LAWRENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2152, 23 May 1895, Page 23

LAWRENCE.

May 16.— There has been hardly anything transpiring in this quarter lately worthy of uieation to the outside world. • The Weather.— The weather has at last broken, aud yesterday and to-day is cold and wintry, snow having fallen during the night on the hills close to the town, consequently the roads are becoming, as usual at this time of the year, a combination of slu<ib, mud, and deep ruts. Roads.— The main road from Lawrence to Roxburgh during the winter months is simply a disgrace to any civilised community. The county council have not the fuuds to maintain them and the Government will not vrovide the fuuds. If the county council would take up a decided stand, and refuse to act xinless treated fairly in the matter of main trunk road maintenance, the Government would have to do something. — In one part of th i county during last year four contracts wer« tendered for to make a road up the ■west bank of the Clutha river from Raukleburn towards the Beaumont. Two of these contracts ■were l«t, but as they did not adjoin each other, and the two contracts in the middle were unl«t, the whole work is useless— in fact, from the position of the upper contract and its being: let before the lower ones, the contractor, after clearing the timber and scrub, found he could not get horses and drays and other working plant on to his job, and has virtually abandoned it. The •work that has been done has been carried out \inrier county supervision, the funds beiug provided by the Government ; but until the cont acts are all carried out what has been done ia quite useless for any purpose. Mining.— There is nothiDg of a very startling nature to record. At Greenfield, I understand there are still close on a hundred men working, who apparently mean fettling down for the winter, having built huts and otherwise making themselves as comfortable as circumstances will admit. Those that remain are workmen, who don't extect to make wag«s without working for them.— A very large quantity of mining machinery and timber has anived at the Lawrence railway station during the past few weeks, moat of it being in connection with the new dredge 3 now being erected on different parts of tbe river between Horseshoe Bend and Clyde. There is some talk of a company being formed to put a dredge on a portion of the bed of the Manuherikia river, and I understand, the claim being well and favourably known, the shares are likely to go off without any trouble.— Th>- Beaum-nt Local Co-operative Company is being registered under the Companies Act of 1882 with a capital of £3000, and are going to bring in a high-level race to enable their ground to be worked by hydraulic sluicing. As the company have a right to 20 heads of water from the Be»umont river, by cutting a race three and a-half miles long they can get 425 ft pressure. The company is being floated locally to a great extent, «nd I hear a large number of the shares are already subßCiibed and a good provisional directory secured, so I hope soon to be able to report that the works are being pushed on, ■Which will give the pretty little Beaumont township a fresh start, as the general opinion is that the company will be a very profitable undertaking. , Produce.— Prices continueverylowmeveryline. Potatoes are a drug in the market. Oats are in better demand, but most growers are holding or storing for a rise in prices. The quantity grown in the district will not leave a large surplus for export. Straw is extremely scarce, and winter fodder cannot be secured, although the diutrict has been nretty well scoured for the purpose.

DATnviNO.— We had a visit from a Government dairy expert a few weeks ago, but I understand the reception he met with was not at all what it should have been. There seemed to be no general deiire amongst the fairners to take anything practical from his experience in the way of getting the latest scientific teachings on the subject of dairying. I am sure thure are few districts wheru there is more room for improvement in this brunch than the Tu»peka di>tiict. A lot of the butter made is not at all what it should be, and cheese-ninkiix? is an unknown art. School.— The District High School Committee held the ir monthly meeting last Friday evening, when they dealt with tenders for improvements to the rector's residence, appointed as Visiting Committee Messrs Leary and M'lntosh, considered proposed schedule of janitor's duties, and other business. . Poultry.— Thecommittee of the Poultry Society held their meeting on Monday evening, when they decided on holding their annual show on the 16th and 17th July. Subcommittees were formed to canvass for subscriptions and prize? and to make other necessary arrangements for the show. Messrs M'uhie, MDuugall, and Co., the noted tea merchants, pro ent a handsome silver cup as a special prize. , Horticultural.— The annual meeting of the Horticultural Society was held in the TownHallon Friday evening', when a goodly number of members of both sexes were present. The annual report, which was of a satisfactory nature was received and adopted. The balance Bheet showed that in spite of the very inclement weather on thf second day of the Bhow the funds of the society ware in a heiltby state, thee being a credit bahnce of between £10 and £11. Had it not baen for the bad weather slluded to, there is no doubt this sum would have been largely augmented. Mr H. L. Darton was elected president, Miss W. lloughan vice president, and Mr John C. Browne secretary and treasurer. A mixed committee of ladies and gentlemen was elected for ensuing year.