ST. BATHANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 22

ST. BATHANS.

February 5.— A wave heat seems to have passed over New Zealand during the early part of last month, St. Bathans coming in for a fair share. The sun was scorching during the day, the nights sultry and oppressive This is a departure from any heat experience of the past. I have often seen the thermometer registering lOldeg in the daytime, but the nights were generally so that you could sleep in comfort with covering over you. The occasional showers of rain that accompanied the heat have made vegetation grow in such a way as has never been witnessed here at any previous time. Kitchen gardens and orchards in the neighbourhood look very promising. A severe tale was experienced throughout the night of the rd, but I have heard of no damage being done. The Crops — Agriculturists seem to be highly pleased with the sunshine and shower of the past, and they have occasion to be so with their crops looking well and their cattle fat and sleek. Pastoral.— The pastoral tenants are not faring so well as the agriculturists, tho rain being a great drawback to shearing, the order of business in the shed being two days work with four of idleness. So much wet will have a depreciating effect upon the wool, through the yolk not being up. Shearing at Blackstone Hill his now extended over two months, and would take 12 days more with dry weather before the cobbler could be put through. One consolation is left for the runho'der— viz., a prospect of good seed and fat sheep for the winter.

Alpim: Cliahhm; —A party of four, with their attendant, consisting of Mr 3 Pyle, Miss Stable, and Messrs Pyle and Royds, started at 5 a.m. on one of the warmest of days last month. The ascent was made as far as practicable on horseback. At this point the party, dismounting, left horse 3 and refreshments under the care of their attendant. From this point the real climbing began ; but the ladies, putting a stout heart to a steep brae, capped the mount in safety. There the toutists were rewarded with the magnificent view that extended before them. Resting for a brief space of time, they then added a few more stones to the cairn, inserting their names on the visitors' board, after which the descent began. Having reached the camp with a good appetite, the inner man (and womau) was refreshed by boiling the billyand havinga draughtof gocdcolonial tea. The party reached home in the evening none the worse for their excursion, with the exception of the ladies, who received a severe burning from the sun, which caused their faces to blister and the skin to peel off in a manner somewhat similar to the way in which the skin peels from a new potato. Scholastic— The Catholic and National schools reopened after six weeks' holidays Miss White, the teacher in the former, took her holi-

days somewhere in the neighbourhood of Lawrence ; while Mr Cowan, the head teacher in the latter, spent a well-earned holiday with his parents in Geelong, Victoria, and to all appearance the trip across the water has greatly benefited him. His pupils have also improved in appearance, a result no doubt attributable to the vacation. They go back to school full of life, energy, and hopes of passing another standard at the end of the year. Political —I notice from time to time letters appearing in your columns, written, no doubt, by partisans of the Minister for Lands, from which it would seem as if they could not say a word in favour of tho Minister without having a fling at our late and much-respected member, Mr Scobie Mackenzie. The writers seem to think— or pretend they think— that Mr Scobie Mackenzie is a mere advocate of capitalists, and is opposed to liberal land laws. There never was a greater mistake, and if they knew our late member as well as we do here they would hold a very different opinion. I have not a word to say against the Minister, and I believe that he is doing what he considers to be the best for settlement ; but lam pretty sure, after a long knowledge of him, that our late member in the sameposition would do every whit as much, if not more, in the interest of small settlement. His opinions have always been in the van of Liberalism, especially on the land question, and a good many struggling settlers in this district are there to testify to tho fact. It would be difficult for any man to carry away with him more of the respect of the miners and small farmers than he does. No man could be more honest and true than he has been, and I am writing what many throughout New Zealand will acknowledge to be true when I say his name will be held in respect throughout the colony, and especially in the district he represented so long in Parliament. In the letters that have appeared from time to time in your columns the writers seem to have overlooked the main feature in the argument— viz , that the purchase of the Pomahaka estate by the Government was done on the eve of a general election and likely to influence voters.

Social. — A debating club has been inaugurated here^ under what appears to be particularly auspicious circumstances, inasmuch as the promoters of the scheme have been rewarded with a long roll of members, and to this can be added the talent of the place. As the debating abilities of the members develop the public may look forward to spending evenings together that will be both highly entertaining and instructive. It is to be hoped that the young men will make special use of the privileges offered by the club. Latent talent may be brought forth that under other circumstances might lie dormant. I wish the club every success.