OWAKA NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4898, 9 October 1901, Page 3

OWAKA NOTES.

[Occasional Cobbespondent.]

At a meeting of the Clutha CdUnty Council on Friday last the engineer and the clerk lor that body handed in their resignations. These were accepted and are to take effect in three months. I read the matter over as it appeared in to-day's " Free Press " to an old and ardent student of county politics. His remark on hearing it was " '1 here is more in that than meets the eye." One other county politician eaid to me, " winking the other eye," " were they asked to resign?" I knew perfectly well what' was in the minds of these men as they made these remarks. They were thinking of the awful muddle the Council has got into over the " thirds " and " fourths." The Bpecial audit demanded by an enraged public in this riding revealed the fact that we had been short paid by over £1,200 and all the Council, with clerk and engineer thrown in, can't tell a story about that money at all. The Chief Commissioner for Crown lands wrote to the Council when he learned the result of the audit for an explanation. Here is the explanation he got and from that body ho will never, get more. It was moved and seconded that the Commissioner be informed that " we believe all this money was Bpentin Catlins riding." They put their "we believe " against a certified audit. The motion was made by the chairman and was voted for by every member except our own. The amount of horse work to be done by men which thai £1,200 would have saved the settlers if it bad been judiciously spent no man can tell unless he is familiar with the circumstances. They knew that they were entitled to have this money spent oo their roads— it was their bargain with the Government — and they knew, too, that they were being defrauded out of it. If yon met one of these men on a winter's evening toiling along a narrow and horrible bush track with a 501 b bag of flour on bis back, you need not ask him if he was praying for the Clutha County Council, its clerk and its engineer. Exactly this sort of thing went on until tbe settlers were mad and demanded an audit. They got it, as I have said, and the terrible injustice was exposed, but did they get any money ! iN'ot a shilling. It is of more importance, apparently, with these councillors to keep the water-tables clear between Balclulha and Clinton than to keep that: faith ; • which the New Zealand Government

has entrusted to them. That is to say that if these lion-hearted men who take up bush sections comply with tbe conditions of their tenure a modicum of their own money will come back to them in tbe sbape of roads. That was what tbe Government entrusted to them and they have betrayed the trust to the ex* tent of £1,200.

It would be very pleasant to me to write that our farmers were like those around Lawrence, keenly alive and active in matters affecting their interest, tbe greatest in this or any country — the finding of human food. Ifc is not so, however. A proposed prohibilive tas on ploughs and harrows wouldu't move our average Owaka agriculturist in the least. Ia fact, he most likely would never find out that the tax was on until he went to buy. That is, perhaps, too strong a statement, but I'll stand by it in th 9 following corrected form —he would take no concerted action to try and prevent it.

In matters ecclesiastical we are threatened with a change. For many weeks past the Presbyterian clergyman here has tacitly let it be known that it was his desire to leave us. A meeting of his congregation is called Tor Monday next to consider matters, as our reverend friend has got a call to the Waiwera. The presumption is that he will accept, but there are certain things which militate against that. Time will tell.

For about a year wa f er carriage has been entirely cut of from Owaka. The steamer Napier which used to come and go at intervals which no man could predict has been withdrawn. I hear that there is to be a resumption of the trade by a new steamer owned arid run by an enterprising bo<3y of savs-naillera and settlers down the coast. Wind and weather permitting, we are tn have a three-weekly service. The freight from jetty to jetty will not be over 15s per ton for bulky merchandise and farmers' produce. At that price the vessel ought to be well patronised.