ARROW RIVER

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 267, 13 March 1873, Page 5

ARROW RIVER

(From our own Correspondent.) 11 Did you ever ? " "No, I never," is the unanimous conclusion of all conversationists on that most important topic, the weather, and as an old resident in this district, I must certainly endorse the verdict, " No, I never." Theorists and weather prophets have never had a more busy time than the present; indeed, volumes might be filled their with speculations and predictions ; however, I shall not force any of these upon your readers, as the cause is quite evident to me, and every reasoning individual will confirm me in the statement, that the last Christmas holidays have turned the sun's head. When rising on New Year's morning, a little "eery," he mistook Port Chalmers for Port Darwin ; and trying to maks up for being a little late, also melted all the snow and dried up the whole country, before he found out his mistake. That's the matter. But, bowever satisfactory as the esplanation may be, it does not alter the effect. Miners are compelled to register their water rights, and water races (save the m-ark), and go acting blackfellow. Squatters and sfcockowners are complaining (registration does not apply to them.) Gentle housewives ai?e swear — poking fun I meaii — at the 'clerk of the weather-. Cockatoos are growling — did anybody ever know them- to d» otherwise — and to cap- the climax, the storekeeper's ink is dried up, and bookeeping therefore quite out of the question. Moral : Everybody dissatisfied. In. spite of this state of things.

mining must be pronounced as being in a healthy condition. Shares and claims change hands at prices quite unprecedented, and mining property lis steadily rising in value. The new company formed to work the terraces of £he Shotover has had a salutary effect upon the district. Ground that has been allowed to lie idle for many years, is being taken up, and companies, as assisting private mining parties, are projected in several portions of it. I believe tbat there is not a 'district in Otago, where capital judiciously united with labor, will be more productive than in Lake Wakatip district. Oh, for a moiety of Victorian enterprise. If only the energy displayed in the meanest mining district of Victoria were applied here, what splendid results would be obtained. It is no use to point out that Government have done their part of the work by the water subsidy. Victoria has done the same in a far more liberal spirit, and failed, and our rulers have proved them: selves especially unfortunate in the hot house cultivation of material progress. Mining derives no assistance in this shape and form from the Govermment; their functions lie in a" different direction ; if they but pay attention to the public voice in this matter, and act in consonance with it, all will be well. The practical prosecution of mining 1 enterprise is the legitimate province of 1 labor and capital, and must be left to private speculation. Any interference of the Government only tends to upset the natural equilibrium with out which success is an impossibility. But I am trespassing on forbidden ground. Now that harvesting operations are completed, it is gratifying to chronicle a satisfactory result. The quantity is about the average, while the quality will, no doubt, increase the demand for Wakatip flour, in which the healthy competition of three'mills will materially assist. In|social matters we have perpetrated a novelty, namely, a ball in aid of the local Miners' Association. The thing was a failure, whether from any defect in the get up or want of sympathy, is an open question. The desire to raise a permanent fund, no doubt, was the object, seeing tbat the Bendigo Miners' Association in Victoria, raised £600 by sucb means in first year of its existence. Unless the miners of Otago show that their heart i« in the thing, and that they really have confidence in thiß movement, and the gentlemen who conduct it by giving a cash balance in favor of the association in one of our banks, or all their protestations will be looked upon as idle words, and so prove the nothingness of the attempts made up to date, and the sooner the thing collapses, the better for the miners of Otago. Commitment for sin of disgression No. 2. In compliance with an injunction from the President, I have carefully studied the Otago "Waste Lands Act, whether with benefit to myself or not is questionable, certainly I can give no credit to the framers of it. To treat the auriferous lands of the province as waste lands, is simply an anomaly ; to legislate upon water in a Land Act, if not criminal, is at least reprehensible, seeing that there are water rats and land rats, water sharks and land sharks, water thieves and land thieves. Why not call it Land and "Water Act ? But lam again in a fair way to digress, and it is time that I come to myself. I have often observed (never read) the long-winded excuses of " Our Owns/ in differeot papers," by which they explained the reasons why their patient (very patient) readers brave been deprived of their highly edifying effusions in an occasional issue, and come at once to the philosophic conclusion that the fault was made the worse by the excuse. And Ido not intend to follow their footsteps. But I have made a promise to digress no more, but come to my self at last. My excuse for not writing earlier is sickness ; in fact, the present epistle is penned in my bed, propped up by pillows, &c, which fact I would not have mentioned, were it not for- the suggestion that " Our Owns >y should I henceforth be included in the common prayers of our churches, m order tbat the curious and most patient readers of newspapers may not be disappointed ; and also that those precious " Our Owns "" may be relieved from the unpleasant necessity of ©wallowing cod liver oil, in Bpite of all that may be said in its praise. Apropos, I have proved that reading the advertisment of the cod liver oil, just before taking your dose, is the most -efficacious plan that could be adopted. If the gentleman who penned that advertisinent were to draw up the new Waste Lands Act, it would be sure ta go down- with the miners.