LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1971, 29 August 1889, Page 16

LAKE COUNTY.

August 26.— As was expected, the people.of Arrowtown promptly accepted as a casut belli the attack made on their hospital by the borough councillors of Queen>tov>n through their mayor. So the last issue of the local paper contained a lengthy letter contro* verting the statements made by the Queenstownites. The letter also bristled with a formidable array of figures purporting to explain the domestic economy, &c. of the respective institutions. As the figures referred to may be of some interest to neutral observers they are given here with the words that accompanied them:— "By comparing the figures in Dr Macgregor's last year's report on the hospitals of the colony, I find that in the Arrow Hospital there were 92 patients treated at a cost of £590, and that in the Franktou Hospital 97 were treated at a cost' of £963. Thus the Frankton institution has cost the sum of £373 in excess of that of Arrow, having but five extra patients to locate." Further on the flgurer says : — " In the item alone ot rations, fuel, and light we find that no less a sum than £336 13s 6d has been expended by Frankton, while for the same items only £140 8s Id has been spent by the Arrow institution for the year, the excess for Frankton being £196 5s 5d." Tour correspondent being one of the neutral observers, he gives the foregoing figures without making liny comment, beyond venturing the opinion that ib looks very like a victory for the Arrow combatants so far at any rate. 1 1 is admitted, of course, that the issues of a war nowadays are exceedingly uncertain ; so that it is quite on the cards that the Commander-in-chief may yet rally his forces and return to the assault with renewed vigour.

Not Yet.— lt appears we are not to lose our present representative just yet. Whoever was the inventor of the rumour, he has done us a sjood Bervice in the way of giving us an opportunity of knowing that there are in our very midst more than on© disinterested and patriotic individual, not only willing but sole— in their own opinion, at least— to boldly step into the breach, and thu3 save us from becoming extinct politically. We are therefore duly grateful to all who concerned themselves about our welfare.

Fish, Oh I—Privilege1 — Privilege ' o net trout in Lakes Wakafcipu, Hayes, and WaiJrti i were submitted at auction in Queenstown on Satu.driy last. Competition for the sections was not nearly bo keen this year as usual, the highest price given for 8 section being £10, as against £18 last year. There was no bid at all for those on the Wanaka.

Football.— A. return match is arranged between the junior clubs of Queeostown and Arrowtown, and will take place shortly on the ground of the firstmentioned club. Both sides are goinj; in forconstant practice, so that a well-contested battle is anticipated. Weather —The weather has been very cold and changeable during the past week— rain, frost, and Bnow alternating. It is Bnowing to-day, with every appearance of a heavy fall, even on the low lands, and, of course, hard froist is almost sure to follow, for a time at least. This will be a pifcy, for it will have the effect of putting all out-oi-door work back again.

(Fkom Another Correspondent.)

Waking Up.— Mr L. O. Beale has been appointed to assist the local staff in the work ol surveying the many social claims recently marked off for dredging purposes. At the last Arrow Court the -warden made a remark to the effect that be had Bpoken to one individual connected with the office, who had promised not to let his work get into arrears again. If bbc staff is not equal to the work to be done, then Government should increase it; if, on the other hand, the delayß so much complained of are due to dilatoriness, then the deliuquents should be reminded that there are plenty of other good men ready to do the required work. Housn Warming.— Great improvements are going on in the building line at Qlenorchy. Amongst the rest, Mr P. H. M'Conachy has been enlarging his domicile. On the 16th he had a home warming, which was numerously attended. Dancing waß the feature of the evening's entertainment, and this was kept up till daylight. Ihe family are evidently self-reliant, as, it may be noted, Mr P. H. M'Oonachy was the host, Mr G. M'Conachy the M.C., and Mr JD. M'Corjachy supplied the music. Accident.— Mr Martin Birch seems to be rather unfortunate. On the 16th he lost three valuable horses A man of his named Jasperson was using five horses to sleigh down coal from his mine ac Coalpit Gully, Cardrona. Shortly after leaving the pit Jasperson " remembered that ho had forgotten something," and leaving tho animals for a few seconds he returned along the track. Hardly had he turned his back when the horses began to move. Tho conjequence.wp.a that they brought the aledgeeo close to the edge of the steep bank that it slipped over and dragged the horses with it, the whole lot falling and rolling a distance of some 40ft into the creek below. You may picture the confused mass they would represent. One horse waa killed in the fall, two were drowned, and the remaining two were hurt so badly that it ia doubtful if they will be of any future use. Birch puts his loss down at £120, the sledge and harness being also ruined. Impobtamt to Business Mbn.— The GrahamShaoahan case cannot fail to interest business men. It would of course be out of place to comment on the merits of the case ; but I might point out the strange position in which Graham was placed by the E.M'a. decision, in the case of Shanivhan v. Graham. Graham produced receipts (one witnessed by his son) from Shanahan for the sums Shanahan sued for, but Shanataan. denied that he signed said receipts. Ihe presiding magistrate (Mr J. S. Hickson) gave a verdict for Shanahan, and stated his belief that the signatures -were not Shanaban's. Graham then laid an information for perjury Sgainst Shanahan, and, as briefly stated last week, Mr Wood, R.M., committed Shanahan for trial. What I wish to point out to business people, in view of the decision of Mr Hickson, is that it must be very desirable to get a reliable man to witness the signature of any man who there is any reason to think would, under a favourable opportunity, deny his own handwriting. I informed you by telegram that Mr Solomon (for the prosecution) subjected Mr Hickson (who heard the cross-actions between Graham and Shanahan) to a very critical examination. He characterised Mr Hickson'e action na " monstrous" in showing

