WAIPORI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2205, 4 June 1896, Page 25

WAIPORI.

May 30.— We are having very sharp fro3t h»r« just now, although through the day it is leally delightful. Political —Mr Carncro3s, M.H.R., addressed a large -meeting in the school on Wednesday night. The night was beautiful, and even tho ladiei turned out well. Mr Cotton was voted to tho chair. Mr Carncross ably defended tho Government, and was loudly applauded while doing so. The only question of any consequence, which was put by Mr Cotton, was concerning the road leading into the bush, and Mr Carncrosa in reply said that he had got £500 voted for this work. Mr Cotton wanted to know on which side they proposed starting, and Mr Curncross said from the Taieri side. Mr Cotton thought it would be far better to start from both sides, as the mining industry was lookingprettv prosperous at present. A vote of thanks and confidence was proposed by Mr Knight and carried, and a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, after which the meeting closed. Roads —A petition is going the rounds asking the county counoil to improve the road leading into the bush. It is very important that this work should be done, as there ib a capital bush', and it would take off five miles of rough country if thiß road were formed, and it would be a great assistance to the settlers by enabling them to get firewood and timber for the mineß. MINING Mr Knight, at Mr Carncross's meeting, said it would be interesting to those present to know that he had received a communication from a society with which Sir Westby Perceval is connected, asking foHnformation concerning mining matters in this district. MiniDg matters are still improving. Mr Lawson has started to pump out the Canton mine, and expects shortly to sink some distance further ; and after he has got it fairly opened he Intends to float a company to work it. It is perfectly cvi tent that Mr Lawson' does not want to sell a pig in a poke, as he means to thoroughly tett the reef before offering the mine ; and, judging from the report of the oldest miners here, it should be an eisy matter to get a good company formed to work this reef. Since my last we have had Captain Andrew, from your city, with two experts—l understand on behalf of a London syndicate. They inform me that they are well pleased with the district. (Occasional Correspondent.) Junb I.— The board's carpenters, followed by the painters, have just completed a considerable number of much-needed' improvements to our two schoolrooms. The masters room has been fitted with new and enlarged windows, the rool strengthened, the walls weatherboarded, and th« floor graded. This last improvement has, unfortunately, put an end for the present to a timehonoured institution— the winter dances. Oui gay and festive youth will, therefore, have to forgo the pleasures of the light fantastic till they can muster up sufficient courage to subscribe the coit of a public hall. Commonage. — The mutual relations of the Commonage Committee and the local squatter, which were lately in a somewhat disturbed stats, have now reached a more peaceful condition, but not before the hearing or the dispute woe twica adjourned by the Magistrate's Court at Lawrence, and the Land Board had considered it at some half dozen different sittings. An agreement has at last been arrived at by the contestants, whereby mutual action for trespass will be avoided in the future, through timely notice being given on either side, and by the erection of a dividing fence along part of the boundary of the respective holdings. The benefit resulting from the Commonage Committee's action in preventing trespass of sheep is forcibly shown in the fact that the demand for butcher meat is already to some extent locally supplied. Roads.— The first term of Mr F. W. Knight's service as a member for the riding in the Tuapeka County Council is now drawing to a close, and in looking back at the improvements effected during that time 1 think the ratepayers have good reason to be satisfied with their choice three years ago. Thjsre are still many bad pieces on the road to Lawrence, not to mention the notorious spot known as the " Glue-pot," but the metalling that has been already done must be a great boon to the team«ters. The first instalment of j£SQO has been paid in to the Taieri County towards the cost of forming a road through the Waipori Bush to Berwick. 3 his will be a very valuable traffic route when finished, and will afford more direct, and much shorter means of communication with Dunedin than by way of Lawrence as at present. Political. — Mr Carncioss addressed a crowded meeting of bU Waipori constituents in tho schoolroom last Wednesday night, Mr Cotton presiding. He gave a «uccinci but lucid review of the legisla> tion of the past session of Parliament. Oui worthy representative certainly possesses, amonf other good qualities, the power of condensation in a remarkable degree — born, no doubt, of hit journalistic experience. The audience, though intelligent and appreciative, showed few signs oi any strong political feeling, and not even when the speaker, in referring to his opposition to thi Elective Governor Bill, worked in th* "mother country" and the "silken bonds," coulUthey be roused to a state of enthusiasm. Takea in connection with recent svents in your city, this seems to argue that Imperialism may go liaug so far as the Maorilander is concerned.' 1 wonder if a course of the new laureate or Rudyard Kippling would be good for us ? There was, however, no doubt about the heartiness of the expression of thanks and cpnfideoce in Mr Carncrosn, which on the motion of Mr Knight, was unanimously awarded. Brunner Fund.— This district has responded liberally, for a small place, to the call on the charitable. Over £20 has been collected. The Weather.— So far the winter has been remarkably mild ; in fact, quite enjoyable, and cricket on Sunday afternoons still goes merrily on— a very rational and harmless way of utilising the Day of Rest, as the weekly half-holiday is out of the question here. MINING, This, our chief industry, is decidedly looking up. Excellent returns are being got from- the Jutland Flat dredge, and there is ft probability of a large influx of capital at no distant date. A surveyor has been busily employed for the last fortnight laying off new special claims— quartz and alluvial. Mr Hilgendorf, manager of the Deep Lead Company, having finished work in O'Brien's gutter, has almost completed the shifting of tbe pipes and elevating plant to tbe new claim on Mr Cotton's property, where a large deposit of known richness has long awaited treatment by the newer aud more scientific method. There is also a strong probability of another deep lead being found in the eame^ ground, ft is expected that work wfll^BH started next week. The Wnipori Dredgipg Cj^H pany, on the lower flat, have now their se^^H dredge at work. Both dredges are at PJ^^H cutting their way through rather poor j^^^H into the main run of the gold.