WAIKAKA VALLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 19

WAIKAKA VALLEY.

July 15.— Bveryone is remarking that the winter is a very good one, and some who have not been careful observers of the weather phenomena are expressing fears that the spring will be bad as a consequence of the fine winter. Cultivated soil is far from being in a saturated 6tate, and new land has received just iuffioient rain to make it easily ploughed , though hillocks still show the want of rain. A considerable area has been ploughed since the beginning of the month. So little rain falls, and so light is the frost that seldom an hour is lost.

Rabbits.— A number of people find remunerative employment trapping and poisoning rabbits, and a very large number of these animala have been destroyed since tbe beginning of winter. The' poisoned oats have been very effeotive. In order to feel satisfied that they are laid in suob. a way that itook will not suffer, some farmer* lay the poiioned oats themselves—but give the rabbiters the privilege of picking up the rabbits. It is not necessary to lay the poUon thickly uor in every place. I have frequently observed that when poisoned oats are thickly laid there are not so many dead rabbits found as when it i* sprinkled thinly. Rabbits are dainty oreatures, and do not like to be surfeited.

A New Hoad.— The road board asked the county oounoil lately to make a road aloog the railway from Waikaka elding to Gordon, in order to shorten the distance to Gore for a large number of ratepayers. I believe the council 1* willing to make the road if the board will contribute something towards its cost. It is most likely that the latter body will do so, seeing that they moved in the matter and since it will benefit all the eett'eri up the Waikaka Valley. Hitherto settlers going to Gore from the valley have had to make a wide detour from the siding, whereas if a road were made along the railway this would be unnecessary. I believe the cost of making the road, whioh will be principally hillside cutting, has been the only obstacle in the way hitherto, but the time has now arrived when this should be overoome. Till* road would be uaed by people living in the districts of Otarla, Gleukenioh, and Wendon, as well as those In this district.

The Byk-law Regulating Loads.— The bye-law of the county council having reierence to this matter is the principal grievance with the farmers at present. One settler was summoned to Tuvercargill last week for baying too much coal on hia dray, and two other farmers were previously summoned from this district and fined. There is no particular objection, however, to the existence of the bye-law, but rather to Its being put into effect when the roads are dry and hard. It has been rumoured for some time that 14 bags of oat* are now the maximum allowed on di-ays whose wheel tires are the customary 2£ln in width, and that only one-ton loads of coal are allowed ou drays of this description. If this is a fact— as we shall soon know, since the counoil has decided to post copies of the bye-laws in conspicuous pUces— thore will probably be a lerious objection raised, as such a restriction would bo ridiculous.

Meetings.— The people of this distriot are not prone to call a publlo meeting to ventilate their grievances, and in this respect they are very like farmers everywhere. There is a religious meeting every Wednesday night in the churoh (occ^sionailv at a private house), but this is about all. True thcra are seven or eight meetings held in the schooth-mse during the year by the School Committee, but oaly seven residents are privileged to af-end these meetings. It miyht be thought that thiß is nnt a very desirable place to live in under such unhappy circumstances, but such does not Beem to be the case a* few are leaving. Belimous.— A few years ago our religion wai somewhat demonstrative -that is to say we w^ro In the habit of frequently holding religious meetings which were occasionnlly of a wc-ok's dun\'i->n, Aiid hence designated revival meetings. But a change has oome over the spi-it of our drer.m during '"'a last two years, and we are now as Btaid as <>Jd c» sjrregatlons. Meetings ;take place new in tlienH 1'"-dox1 '"- dox fashion, and few mention anything hlvut, them to their next door neighbour. There are still a few. however, who deplore this change and lukewarm-

ness, but I have noticed the same thing in other places, and have come to take such thing* in a philosophical spirit. , rt would indeed be a matter for wonder if such a state of things as that which wasmdi- , oated at the beginning of this paragr iph would last . in face of the jealousies and contentions whioh occur in regard to the arrangements jpf the public matteis of a district.