LAKE WANAKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1959, 10 September 1891, Page 19

LAKE WANAKA.

AiBBBTOWN, Sep 1 ember 7.— We have now fairly entered upon spring. The weather is getting warmer, and the days louger. Ploughing operations are proceeding with vigour, and shortly sowiog and harrowiug will follow suit.

A Case of Local Interest. We h<tve just beard that the case Ward and Co. v. Syinons, a claim for £1000 (J) damages in reference to the Maharoia flax mill heard in Chrittchurob, has terminated, the plaintiffs being non-suited on a technical law point. With the exception perhaps of those creditors who have not had their little bills liquidated, this is accepted by the public here with feeling of satisfaction.

Tee Theodore.— The work of raising the ps. Theodore is now completed, and she is high and dry on the beach.g 1 notice that " Resident of Pembroke " in the last Witness detires tee to give more particulars on this point. It is to be regretted that he did not use a little more discretion before rushing Into print, and make inquiries in his neighbourhood In reference to the revelations whioh the public predioted. The fact is that the public at large did not hesitate to state that the steamer wat wilfully sunk. Numbers of circumstances seemed to point to this conclusion. When an unlooked for event like this ocours, especially in country places, the public indulge in no end of speculation from every possible point of view. It seems to be a matter of course that it should be to. Persons who feel aggrieved should accept it with a spirit of resignation when they have no real grievance. The insurance company Beamed to reoogniie the fact that there were suspicious- olrcumBtances, as a constable was told off to watch the vessel, and there was a watchman night and day. However, there is no doubt that the sinking of the Theodore was purely aeoidental, and simply the result of neglect. In order to sink a vessel placed in the Theodore's position, all that was necessary was to bale into her a few tons of water, and every few gallons would make a difference when the bows were hard aground. Goxn&T Day.— Our quarterly court day is just past. It comprised a few cases of more interest than the mual run. John Walsh, of Cardrbna, was fined for poisoning ground and pioklug up rabbits on the Wanaka run without due authority. The fines and cost* amounted.to nearly £5. Mr Walsh explained that the ground was frozen bard so that he could not trap, and the rabbits were coming into bis orchard and barking his fruit and forest trees, and to save the trees from destruction be laid the poison on a rooky, scrubby hillside, where the rabbits sheltered themselves'during the day time. Mr Charles Turnbull, the managing partner, said that he did not ■wish to press the case ; it was only brought forward as s warning, and to give publicity to the new act. Mr Walsh's grievance is a real one, and one that does not stand alone by any means. Potsibly in the future the runholders will recognise this, and poison around the homesteads early in the winter, as it ia rather trying to a settler's nerves to have a horde of rabbits doing a lot of damage on his premises every night. Two other cases were in connection with the flax mill affair. That of George Williams v. H. A. Flatman resulted in a verdict for plaintiff for £9 cash lent and costs. Same v. Ward and Co., a claim for wagesdue, was adjourned to Cromwell, so that the defendants' - evidence could be taken in Cbriatchurch The carriers' license question is not settled yet. Mesßrs Johnston and M'Laughlin's case was adjourned till next court day, to enable them to arrange with the Lake County Counoil in the matter. Mrwood, the 8.M., remarked that these were somewhat hard oases, as the carriers only used about a mile of the Lake County roads, and the county spent scarcely any money on this portion, while the carriers travelled free through 76 miles of the Vincent roads, and some waggons worked in connection with some of the Wakatipu dredges did not pay a license fee, and destroyed the roads very much. Mrs Colgan'i case, for hawking withont a I'oense, was adjourned, as his Worship stated .that he was under the impression that Mrs Oolgan had applied for a license. Three other cases were also heard.

Warden's Court.— Templeton and Scott's application for 50 acres of land each under occupation lioenses excited a large amount of public imprest. Templeton's leleotioa It part of whatislocally known

as Damper Bay paddock and a portion of buih and *£* n? d .. Bd J° in , ln K- Scott's seleotion is opposite to the Chalk bank, whioh is a very sheltered place. Both applications were objected to by Mr Charles iurnbnll, the principal objections being that the ground was required to grow hay for winter con"umptlon, and it was also the stfttioa ram paddock. Mr Bobert M'Dougall also forwarded an objection on behalf of the Progress Committee. This caused a lot of amazement among tbe interested spectators, •once of whom had no knowledge of this body, while others bad forgotten its existence, and nobody remembered when or how it came into existence or who the members were and how long their term of office tatted. Mi M'Dougall on being interviewed shortly afterwards on the matter, undertook to take the sole responsibility of this objection. It will be remembered that some time back Gideon Anderson applied for 50 acres in one of these paddocks, but withdrew his application. Mr Bobert Stewart was then manager, and objected on the grounds that if this were grunted all the flat country would be at onoe pegged < ii and the run would be rendered valueless, and they would be obliged to throw- up the lease, in which case tbe Government would loie the rent — some £400 per je\r — aud be « quired to go to th« expense of rabbiting besides Against, this the Government would not receive £100 in occupation rents. Mr Warden Hickson remarked I hat h« would forward the whole particulars to the Mniater of Lands, but held out no hope of the application being granted, whereupon Mr Anderson withdrew bis application. In the pretent case Mr Wood ieraarked that the Minister of Lands instructed him in similar cases to forward particulars of the whole matter to the Waste LaDds Board and be guided by their decision, and ibe cases would be adjourned to Cromwell accordingly^ Nearly all tbe ploughed ground in these paddocks is now pegged out in the hope that Templeion and Scotl'j application will be granted, when the others will probably be granted also. AMIP3EMHNT3 —Ihe conbert and ball in aid of the Domain Board, or, as it is generally understood, " in aid of the fund* to make tracks and plant trees ou Pigeon Isla, d for tbe benefit mottly of tourists," duly oanoe off in Mr« Bussell's Hall according to advertisement. By the way, it would be a good idea to put a few kiwis and kakapos on these islands in or-3er to preserve them from total extinction by tbe Imported vermin. At the conclution of the concert portion of the programme dancing was entered into with great spirit and terminated at a reasonable hour. Mo»t of the surrounding districts were represf ntef*, even as far away as Cardrona and Qiieecabury.

School Matthrs.— We are to have a change in our tcho^l. Miss Campbell's (the present teacher) resignation appeared in tbe Education Board's report, an<i the vacancy was duly advertised. Only one application came before tbe Kducatl.n Board, which was duly foi warded to the eecret&ry. 'Ihe school committee then met, all the members being present, to consider tbe application; this btingthe only official intimation that the committee received of the approaching change. It was unanimously agreed tbat the application from Mits Bosetta B. King, of Stoneburn, be accepted. Miss King baa extremely satisfactory testimonials, extending over several years, from Palmerston, Dunedin. Waitahuna, and Stoneburn. Miss King will take charge at an early date It will be remembered tha<; Miss Campbell's first examination gave a return of 100 per cent., and g< od Jesuits in the class subjects, which was a gratifying surprise to the committee and parents. Afterwards it was not quite so high, but considered highly satisfactory to the committee. Latterly the people here have not seen much of Miss Campbell, as she has resided at Pembroke, walking the two or three miles backwards and forwards.