OKARITO.

West Coast Times, Issue 1663, 28 January 1871, Page 2

OKARITO.

(rROM ""* CORRESPONDENT.)

Five-mile Beach, January 24, 1871.

There is nothing fresh worth mentioning, only that there is a little cloud in the political horizon, not very large at present, but still it keeps looming in the distance, as if it will be in closer quarters than the respectable distance it is now keenin<r. The cause of all this is on account of the recent visitors who came to us exactly on the same errand, both of them personal friends but political bitter enemies, as one of them stated. Both are stranjrers in this district, but not altogether unknown by repute. The one who addressed the elector* first on Gene-nl Assembly matters was Air Tribe, from Ross. I had not the pleasure of being present at Mr 'bribe's meeting:, but report says that he acquitted himself most credi'ably, more so than any othor who has been on the same errand fir some time. There is no doubt but Mr Tribe will meet with support down here. The next to appear in the political arena was Mr Carreras, the political enemy of Mr Tribe, or any other man who will come forward to toe the political mark. Mr Carreras spoke for more than two hours relative to the past, present, and future of Westland, both as regards imports and exports, custom-house tariffs, miners' ri r ht«, publican's licenses, and so forth, clearly demonstrating that his subject was well in hand; but, on the whole, the discourse was a little dry, caused, perhaps, through fatigue On the whole, the impression left on a good many of his hearers was favorable to bis candidature. There was cqmmUtee farmed, to, \m\xc M^ Urrem's

return, and no doubt they will use their best endeavors to attaiu tbat end.

I see by the papers to hand that the root < of all evil— the £600— has o.i this occasion, as well as on former ones, caused a little commotion in the Council about the election of a County Chairman. That so:tof I election reminds one very much of wrest- ! ling off ties in the Cornish style, not at all a bad way for the best wrest'er, especially when hU opponent touches mother earth with a good sound back fall. Mr Labman has proved the best wrestler, if I may use the expression, in the whole Council, and no doubt he will turn out to be the right man in the right place, and, moreover, he might turn out after Goldsmith's beau ideal of a traveller, that is a mnn of a philosophical turn, one a;>t to deduce consequences of general utility from particular occurrences, neither swollen with pride nor hardened b} r prejudice, neither wedded to one particular sect, nor instructed only in one particular science — his mind should he tinctured with miscellaneous knowledge, and his manners humanised by an intercourse with men ; he should, in some measure, be an enthusiast to the design ; he should have a body capable of sustaining every fatigue, and a heart not easily terrified at danger. Whether the Chairman possesses all these qualifications is immaterial, so far as we down south arc concerned, providing that we get a little of the needful, sootier or later, so as to open up pack tracks in the back country, with a view to prospecting. The l.'oad Board has been in a state of insolvencj' for the last eighteen months, and has no money at its disposal at present, not as much as would cut a supple-jack.

In mining there is nothing new to report, and ver} r little doing just now on account of the scarcity of water. At Saltwater Beach, the Three-mile, and Gillespie's Beaches things are nearly at a standstill for want of water, the big races being nearly dry at each of the above places. The Alpine Race, at the Fivemile, is the only one that is holding its own ;it present, hut should the drought last for a week or two l-niger, it will also have to succumb to the drying influence of old Sol.