CLYDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 39

CLYDE.

Sept-mibe* 30. — fhe Vincent County Council Is eld! its ususil bi-monthly meeting in tho Conaicil 01-- ambers, Clyde, on Wednesday and Thursday last. Ors Horn, Laidlaw, Pitches, Euller, Heaney. Kane, a-nd Butherford wero ■present. A statutory meeting called foi the purpose of considering andi receiving the dulyaudited balance sheet had. to be adjourned because the balance sheet had not been senL on fey the Auditor-general. The correspondence consisted for the most part ox departmental nemos., with reference to the amount required for Hue formation of approaches to the proposed combined railway and traffic bridge at | Alexandra. The G-veEnment, as represented in th« person of tho Hon. Hall-Jones *>uggests that the local bodies concerned should defray the cosl of fornii))^ the approaches r.ad be prepared also to gur.ra.nteo an annual sum . *» cover cost t>f maintenaucs. Tie council I

does not stem disposed to incur the large expendntxire of £2000, as suggeetc-d by the Public Works Department, beeau-se councillors are aware of the fact that the^maiiy traffic bridges in the county are getting beyond a) state of a-brolute security, and the cost of repairing many of those bridges and replacing the older ones with new structures will necessitate an outlay which the eouncil'3 finance is not in a position to meet should a disastrous flood eventuate within tl)-» near future. Telegrams tcoto received frcan' Messrs W. Fraser, Bennet, and Heidnian, M.H.K'a., stating tho intention of those gentlemen of interviewing ministers with a view to having votes placed on the Supplementary Estimates for necegsary works within the county. Through some oversight the requisition of the council for votes had not reached the proper quarter before the Estimates were miade out, hence it ia that Yini.canfe County has not got a plum from the pip this year. It is probable the oversight will be remedied' an tame to enable the council to get- a. moiety of the annual legacy f«r roads, bridges etc. The dog registrar reported that he had registered somo 700 dogs within the county for I'he yea-r ; but that many people purposely -evaded paying the tax, although lie repeatedly waited on them for th© fees. The registrar was instructed 1 to sue those refusing to pay the tax. The engineer's report went to show that the roads within the county wexe in fair order, and tihait the maintenance contractors were now attending more regularly to their duties. xhe- contract for the ©rectoon of a now bridge at Ophir was completed in a most satisfactory manner, and the atruofuie, which was a veiy substantial one, wm recently passed by the Inspector of Mines. Tho Mines Department had sent on a voucher for the balance of the subsidy on tihe cost of constructing the bridge. Councillor Pitches' s lcicxtion on the Older Paper — "That this council take steps -in .impress on the Government the necessity of having land for close, settlement thrown open for selection in Otago Central" — was ruled out of order.

Football. — A most enjoyable match, between rabbiteis and a oombimed team, of the Clyde Ocrllei-ies Company's emp-oyees and Clyde men, was played upon the local ground to-da.y. Tho game resulted in a draw, notwithstanding tho tact tha* both sides strove hard to put up a score. The friendly -spirit in which the game w-a« played was appaiient to the* epeotaitoxsi who •enjoyed the efforts of both side 3 tc scoire, the opinaon being tha* the play ■naß fast through.oi ufj and immensely entertaining. The combatants held a smoke concert at the Dunstan Hotel in the evening, at which men of both sidea complimented their opponents on thencapital display of form. Mr Harold Stevens had charge of the whistle, and there was not a single appeal ■rrom his ruiing. The Spring Poet. — This- individual has got off chain, and has taken possession of the hoardings round here. The football niatdh has excited him to a fervour that generates verso that it not to be measured cither in feet or miles. Although requested to find space for a sample of tfhie poetic effusions with which we ar« deluged, I fear to do so lest the sentiment, good and pure as it is, should meet a fate it merits not at the hands >of the unsympathetic printer. Personally, I holdt the spring poet in esteem, but he would! appear ridiculous m this column.

Bird Pest. — The Vincent County Council decided to pay la 6d per hundred for heads and eggs of small -birds during the incoming nesting season. The Sparrows' Refuge. — For years past the sparrow has been put to no little in&bnveni-mee ill providing a safe domicile for its yctiug. The small boy has a happy way of locating tho nests in the eaves of houses, in trees, and in the fissures in, rocks. Passer domestdcus, however, has gone in for a new lino in housebuilding, and has taken to the dredges on the river, with the view, no doubt, that there he escapes from the prying eyes of the youngsters while he is attending to domestic duties. Dredgemen -tell me the sparrows build on the dredges, and that, despite the hissing of 'steam and noise of rotating machinery, the birds- attend regularly to their young without any aplaren* fear of tho almost deafening noiso around them.

Illness. — I regret to learn that Mr Dickie, county clerk, is in such mdicerent health, as to necessitate a brief change of scene, which, ii is hopetf, may restore his wonted vigour. Change of Editors. — Mr Warburton, the editor-proprietor of the Cromwell Ai-giuis, ha* disposed of his interests in that papei- to Mr Goodger, of CromwelL Under Mr Warbur-ton'-s editorship tho Argus attained a leading position amongst oui goldfields newspapers. The literacy contributions' were capitally written, and not infrequently faultness in srtyle, for, as is known, Mr Warburton wields a facile pen. The tone and general getup of the Argus was always matter for favourable comment, and to it® attaining theposition of leading journal on the goidfioids Mr Warburton's undoubted a.bility .mainly contributed. It is to be hoped the present proprietor will be fortunate in his ventiune. To the late management permit me to say au ryoir.