OUR-WEST COAST LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 55

OUR -WEST COAST LETTER.

(ju'aou 6cb Own Corkkspondent.) Westlanb, May 25. UNEMPLOYED AT BEEFTON. ; At a meeting of the Reef ton Exerutive Council laat Monday 112 applications for ooanty ' j work under the co-operative system were i received, but as only 24- were successful, the balance continue drifting about the streets, looking for work and finding none. The Joc»l papws there advocate. Government relief works, for the abiorption of the surplus -liibour, so" "if would appear that the high-flown claptrap ooacarning the supposed prosperity of that town sen* periodically by correspondents' to mining journals has not much foundation. A DAIKT FA.CTOMY FOS &OKATAHI. The Kokatahi farmers have decided fco establish a dairy factory in s% central position of their progressive district, and at a meeting held j last Friday ib was shown that the milk from 300 i cows could be depended ci. lusbrucfcions have been given to draw up the deed of association, She company having been already floated. This will be a great boon to the district, which ! hitherto has not been able to get rid of its milk 'at anything like profitable figures. I remember j when ia the province of Taranaki last year ! visiting no lsss than 30 creameries aud factories j within a rsdius of 30 miles, and found in erery instance good management! and prosperity, the suppliers getting as high as f ourpence per gallon for their milk and the manufacturers commanding top .prices for butter aud cheese in the colonial add Home markets. The method of management was something like the following : — Every morning the supplier would have his produce we>ghod, tested, and receipted by ticket, a regipt ration of these in&uea being strictly kept by the mansgsr or secretary of the ' facbory. *At the end of each month the supplier brought along his tickets, and there was his money for the mouth's snpply. There was no humbug, no " call again," no barter. Many of these suppliers showed me their cheques, which averaged from £20 to £120 per month. They al«o told me that milch cows- in that grand grazing district which receded below annual profits of £8 per udder were fattened and cold to the butcher. It is to ba hoped ihat the Kokatahi farmers will be as successful as their North Island neighbours. COAST BAII/WXY KHYENUE. The results from tihe Coast railway for Mie year ended 1897 are as follows : — G&ey-Brunnei line : Revenue, £24,796 ; expenditure, £14,698 ; or an increase over that of last year in the net revenue of £2100 On the Hokitika-Greymouth line the net results have decreased by £600 duriDg the currency, the causa being attributed to increased expenditure. The net revenue of the Wesfcport line is £27,000, or an increase of .£4OOO over that of last year. TKOUBI/S AGAIN FOB OSCATUTO. The bones of the ill-fated Waipara still lie at the bottom of the Okarito River, and so the monthly supply to that somewhat remote centre became checked until the residents uprose and in co-operation with one cr two enterprising Hokitika folk purchased the schoonsr Hercules and fitted her with auxiliary engines, which gave the vessel a speed of about six knots per hour. The little craft left Ilokihika wharf, last week amid the hurrahs of well- wishers, but when she got down to Okarito she broke her propeller and became banked high and dry near ! the submerged Waipara. How the poor folk down there will now manage it is hard to tell, but I fancy that if a tender is to be got Government will have to give a much larger bonus. A LEGAL STANDING. Last Thursday evening the Grey mouth Jockey .01 ub at a general meeting resolved that it be incorporated under "The Unclassified Societies Registration Act, 1895," under the style and title of " The Greymouth Jockey Club." This step, as was pointed out by Mr Michael Hanuan, barrister, would give the club legal standing in law courts to sue and be sued »s a corporate body without the incurring of individual liability by the members. FBOGRESSIVE WSSTPORT. The Wentport Borough Council are borrowing £3000 for the enlargement of the local gasworks ; the harbour board have ordered a steam crane for facilitating coal delivery, and they have also succeeded in drawing £7000 from the Government for the increase of railway rolling stock.

THE PROMISED LAKD. Karamea, the land of promise, or the promised land, ftp»ears to bo wftkicg up af feer » Riy Van

Winklian sleep, the residents of thafc special settlement having taken up & special claim of one mile of river bed for Ihe purpose of putting a dredge thereon. Exports to hand state that excellent prospecta cf c*srs& gold have been obtained from tests from the river beach c'osa by.