LAWRENCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 12, 13 July 1888, Page 7

LAWRENCE.

(From an occasional Correspondent.) It is universally admitted that the farmers have never had a worse year than this. The crops were as good as could have been expected but there is no such thing as selling the grain. All the stores and barns are packed full of produce, for which nothing like a price can be got ; in fact a buyer can hardly be got at any price. Toe business peopie naturally complain of the want of money among the farmers their outstanding accounts being many and large. Something is expected from the revival in mining circles, whioh is expected from tbe numerous companies now being floated to take up properties in different parts of the district. Of course they bays to be floated yet ; but I think there is little doubt that some of them will go off successfully. That at Waipori, which Captain Pearse is gone Home to float, should take well among investors ; and, if the report of Dr. Black and Mr. Beal is to be relied on, whoever pate his money into it will strike it rich in the way ol dividends. The Wellman dredge has been shifted up to the Afannherika., where it ie said to be doing splendidly . The Lawrence Athenasum committee met last Thursday evening, when a lut of about 200 new books was drawn up ; and it was agreed to at once order them from the Home agent. Nothing more has beea heard of tbe Government subsidy to the proposed school of mines, se it may be talreu for granted that it has fallen to the ground, from all accounts, Protew^r Black had no authority for making the eve** tures he did to the athenaeum oa the matter. As an instance of the iafceeat taken by the miners abjat ia mineral (chemistry, I might mention that of the large consignment of Professor Black's book, " The Chemistry of the Goldftelds," placed in the hands of the librarian for Bale, net one ha« been sold to a working miner. Mr. Barr, 0.X., hat reported oa the practicability of opening the Clutha river for traffic between the Clydevale punt and Beaumont. He estimates the cost at the very reasonable sum of £1145. The benefit of a highway to the interior will be apparent, but I question very much whether the advantages will be so great as some people seem to imagine. In the first place, goods, cm be delivered at Beauntont by waggon from Lawrence cheaper than by Bte»mer to Beaumont. Of course there is a class of goods such as heavy mining machinery, coali, and such like, which oould be conveyed by water cheaper than by road. The new highway would, no doubt, toud to promote settlement along the banks of the river by giving settlers a cheaper oonveyance to market than is at present afforded. In his report Mr. EUrr speaks of opening the river as far as Clyde, which, if practicable, would be a very good thing ; bat I fancy that the mining interest is too strong to admtc of the undertaking, as a steamer runniDg up and down thj river would seriously interfere with the numerous dredges at work.