LAKE COUNTY. (from our own correspondent)

Otago Witness, Issue 1704, 19 July 1884, Page 11

LAKE COUNTY. (from our own correspondent)

JuUl2. Election Matters are becomirg comp icitod by Mr S. N. iJrown.&f the Cromwell Argus, announcing hitnt>ulf as a candidate at the eleventh hour. Umter any ordinary circumstances ho would have boon a very likely candidate ; but when he comes ' forward after fre candidates in the fl -Id have aonounoe/i their p'atform, atid the ekctDr9, to a great extent, lw o pledged ihetuselvf s, the queries a3 to hii motive are difficult to autwer. Mr Brown must be credited with sufficient penetration to sou that by bis candidature ha makes the ra Urn of Mr Hornsby almost a certainty- an evontuadty that is considered by ever> thinking el-.ctor as nothitg shorty of a public misfortur c. Last Monday bight Mr Fergus openod his campaign at Arrowtown, when about 20 ) electors and others assembled to greet | htm with a most cordial welcome. Although Mr j Fergus had to address the electors fiom his chair, he inado a very good impression, and brought himself thoreugh'.y en rapport with his audience, as the deep attention and the frequency and loudness of the applause abundantly tcstifi d. Tho speech was statesmanlike and powerful, and delivered with great verve. After referring tohia position— physical as well »s private—pointing out the fact that bis Tasocanian contract would expire early next year, and that during the paab law cor stitaents had suffered nothing by his four montha' absonce— and not eight, as hrd beeu stated— he referred to the past session, explaining the position ot the political piriiej. lie epDke of the depression,' attributing it to tho low prices ruling at Home in the wool and grain market j; injudicious immigration also had something to do with it. As a remedy, he suggested tho establishment of manufactutca of all the ftftic es of local consumption whl. h cou'.d be loc.iliy prodtreed. He mentioned tha growing mipoitance ol the frceen meat trade as capable of much development. He was opposed to tho sale of pistoial country mlirge blocks,and was iufavour of retrenchment lv every directcin, to tongas it had na inj uriousreacMon upon tho weltbeing of tne Colony as a wh-i;e. Tae pension system had quite outgrown the capabilities of the Co ony, and required a faharp control. He waa strongly opposid to ihe 'etbiug 6r making of iaihv>ya by'-largc ejmpariies, as they m'ght be:ou>e a pjv.or injurious co tho weltare of ttte Colony. He thought that federation would )>iaco the Colonies upon a sounder ba^is iban they haa at present, bus there was uo need tj hasten on ffderati'n. The above wure tho leading features ot Mr Fergus' speech, *h cv wai devoid of alt cant and claptrap. It wa manly and sto-iijhif ;rvvard, und the ihttering rec>puon it met with W4S well ih served. In answer to question*, Mr' Fergus s^t J thn-C ho watt oppose! Co titbit -rtauing in tchcols or altering the preteat education system in its leading principles. Ho was opposed to the financial teparatiou of the North and South Inlands ; ho was in favour ot the abolition cf the gold duty .in j tho reduction of tho pri c of minerb' right', aud mining leabes. He would u*:e hia utmost cnueavours to proeecu'e tho Otauo Central railway. After having ansuoted question's ot minor iuipoit, a voto of confidence was pro}iosLd by Mr Graham, seconded by MrR. Piitohatd, and unit inously carded. Tho Usual courtt6y to the chairman, Mr H. Is. Smith, Mayor ol Arro-vtowu, closed one of the moat enthusiastic meetings over held at Arrowtown.

Crime. — l'here has boen quite a plethora of pet:y Jarceuy caLes and an incenonry firo in tLii district, which crimes may be read as a ti^n of thu times A man with several ali. s s was captured in lather an ingenious way by Constable ii>>lt aS Qiieenstown, who has distinguished himself in .many clever seizures in this and other district?. The culprit charged with larceny of soincwearing apparelbelonging to Mr VV. Davis, contractor, at Cardrona road. Another man, also with a long string ot aliases and several convictions against him, ia in custody for incendiarism at Airow River An inquest into the circumstances of tho fire vt ill be htld on Monday next. Rabbits. — A most determined ons'aught upon bunny has been going ou, for the patt few montha in this district, and the result is that tho pess is on the decrease I have it en the authority cf a competent judge— perhaps the most competent in tho district— that it can, with a united effort, be kept in check, and although the tax is a heavy one upon the sheepfarmer, the reßult justifies the outlay. With such an outlook there is Home fear that the same compla nt which was made in Paris during the siege about tho rats will apply in this district with respect to the rabbits—namoly, that there are not enough of them for some people. ELECroitAii Roll. -The now electoral roll will be publibhed early next week, and bhow a slight increase in numbers, the amount being 1820, as against 1747 in 1881.