LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1810, 30 July 1886, Page 16

LAKE COUNTY.

(From Our Own Correspondents.)

July 26. — While nearly the whole of the colony stands aghast at the doings of one County Council, and whileitsmisdeedsare broughtbefore the council of the nation, the ratepayers themselves stand calmly by, awaiting developments. When a question was asked the Premier whether he intended to take any steps to correct the eccentricities of Lake County council, he replied he hoped the ratepayers would be public spirited enough to take legal steps to have them remedied. Never was mortal more mistaken. Public spirit m Lake County, as has so often been shown m these letters, is completely demoralised by the prevailing depression, and the members of the County Council are the true reflex of those whom they represent. It seems that so long as the ratepayers pay the taxes, and the council does away with the money, no matter how, every body is satisfied, and such an inconvenience as a note book is quite superflurous to their peace of mind. Rabbitorial. — The Rabbit Act appears to afford a wide field for the display of the ingenious. A squatter Mr I. Butement, holding 115,000 acres of land at the head of Lake Wakatipu, employs four men to do battle upon the rabbits, whereas he should employ at least twenty men, according to the acreage. Naturally enough the rabbit inspector, Mr W. Miller junior, remonstrated, and some friendly correspondence, bridging over two or three months, was exchanged, with, however, no effect upon Mr Butement or the rabbits, except that bunny went on increasing his numbers as if nothing had happened, m open defiance of the law. Ultimately the flow of rabbitorial persuasion failing the inspector, he invoked the aid of the Rabbit Act and proceeded against the obdurate squatter by summons. At the hearing at Queenstown m June last, Mr Butement asked for an adjournment— which meant another mouth's indulgence of bunny's provoking felicity — because he had had no time to " procure witnesses," and the adjournment was granted. When at last the day came for hearing the adjourned case, Mr Butement, who had had a whole month to produce his witnesses, pleaded " guilty." The Wakatipu Mail makes a calculation, showing how by getting out of employing sixteen additional " poisoners " for four months, Mr Butement saves m a round sum £600. Thus it will be seen that rabbits can be made to pay, if only you know how to go about it. A variety of morals is to be drawn from this nice little game, but hoping that Mr Butement and his neighbours, including the Crown, will not be put about m any way by the use bunny has made of his four months respite, it must suffice to point out that justice is too slow m this district, and that monthly courts are a farce m more ways than one. Valedictory.— -On Sunday evening last, after the usual service held m the Queenstown Presbyterian Church, a very pleasing ceremony was enacted, which took the form of a presentation to Mr G. M. Ross, who is leaving the,district, of a gold watch and chain, made by the congregation m recognition of the services rendered for a long number of years to the church by the recipient. Theßev.D. Ross, who handed Mr Ross the watch and chain, accompanied the presentation with a few feeling and well-chosen remarks. Seasonable. — Very severe frosts have prevailed now for nearly a fortnight, converting all the dams and ponds m the district into skating rinks, which are liberally patronised by the unemployed, whose number is much increased by the severity of the weather. Of course there are people who growl at this state of things, but it is difficult to please everybody, and to and to show the accommodating nature of our climate, I need only mention that while a dozen ladies and gentlemen disported themselves — though sometimes sitting down rather unexpectedly, of course only to tighten a skate, or to test how hard and strong the ice was — upon a pond m one field, an industrious farmer not many fields off, was harvesting his second

crop of oats for this season. Surely Italian climes could not do more to please. And yet there are people who growl. Amusements. — An entertainment given at the Queenstown Townhall last week, m aid of the convent schools at Queenstown, drew a crowded audience, who highly enjoyed and justly applauded the intellectual bill of fare, consisting of a concert and comedy, which added a material quota to the funds of the school, the amount of which has not yet transpired.