HOUIPAPA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 39

HOUIPAPA.

October 19. — Beautiful spring weather prevails here — warm days with nice showers. GraS3 is growing wonderfully fast. Seldom have we experienced so favourable a spring as the present one has been so far. Bush (flowers are coming into bloom in groat profusion. > Railway. — Railway work is carried on steadily, and we are indeed gratified to get £80,000 placed on the Estimates this year. We hope this to mean more men, and we are pleased to hear of 20 more having arrived during the week. Tho delay in opening up the Houdyara section is causing great dissatisfaction throughout tho district, and we earnestly hope that the department will open it some time this summer. ' Elections. — Tho general election promises to be dull for the want of opposition, but things promise to be a bit interesting in County Council matters, as Mr C. R. Smith ia opposing Mr A. C. Saunders, ike sitting memJber. As things look at present, •Mr Saunders will be hard put to retain hia seat. Mr Smith visited Houipapa during the past week, but as it waa not generally known h© was coming, and being a wet night, very few came out to hear ihim. Mr Saunders is coming cur way soon, I hear. Sale- — During the past week there was a clearing sale at the "Woodland sawmill, ,vrh&n a very fair gathering- of ibuvers were present. Under spirited competition moet

' things sold well, the engines being an exception. Horses, harness, and bullocks and /general sawmilling plant brought full values. This company seems to have had a very chequered career, only lasting about 12 months. It is a pity to see any company go under, but it shows there is a Uot of difference in running a sawmill in theory and in practice. There are many ' -difficulties in . getting logs out of rough places and placing them in Dunedin in I -good timber.