Editorial

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 203, 31 May 1878, Page 6

Editorial

v ..t^--'?^~t'-^-^~'- — yA'i''" '."' 'A: "'*" ' "' ". -" 1 tbe Otajro rail-igwav-flihesfd^ SiTjEHluentiy^f-ionceH the evident. ; .in-, tejadKquncys'otctbe,. boxes and culverts to It^arr yl ne sjwm -,w at ers . . 1 1 1 •?*?_.. hreco v se-. back, forming mn.nl 1 BlafcesY which '"■ seriously^ injure the imp-' them with g|whterY^hHerin«r '''the" passage of the ||§trainY unsafe if not dangm-mis.. In fos6\ne i case_ot}je nTes.su.re bfd-he water is, fihlA.A,-^y-A.- -. .-;_„ ■'- ■&<<,. V7VS-.T!. y ; _. .*>- . .■ , - ■- - . - ', tejt OOy great for the em bun k men t, wh ich f yi^ayu'jw,;'iui impassable -gap r "ready 1 to -ehgulph th<» next train: Of - -««ch a tiature was the break in the *Main : , Southern ! Railway Which caused 'the senoui^tiuii by a miracle hot fatal, nijrht, the llth inst-i : ; "hetw.epn i ,imir and;_tYe miles north j of Gore, Y^riday, 7 the 10th inst., was «__ioj;of;- the* 'Hiost lovely days %ye have -exjwjrienced'fdr some time. On S.itur:thH;'raih:V"fell'ih;';torrßnt_,'hut it had -«ot muchMh^reapfid the water in the creeks till the afternoon, when they 'began to s\vpll at;.a. rate which seemed to threaten^ a -serious flood, and proved too tnueM fori the* culverts tinder die railway . -These- gave way in several pi aces,- more ;par ti pul arly at. the scene of the- laf^accideiitY- at 54-mile and ~just beyondTthe 5.7 -mile. The rf pair of these gaps occupied a large body of -men with trucks ahd engine for five •daysYdiiring which traffic was totally -suspended- to the serious inconvenience of many. The navvies. and others employed deserve great credit for the -energy they displayed and the long "hours they " J 'worked during one of the _nost inclement weeks experienced in the .district... for .many years, . delving both rain and show, frost and water, in their endeavour to restore the line to its proper "state. "This they succeeded in doing by Friday -afternoon, when an "engine and carriage passed, up to Clinton and oack to Invercargill, the regular train ' coming up at night. Now all this, p-* old have been avoided — the injury to the train and the loss ofa ■whole week, lo say nothing of the •fiahbath-breaking on the 12th— if the •engineers who made out the first plans bad considered the large area of ground •every little. creek and swamp along this line is expected to ; drain, and instead of going in for small- cheap boxes (to make the first cost a few pounds less), had* specified :: - either large' boxes, or, what ought to have been, good large open masonry " culverts, so that tbe •flood waters* could have easily flowed away. This would only have increased the first cost, a few pounds, and i*c would have saved all, the fearful risk, trouble, -and expenses l of the' 'past week. But, no ; the engineers pass over the ground in dry weather only, and seeing a swamp •or rill with a few inches of water, trouble themselves no more about the matter, and even when warned refuse to be guided hy the experience oi the settlers. The engineers do not seeih to have an idea of the strength of water. A visit to some of ; tho sluicing claims on the gold diggings would be of great benefit to them. Most of the swamps and creeks, even the small ones, are miles in length, and drain thousands of acres. Much of this is of a hilly nature, so that in rainy weather they become mountain torrents, and every .year ns the land is ploughed and ditched in the vicinity the water will fall more rapidly into them ; thus their carrying capacity ■will annually be more taxed. The rail--way embankments are generally very steep, so that they simply form a "wall of loose earth opposed to the powerful force of a vast body of water, which anyone ought to know "will find the lowest level, carrying all i opposing obstructions with it. No one in huilding a dam to hold water would expect to accomplish ; his object by a wall of earth. He would build the •dam with such a slope inwards as would place the water oh top of his dam. Were the railway embankments built on that principle, they of course would -stand until the water overflowed. But _ts they are not so built, and it, would be a mistake" so to build them, we trust the Public Works Department will see that proper -safe -openings are left to permit of the free escape of flood waters, : as the next accident of this kind may not occur without loss of human life. ;. We heard in Dunedin the other dav that the Acclimatisation Society intend to adopt extreme measures to prevent _tn abuse of -the license to shoot game this year. It is believed that several ; -seasons must elapse before the injury ' <_OLe by the wholesale and indiscriminate slaughter of pheasants last year Yjwill-.be got 'over. By inquiry in the V "various.. districts the Society have obtained the names of those who abused - their licenses last year by undue killing* i-€or sale and otherwise ; also of those >4 .whq » are reported to have killed hens as ' well as cock'si; V 1 1 , h as ! been resolved Ithat^ll^uch will he refused licenses for j:'the}-uture. Wfi regret' to learn that a i number of names in. the Olutha and Tokomairiro districts will be refused year. Of^ourse mo one can lay any a to a license. 4 "It is qhite optional : the Society togrant or .withhold a seto^anyoney : a ? nd that,^^ too, without, ig^^i^soja^f^theirq^ Of'here ■b^iio doub^^vit^ %med :^ ; to^jmrsue Iwill hhave a denfraiidfsalutirviM srs.iafehhejr^Qnduct'will be'strictly nea«ahd|rfe^^d*upon:;and lut be afitba tstftevShave/ i nj any mannen

