LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1834, 14 January 1887, Page 16

LAKE COUNTY.

Januabt 10.— Iu view of the utter incapacity for business, and the most culpable carelessness to the interest of the ratepayers, the Bank of New Zealand has ait last put a stop to being made a party to nefarious transactions of our county council by diotating clear terms which cannot be misunderstood. The manager of the, Queenstown branch has intimated that all moneys due as subsidy on rates must go towards the reduction of the overdraft, and that no cheques will be met when the overdraft exceeds £2500. Comment is unnecessary. But it may be mentioned that Mr Wesley. Turton, the county solicitor, pointed out that since the new act came inta force the overdraft will have to be bquared at the end of every financial year— viz., 31st March— or it not, the deficiency will have to come out of succeeding year's advance, and that the overdraft, contracts, and other engagements an^ liabilities must not exceed the council's income on that day. How far all this will go to act as a check upon the council remains to be seen. The direct effect so tar has been that the council has adopted the Local Bodies' Loans Act, and it can hardly be expected that this step will imbue the councillors with any wisdom or business knowledge, while it .opens a new door to those qualities which are the very opposite, and for which they are so well and con.spicuously known all over the province, and even beyond it. In spite of all that has been said by, che auditor and the council's solicitor on the illegality of paying the travelling expenses of members who reside within a few yards of the council chambers, the practice is allowed to go on. The scramble for the spoil amongst tho councillors is a most despicable and pi tiaole exhibition, as it conveys the idea of privileged paupers preying upon the ratepayers' .funds. Practically the councillors dismissed all their daymen bat one, under , the plea of retrenchment, allowing the roads of the county to take care of themselves, while a member of the council — even though he should reside only a few yards from the council chambers — is allowed 'two or three guineas a day for his attendance. No wonder all sorts of questionable practices crop up and thrive under such a state of affairs. The manner in which the present chairman had his salary voted for bis current term' of office is also deserving of a few remarks. At the late election of chairman a salary at the rate of £100 was voted him until the new act shall come into force, but learning that the council could vote their chairman a salary for two whole terms of office nnder the old act, a special meeting was called for the purpose of rescinding the motion voting the salary and substituting one voting the whole amount for the full term of office, instead of fer two months, at the rate of £100 per year. The only effect that the strong letter written by Mr Livingston, a copy of which you will no doubt publish elsewhere, had on the council was to induce them to pass a resolution authorising the chairman to inquire after the missing vouchers specified in the letter. It does not seem to have struck these sapient councillors that the police would have been the parties to whom to confide such an inquiry. In the discussion which took place after the reading of the letter it transpired that the late clerk had free access to the council's offices for two or three mouths after his dismissal.

The Special Audit. — After many days of unremitting toil, Mr Batkin, who has been working daily icom 8 o'clock in the morning and often till 10 and 11 o'clock at night, hopes soon to be able to lay a full and succinct statement, of the Lake County Council before the Gevernment. The accounts and books of the county were iv the most confused muddle, and some startling disclosures may be expected when the auditor's report is made public.

A Case of Stepmother. — While on his way to Moari Point one hot day last week, Mr John Brown', of Macetown, met a little waif about 10 years old, half-way between Bell's accomodation house and the Saddle, Skipper's road, bare headed and with her little toes sticking through her well-worn boots. Such a wayfarer upon one of our most bleak and desolate mountain tracks, and in such an unprotected condition against the blazing heat, naturally led to the little one being questioned as to who she was, where she came from, where she was going to, &c, to which she answered that her father was working for Mr Nicol (Mr Nicol, of the Moari Point Quartz Reef), and that she was going to meet her mother at Arthur's point. Unlikely as it was that such a mite shamld be allowed to make such a journey alone, and without a covering for her head, with the thermometer at 120deg in the sun, she yet told her story with so much self-possession that Mr Brown was induced to let her proceed. It subsequently appeared that the little thing had been sent out by her stepmother at Moari Point for firewood, and as many strong limbed men had failed in such a mission, it will not be surprising that this little girl did not succeed much better. Afraid to return without the wood, she went oat amongst the mountains in search of her mother. Providence guided the little one's steps to Mr Lewis Miller's farm, in the opposite direction to Moari Point, where she arrived towards evening weary, hungry,, footsore, and with her face blistered by the scorching heat of the sun, after some eight or ten hours' tramping/ Mrs Miller, than whom there is not a kinder 'soul alive, at once attended to the wants of her little guest from the hills, who had thus found a true mother. But scarcely refreshed and not half rested, her father appeared and insisted upon the little thing walking back with him to Moari Point at once. Next day about midday the unfortunate girl turned up at Mr Bell's, having left her home a second tune. ' The child, who is described as intelligent, and unusually circumspect and self-ieliant for her age, showed signs of having been illtreated in the most revolting miQß&i aad p&rfefes wbb fcavb e&a the irtfar J&

'speak df.telring^s^epf.^lotiiaye "the* cue iayestfT* -gated by %he jjiroper/authorities^ failing wblchi the police' of the district wilj, certainly be wantin their duty if they 3b' noV make searching inquiries into the matter on their own responeibility. ► - • • , < ,-. , " - ... ,-.-;; La&e , CpoNrr Jockbt Clcb Meet.-t-As usual, this event was marked with fine if rather hot weather, and when it is stated that" £2()08 was passed through 'the totalisator on the two' days ib will be seen that, considerable interest was taken in the events. A detailed account ot the running having been famished by telegrapb.it will be found in the sporting columns of this week's Witness. ' ' ? -

Bush Fibes at Skifpebsand Hbad of Lake Wakatipu.— After subduing the fir« which broke out on the claim of the Pha»ix , Extended Company afc Skippers reef b, another '. oae is reported from another part of Skipper's •< creek, the exact extent of»!which is not yet known. On Saturday last still-another of these awful devastations broke out" at the Head of Lade, Wakatipu, where, for, large tracts the hills are covered with v*lus>ble red birch and totara . trees, from the water level of the lake and streams to an elevation of nearly 3000 ft. Conflicting accounts as to the txtentof.the oon-. flagration and the amount.pf the damage done are circulating, and it will' probably be some days before reliable information is to .hand. ' .