Waikaka

Southland Times, Issue 19004, 25 March 1903, Page 4

Waikaka

From our -own correaponicnt.

■■"':-.--vI. omitidined to bcjievo'"^^ lat stock , will be at " a emiuni here this winter As to fat lambs, I have not lieard ol any going away oB their mothers about . here this season." Most, farmers aro putting their lambs on young^ grass, but being ,low. In coiiditipn^it will take ft Jot of feeding to top them off. Daily, sheep, lambs, and even cattle may bo seen in the hands of Northern buyers going North for topping 1 oft Tf Southland "business people can stand tins sort of thing— allow the life-blood of tho province to drain away, the day does not seem far distant when Sou thin ml may have to consider itself the breeding ground for Canterbury .'freezing works. \ It seems to me, however, that South- < land business men concern themselves \ little about ■ the larger extent of their ! business that^is gradually being drawn off byrDuhedin and JSTorthern ilrms. Mr I. W. Raymbndv-undbubtedly is right i« his caution regarding the .pressing need of reform. Southland business people : seem to^. be tagged on To tha coat tails x»f • eastern- ] firms,;, and unable to r outline a policy of their own. With one of the- finest ports in- the colony, with .enormous .tracts of splendid' '.-land" all draining Bluff-wards, with a : puafting uncl " iii<iustT-i<>*»3" farming people upon the-- land, the business people at Southland seem to be unable to combine even for their own benefit. The combination, as Mr Raymond pointedly remarks, will come when the chains are locked to the wheels of a nionppoly, and ■J. Southland trader the- Jieels. of oppression. ~w6'ea all the. traffic drawn to 4 the port ■- : •-. of Dunedin, when, in fact, all the 'best interests .of south-western^ Otago and: ■ Southland shall have become joined to Dunedin by' -rail. AY present the ] : Southland business people have the best of the "bargain" r as ; -by road anrt inclination, there are numbers of people who trade with Southland who- will certainly change to Dunedin, and as soon as possible. Personally, I cannot ir,ake out the reason why Southland business people aro. so blind , to;. .their r own interests. Here,- -for instance, have the . Teviot; and Moa l^lat people been, clam*' ' ourihg^ for fa,ilway connection for years, hava {jeen :.; trying to get the.rich land in the south centre of * Otago opened to", settlement. but what assistance have l.the . Southland people been to them ? . ,And yet this part, of .the country drains naturally towards Invercarg^Ul. , . I. hear on good ; authority thai the ..Premier has been f^Sked tb^pajr? ' ttfis ..a .visit,- and' that :he has con- * tented to do so. Iliaye .rip douTjl that , shbuld he! come he willb? ' fully escorted • over the countryjTby.our Ltaxmers. Had the people df^Southlan^ijeen. half aliva, to their .interests they would- have had another .member 'in. -the House, but being asleep they are hanging ~on to the coat-. „ taila of nowhere. ■ . . ...-■■ is. tp tho fore, just now. Traps arer nihningV 'daily, and are. sending plenty of Ithe rodents to -the Mworks. yr l!at .' ever otheF things are" not profitable, it „ eannpt;^ K& said" that rabbiting is one of them . - ..'■■'l notice ; a\-few .Hares around-thia district; but they are hunted and killed wheneyer^ they^ show put of the swamp ' and' hive not -much to Jticrcase. It . seems that our farmers are teginning'td learn "that^there. is something in -^eParaaer^' Union after , all. In this district I must say that they have shown very little' interest in the Union , but , the i subject is now being talked of, and if "Mr Pat«rson can manage to attend here , setae sale day I am Jliicliiied to think that he would have rio trouble in celling enough tickets to be able to form a strong "Cn,ion here.