be placed upon the black list for al! time. thereafter. It will also have been SMen from our advertising, columns ol i -late that numerous settlers have' warned parties/ against*, trespassing- upon their. properties in" pursuit of game or otherwise...,-. We- helieye .they are (juite in earnest, in the, matter We knaw that in addition to giving public warning, ;'somn -of theni h:ive entered into iiii'ieemen's -with individuals iavourablv situ- ! ated for noticing trespassers to reward ihem for.snch information as will lead to convictions. We believe tlieie is not a settler -. in.- -the' (Mutha who would refuse permission to any respectable individual to p:iss over his property for legitimate Sfiort. Hut it is quite intolerable that without even asking such permission all and sundry, whether hpldin-j- licenses or not, should be allovped'to disturb stock, destroy crops, break down fences, and do other mischief. It -might be a good plan for the settlers to take a leaf out of the Acclimatisation Society's books, and for the I present refuse permission toall they knew had trespassed,, without permission on previous occasions. Unless peremptory steps' be' now taken to keep illegitimate, sportsmen within legal limits, and to induce them tp respect the rights and property of others, the introduction of }*-ame into the country will j-et prove a constant annoyance and irritation instead of as was intended — a source of pleasure, healthful recreation, and sport. • All legitimate sportsmen must approve of the steps now taken for the protection of game, and also the protection of the property of land proprietors. Jf they value their privileges and wish them perpetuated, they should exert themselves for the preservation of the lav/ and for the detection and punishment of the law-breakers.

Notwithstanding the large amount of "wisdom and common sense usually manifested by our Municipal Councillors'in their deliberations upon matters affecting the Borough, we are constrained to place upon record an opinion that for once they have made a mistake. We refer to the matter of the new postoffice. Everyone here knows the necessity that exists tor a new building. This necessity had for years been pressed npon the Government, but without effect. A conviction exists that this was a consequence of the fidelity with which the electors of these parts adhered to their political principles. Shortly after assuming- office the present Government determined upon erecting a new building. Indeed they were forced to do so, as it was found impossible to conduct the business in the present offices. An officer was therefore sent here to report upon the site, and it was intended this would be fixed and tenders called for the buildinoforthwith. Thus everything was in a fair way until the Council took up the matter. Some of the Councillors wished the offices built in one place, some in another, but they declined to say where. Instead of this they instructed the Mayor to request the PostmasterGeneral to take no steps to erect new offices until the ratepayers should decide as to the site. The ratepayers have no wish to decide .any such thing,, and show no inclination to take any responsibility in the matter. They know that a few individuals would like the present unsuitable site retained, and if the subject were to be publicly discussed it would only result in irritation and ill-feeling. This they wish to avoid, and are therefore contented to leave the matter entirely in the hands of the Government, feeling confident that new and permanent public buildings will only be erected upon a central and suitable site. But the Council have put on the brake, and caused the Government to suspend all action in the matter. This was manifestly a blunder. But the unfortunate part of the thing is that all the votes of the Assembly will lapse ih another month, and unless the brake be at once taken off we cannot have a new office at all in the meantime. A vote may be got at next session, but it may not, and then a wearisome delay, uncertainty, and anxiety must occur. We can only see one way of getting out of the fix, and that is for his Worship the Mayor to telegraph to the Postmaster-General that the ratepayers show no intention of discussing or deciding as to a site, and that the matter is left entirely in the hands of the Government, the public being satisfied that a central site will be chosen. The Mayor is not elected by the Council, but by the ratepayers, and we humbly submit this is a "case where he should act promptly and independently on their behalf. .There must necessarily exist a certain amount pf suspense and anxiety till the matter of the site is definitely fixed, and the sooner, therefore, this is done the better, so that the minds of all parties may be set at rest. But for the action of the Council, we have no -doubt this would have been all settled before now.