeded to consider the application of Mr William Pine for a transfer of the license for the Jetty Hotel, held by Mr John Walker. The police objected to the transfer beintr granted, alleging that the applicant had lately been convicted of selling liquor without a license, that he had been convicted of allowing drunkenness in a licensed house kept by him, and that he was a person unfit to keep a hotel by reason of his intemperate, quarrelsome habits. Mr Stewart, of Balclutha, appeared in support of the application ; but all his eloquence and legal knowledge failed to induce the Committee to grant the transfer, and the decision has met with the unqualified approval of all the residents in the township-at least so far as" I have heard no voice hag been raised against It. The hotel has obtained a new landlord In the person of Mr Thomas Stephens, who will most likely obtain at least a temporary transfer of the license till the annual licensing meeting. Mr Stephens having hitherto been one of the most respected residents, I trust that •n his new vocation he may not forfeit the respect he has 5.6 far enjoyed. , . The next item which I have to notice is one different and much more pleasing to me 'than hotel business, On Mouday, 6th inst., the choir of the Balclutha Weslejan Church gave an excellent rendering of the service of song, " Uncle Tom." The Rev. Mr Gray gave the connective readings In a decidedly superior manner, which contributed in no mall measnre to the success of the entertainment. Che hall, generously given for the occasion by Mr Gr,ay, was crammed by a very appreciative audience, who were all highly pleased, many having since expr,esse4 the wish that they might, come back again doom . llfl If they do there is certain to be, if anything, a >ette'r nouse. The entertainment was for the benefit of the building fund of the local Wesleyan congregation, i I have not heard the amount realised, but there should be a considerable sum after paying all necessary expenses ; so that in no yery long time there will be a Wesleyan 'church in Kaitangata. The dite, a conveniently central one, has been secured already, and the congregation is rapidly growing — racts which are almost entirely owing to the energy au'd ability and devotion to the work of his ministry shown by the minister in charge, of the extensive Balclutha circuit (the Rev. Mr Gray) and hiß predecessor (the Rev. Mr Buttle). The weather for the best part of the last fortnight has been all that could be desired, consequently our farmers are mostly all very busy with their harvesting. The crops, for tbe most part, are very good indeed, and if, as is expected, prices reach » fair limit, farmers will be able to recover a little from the offects of several seasons' low prices, which is a circumstance earnestly to be desired by all who have the country's welfare at heart. The new bridge over the creek is finished at lastill except spreading the metal on the approaches, a job that won't take long once it is started, all the motal being broken and lying just alongside. The new bridge will bo a decided convenience, as the old one has become very dangerous, especially to drays xoing over with anything of a heavy load; but improvement though it is, it might easily have been made more so. By a little oversight of the engineer who laid out the work, it has not been thrown across the stream in a straight line with tbe street, but crosses it at a slight angle, thus making a nasty corner fco be turned, going to or coming' from the railway-atation-a fact which is to be regretted. The mistake has been made, however, and can never be righted ; but it should serve to make our county engineer more careful with the next work of the kind. At all events, he will be reminded of the obliquity of his sight every time he comes to Kaitangata. I am sorry to say trade in the coal line has not improved, nor does it show many signs of improvement, tho miners only working about half time. Surely this is a state of matters that admits of some little remedy. No doubt the heavy railway freight hinders the development of the coal trade, but I am afraid that, outside of that, the high price charged for the coal prevents it being more largely used. I have heard that in Balclutha, only some six or seven miles away, the price is about 22s per ton ; while coal from Wangaloa, four or five miles farther, and by a very bad road, can be drayed to the same place and sold for 18s. Not a very satisfactory state of matters that, and I suppose it will be much the same all over. What with the Nightcaps on the one side, and Shag Point and Green Island, as well as the Westport coal pouring into Dunedin, and the numerous local niinea being opened up all over the country, Kaitangata will soon have no trade at all if the prices are not such as to allow of the coal competing with that from other places. Certain it is that the present dull time must tell on the next dividend of tbeCompany, as well as on the miners, who must depend on the wages they earn. To my certain knowledge many of them have a very hard struggle to make both ends meet, and it is impossible for them to do so without tho utmost economy. Tho township is about as dull just now as if some great calamity had happened lately. Many men are leaving for other places where work is more constant, and they cannot bo blamed. It is to bo hoped that those who direct the aff'irs of tho local Company may take such measures as shall prevent tho trade being extinguished altogether, and instead of allowing such a calamity to happen, extend it indefinitely, for it is to the coal trado that Kaitangata is chiefly indebted for its existence as a township ; if it fail, there will not bo a very large population here long. I sincerely hope things will soon mend, for this dull trade is hard on the miners, hard on a 1 ! tradesmen, and it cannot be very advantageous to the shareholders of the Kaitangata Coal Company.