THE COUNTRY

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 274, 1 May 1873, Page 10

THE COUNTRY

Abbowtown.— An inquiry into the dreamstances attending The hre whicfi occurred ai half past-four a.m. on the 17th inst*, wherebjr Jftr Butlers stacks were destroyed, and also the threshing machine of the Messrs ' Btrtel, terminated this night about 9 o'clock. Mr Warden Stra-ford and thirteen jurors investigated the , matter, and an open verdict was returned. 'There was, however one dissentient juror, who wished to procure a decision of wilful incendiarism against some person or persona unknown. Without venturing to dispute the justice of the decision of the jurors, it is worthy of remark that the witness Belton. would appear to have prevaricated greatly in giving his evidence. This man had been employed in j working the machine for about a fortnight, And when it was shifted on tbe 16th inst., to j Butler's stacks, he was heard to say that he would not work for Butler, but would leave ] and take away his swag. Some of the other men who were in the employ of the owners of the machine proved that his swag had not been j removed up to a late hour. Belton says that he removed nis swag from the neighborhood I of the stacks at vibout 9 o'clock p.m., when no other person was about, and took it to bis residence, which is about 200 yards from : the scene of the- accident; that he had no ' light burning in his place at any time during \ Uje night t but at daylight when the sun was shining he heard the alarm of fire, looked out, \ and .saw the flames. His description of the scene was correct ; but it was clearly proved that the fire occurred before daylight, and several witnesses testified to the fact of a light haying been seen in Belton'a place at the tigie. Without wishing to fix suspicion upon anyone from these irreconcilable statements, I think that they deserve at any rate to be remembered. So. many fires have occurred this season that the '• strictest analysis of the evidence at inquests is demanded, and any leniency in dealing with unsatisfactory witnesses should be carefully ■metei out.— ln reference to the Kawarau ' bridge agination, mentioned in my last letter, ! which, however, I regret to learn, was mislaid j before it reached the Post Office, and is only forwarded by the same mail as this one, I can give your readers the other side of the question. Those favorable to the Fxtnktown scheme say that it wilU confer great benefit .upon stockowners in Southland in reaching the Queenstown market, via the Devil's Stair«ue, ftod oa tto Cromwell jwd, giydo

communities by giving direct passage for timber ' from the head of the Lake. Thatthe advocates of the Franktown bridge are also favorable to •the erection of one at Owen's punt — in fact, aj many bridges as can be got. But as it X \ m . likely that more that one bridge will be granted, at any rate for some time, that near Owen's punt would certainly claim the preference in point of utility to the great proportion of the residents. At the same time Messrs Hallenstein and Robertson do not deserve all the blame which is attempted to be thrown upo Q them. They have, by the judicious and liberal investment of large amounts of money in the timber trade of Lake Wakatip, in agricultural pursuits, and in buildings at Queenstown, and other industries, been to a great extent the means of bringing about the rapidly increasing importance of the city of the Lake and its neighborhood. Had Arrowtown been similarly favored it would hold a far different position from its present one. If the Arrow gets the bridge, which it has a perfect right to demand, in place of a punt, it will not object to a bridge at Franktown; but it claims as a matter of good faith, thatthe traffic on present trunk lines of through communication, on the faith of which ttxe lAnds have been purchased and capital invested, shall not be diverted, to the injury and loss of tbe bulk of the district. It is to be regretted that the Arrow and Queenstown divisions have so little sympathy for each other's requirements or progress.