the receipts in question to bis clerk at Clyde and Mr Wingfield (bank agent at Alexandra) for their opinion as to the hona fides of the signatures. Building Improvements. — At Pembroke the new manse is being built, while the post office is about finished— and a very good job is being made of it. Post aland Telephonic— The foregoing suggests another item. The post office is to be opened under the charge of Mr O. Pierce, of Cromwell. The residents of Wanaka rejoice now that the office is to b6 removed into the hands of a regular official. Great dissatisfaction was caused by the fact that all telegrams had to pass through the hands of a business man, who, in some cases, was a rival business man. There is the same show of dissatisfaction at the prospect of the new telephone at Cardrona being placed in the hands of the same firm at Cardrona, it being thought that the schoolmaster would make a neutral officer. The only objection to the appointment is 'that the appointee is a business man, and that both at Pembroke and Cardrona there are other business men who- consider it gives a competitor an undue advantage to sen every telegram they may send to a wholesale house or upon any buslnesi transaction with the outside world. Lake County Boring Bods.— For audacity commend me to some of the members of the Lake County Council. At the last meeting ing complaint wbb made that someone had informed the authorities that the boring rods were not suitable for the purpose for which they were required, and therefore Govarnmentrefused to grant a subsidy on the amount of the purchase. That " someone" (who, by the way. I think, was "no one ') was said to be a particularly bad kind of party, and so on. The history of these rods is interesting. It was decided to purchase rods, and an "expert" previously appointed by the council was required to see that the rod* to be purchased were suitable. Bods were purchased, but they were naked rods without tubes, and, as such, were useless. The matter was brought up in the counoil, and some of the members (practical men) remarked en the absence of tubes, and stated the rods could not be got to work without tubes; but they were over-ruled. Then tubes were procured— without, by the way, the council as a body ordering them. Lo 1 when the tubes came to hand they were smaller than the drills that were supposed to work inside then. This was a pretty ' ' how -do - you -do I " Councillors became wrathful. They we re going to sack the expert on the spot, but on second thoughts decided to call him before them at next meeting to give him a chance to clear himself. When the day of the next meeting came the expert was ill, and did not present himself. There the matter ended. Now lam informed that the expert is in charge of the rods, working away as, though nothing had happened. The fact is, a Bection of the council does what it well pleases. A Defence Fund. - Some four or five months ago Or Fox, M.C.C., made statements which Or F, M'Bride has accepted as meaning that he was an interested party in certain county contracts. Cr M'Bride brought the matter before last meeting of the council, when he wished Cr Fox to apologise and it would be all right, but Or Fox steadily refused to eat the leek. Cr M'Bride then wanted Cr Fox to sue him for being interesti-d in a contract, and wound up by giving Cr Fox so many days to do something, but the wily Fox " won't do nothing," beyond saying that he is open to be sued by Cr M'Bride if he feels hiraßelf aggrieved. It is now proposed to establish a defence fund for Cr Fox, and invite Or M'Bride to take his threatened action. Carriers' Licenses. — Licensed carriers in the county "want to know, you know," why a member of the council is allowed to ply for hire without a license.