KAITANGATA. , j (FROM OUR OWN CORRESSPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1586, 15 April 1882, Page 13

KAITANGATA. , j (FROM OUR OWN CORRESSPONDENT.)

' '' ■ , April 12th. j Harvesting ' operations, and 'indeed everything iii tho sHape of outdoorwork', have' been suspended in, thii district for the last few idays,' owing to tholrainj Eor; three ■. days jt came dpwn steadily/, drenching everything. I have not yet hoard of any gr,cat damage] being done pthor than ,the stoppage' of work, though ih'at, ,1 daresay,' will; represent a considerable loss, espocially-to tho farmers' who have not 'got all theiij crop in' the stack, ,6v those \yho are busy threshing,] ano^., wh;o are compelled to -maintain their men,,al-| though no work can bo done. However, the weathers has now cleared up, although the ground-will be too soft toadmit 'of .much' work 1 being dime 'for a day oij two.! Besides .putting, autop to, all iWfijrk, ■ the wet ..weather has also prevented .all [but the,,most enthu^i-| ,astic sportsmen troubling,, the ,ducks for,, the > last} fewj day's. Since 'the opening day pf thfe season I hav'6 n'oi heard of , any g'obd' bags being 1 made ; indeed, every, body declares that the birds 1 are so'wild : that thero it rid getting withina - an«e of them.- J cixi > l-<> L'..Dhe.'Coal'tuade Beonsto, bd improving, but anothei trouble comesjnow.inithe shape of a. want ft irailwaj > waggons. ' There seems to be] spine .difficulty niobtaining ißese-jat least I Hear that orders' for coal are plentiful] but'eah'not be filled' for' want of trucks. 1 'Lee us hope that that'wbn!t be a drawback long, for the; miners, hero haye had a;ve,ry poor season's work, and it certainly cannot be to the interest of the Company that the mine should be iclle,so much. ' I fancy that if thing's aon't' improve v,e'ry sooft the dividends will dwindle down to' a very low amount, if, indeed, the carrying-on ' of op'eratibnsin; the manner they have ' been for some months past does not rosult in a decidecj loss, which would be a .misfortune. I hear, all,- the tradespeople I, speak' with , complainjng about,, the dullness of, , the times , and, tho. diiHculty they^nd ii| gathering"' in their' account's 1111 11; 1 so 'that thoy, t'o'6, feel the 'pressure of the dulj' season In' the 'coal, trade! Finally, the miners continue toileave— one or itwo • every littlo while; so that if things keep, on as they are for .only aißhqvtjtime longer there wpn/t bcenougtt ,hands left to sufficp for a.iy very largo trade. There must be about 30 men less here than' there were three ot'fbur'mo'htfys a'go,' which! will, for one thing, make 'it pretty ' Heavy for 1 the men.ieft'to v&y the' sum 'giiaranteed to the doctor, i However, when things are lat their worst they jalways mbnd. Let us hope that point ,has ( heen reached by the .Kaitangata, coal trade.' ,' ,'■ ( ' ' ', ' , f ' :i The steamer Jane', which has, I 'understand, been engaged dredging 1 up'the ; river for some time past^has been lying at one of the jotties here for over a weeld the gold found not having i been isuflicient to pay expenses. The men are busily employed dismantling ihe little vessel of the dredging (machinery, and putting her in trim 'for the trip round to' Dunedin, whither 1 1 believe it is, intended to .take her. Ana thus has ended another attempt to despoil 'the Glu'tha of- the gold it is supposed to contain— a result to .bo deplored, because not only,rnUßt there,, huve. been *a heavx.loss incurred by the enterprise., but it will, tend to .'make ,ttis,, means, of 'inv i esting"cap.ital unpopular amongst ' those, who' nave' money 1 16 Invest; nobody caring! to 'sink cash in what'is likely to be an 'un profitable'enterprise.;' ■ .'.■-> :»!•. ,> a |