The Southland Times. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1878.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 195, 5 April 1878, Page 5

The Southland Times. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1878.

The Evening - i>hir has been quoting from and cou-mi'U'ing upon our article in last. i^sue regarding the, t;.rdy progress being made with the iail way eon-

trfict, lklclutlm to Clinton. Wi- thiuk our contemporary slighr.lv twists our men ning. Hy the nrt of [tufting it, In-* adroitly m-ikes our reference to \)ust experience as to partiality, .uiniv.'iiliijn- remonstrance, etc., iipply to tin; course of action pursued by the present instead of the late Government, and thus interprets our remarks as "a sign of trouble in the air" for the present, Ministry, and as ii" we and otheis were " beginning* to ask why this or that promise of theirs remained in the category ot unredeemed pledges." Now, had the At; kinson Government still heen in power we certainly should" not have referred to

tbe matter of the delay in carrying out the contract, as however urgent, or however much less or inconvenience might arise from such - delay, we would not have Imd the slightest confidence that it would have been attended to unless it suited Ministers and their favourites. But we believe we now have Ministers of a different stamp; gentlemen who have full regard for their own promises, nnd whose desire it is to do justice to all, and to advance the best interests — not. of individuals or of a favoured class— but of the country generally. We believe that if any case of breach of faith or injustice be fully represented to them from a reliable source, it will have their immediate attention. We therefore pointed out fairly and fully the ocurse being pursued with the railway contract referred to We have no.t been disappointed, for we understand . the contractors have already received legal notice whereby the Government will be able to take the contract into its own hands, and finish it at the contractors' expense. This course we have every ivason to believe the Government will adopt at the expiry of the notice, should

it then be iound necessary to do so. This is just the action, and taken too with the promptness we would expect, from the: present Government. . It is such action as we are sure will secure for it the entire respect and confidence of every honest, right-thinking member of the community — the Evening Star not excepted.