LONGRIDGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 953, 25 April 1889, Page 16

LONGRIDGE.

April 20.— We cannot, like our Northern brethorn, boast that we secured our harvest without a shower, for we have had several decidedly heavy falls of raia since harvest commenced. By March 23 the bulk of the crops were cut, but very little had been stacked. ( On that day it began to rain and continued showery for three days. Following this we had* a fortnight of fine warm sunshiny days with heavy dews of a morning but; with little drying, bo that ' stacking proceeded slowly. It was, however, grand weather for threshing, and was taken full advantage of by those who were ready.' There are four mills at work, the price per 100 bushels being 6s and 6s 3d. The yield is not up to 'the usual average except, in a< few instances. The enhanced .value of the grain, however, more than compensates farmers for the small yield. The yield would have been greater but for the'bigh winds which prevailed during the first three weeks of Maroh. Many farmers are holding a considerable proportion of their crops in anticipation of higher prices ruling a few months hence. So far deliveries of grain at our siding have been bmalU but they are everyday growing greater, and already the usual cry of scarcity of trucks is heard. ■ WJUMEA'PiaiNS Railway.— Our Farmers' Club lately petitioned the Commissioners., of Railways to, have the tariff on the Waimea Plains railway reduced to the same level as that of the adjacent Government lines. I make the following extract from the reply received i— " The commis : sioners recognise that the rates on the Waimea line are higher than on the adjacent lines, but bearing in mind the conditions under which the branch railways were acquired by the Government— one condition being that the deficiency of railway revenue was to be made up by a rate levied on tbe property in the district— the commissioners do not under the circumstances see that they can assume the responsibility of lowering the, rates, unless with the sanction and by direction of the legislature." We in our simplicity had thought the railways were to be wrought entirely free from political control. Judging from the above such 1b apparently not to be the case.