LAKE COUNTY,

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 35

LAKE COUNTY,

August 26.— There is no break as yet in this record winter — if, indeed, it can be called a ■winter; and as a result all farm and garden operations are more forward than usual. There is very little snow on the mountains, while on .the flat the roads are all in splendid condition. Lake County. — At the last meeting of the Lake County Council the question of it 3 finances came acutely under notice. For some years the council has found itself pretty short of funds, or at any rate too short to give all the assistance it would like to give to settleors in outlying parts of the district. The pressure ■was considerably relieved when the mining boom came on, for a vast amount of revenue ■was derived in mining rates, etc. At the same time, also, the votes from the Government rwere fairly liberal. The boom, as everyone knows, was not permanent in its results so far as this county was concerned. Dredging in the- upper reaches of the rivers was a different thing from dredging about Cromimell, Clyde, and Alexandra. The claims have all been thrown up, so that the revenue derived . from mining rates is considerably lessened. There is, too, one aspect of Government votes which is apt to be overlooked. If the votes . for the year are liberal the average individual is inclined -to say how good it is for the district. Aud BOi.it is, temporarily, but for Government votes _to be of peramanent good to this-xounty- we -require on© of two things — the ordinary .revenue must .Jbe sufficient to enable .'usitoJeeep.-injgood order all new -works carried out by Government money; or, as an alternative, we* must be able to rely upon reoeiy;ing^ood I ,'Goyernment" grants every year. This cotuityyfails in -either requisite. Firstly, the -ordinary-revenuei has diminished, .. and i&.not sufficient for all repairs to main roads, Government isorks, assistance, to -settlers, etc.; secondly, this council cannot, nor indeed can any council, rely upon liberal Government votes. 'It cannot get -more than its share. If an unusually large vote is obtained and i 3 assigned to a particular work, it means that the .area of roads, etc., requiring attention as increasing, and, sad to say, the ordinary revenue is decreasing. At the last meeting the -scarcity of funds was painfully obvious. Alter the Finance Committee had considered

the^position, th-eir report "was, in effect, that the only certain revenue for the- remaining " .eight months -of the year was about £183 per month, and this sum would do little more than - u pay the men's wages and the officers' salaries. .No less than six applications from settlers for monetary assistance, from tho council. for really deserving cases were made at this -meeting. In tho face of the foregoing figures, nothing could be done. In .one very* exceptional case the council agreed to subsidise, a. road, but ha<l to make it clear that it would .require iun© to pay. Such aie the county finanoss, -and they will require a system of rigid economy. It becomes a question whether the Government should not, in a case i like the present; obtain power to sub-sidise-the county. .There are several important works wanting^ immediate attention. Tho cnief of, theee-, perhaps, is the new bridge over the Jjower.Shotaver. This work is an absolute necessity, for thei ratepayers,, and for the tourists "as w«li. And yet th-e ratepayers are heavily^ enough taxed already. A Govern-ment-subsidy in time of stress would be ex tr-emelv convenient. Church Orgac— St.^Peter's Church, Queenstown, has been practically successful in raising by- subscription: "sufficient money for .the reVrpjpe organ,- andi has Arranged to buy -the iastruxnent at present in use in All Saints' Ctatich, Dunedin. The cost, including tho expense of^re-ttecting the organ in.tlte Queenstown Church, willbe^boutifzao. Football. — The Arrow football team weresuccessful in defeating Queenstown on the Arrow. Ground last Wednesday by 9 points to nil. In justice to the latter team, however, it should be noted that it was- short in number, besides being without some its strongest players. The- game was a forward one, in direct contrast to the open and interesting g»mo , played between Arrowtown and BanBockburn. Lake Steamer Service. — In anticipation of the summer trad-e, the d-epartnient has put it 3 largest steamer, the Mountaineer, on the slips for inspection and repair. Besides being thoroughly overhauled, I believed that many Improvements are to be made, which will secure better protection to the passengers in wet and rough weather, and that generally the comfort of travellers will be much increased. A fairly large traffic is anticipated this season. Plough Trials. — Two very successful, and, to the farming community, highly interesting plough, trials took place this week — one, a trial of the Bern/icia disc, took place last Wedaiesday at Mr M'Master's farm. Arrow Junction — the owniei' of the farm being so well pleased with the exhibition that he bought the 'implement. The other — that of Reid and Gray's Cockshutt disc plough — took place at Ayrburn. A large number of farmers were present, and the work done by the machine •was very favourably commented upon.