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Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 136, 18 June 1872, Page 4

The road between Clyde and Cromwell demands the immediate attention of the Government. The late accident to the mail coach, which was almost .entirely/owing to the narrow width of the road where itoerurre:', may be looked upon as one of a series &• most certain to happen before the winter is over. The sum voted at the late session will go but a very short way to make the necessary repairs. In many places tlie road wants widening to at least double its present width. It was only the other day that a three horse dray was delayed two hours and a half, because a waggon had got one wheel over the side of the bank, and could not proceed until it was unloaded. And it will be seen below that complaints have been made to us regarding the state of the road between Cromwell and Lake Wanaka. That the roads throughout the district have been allowed to get so thoroughly out of repair is hardly to be wondered at. The District Engineer has such a large district under his survey that ho positively cannot do the work required of him : and it is, if we do not mistake, full three mouths since he has been on either of the roads referred to. Of course, in his absenee, the roads go to ruin. The public convenience and safety demand that either Mr Bews should be again stationed in Cromwell; or that his present district should be divided, and another Engineer appointed. It is an old adage that " a stitch in time saves nine ;" and many of the present dangerous places in the roads, if they had been attended to at the proper time, would not have cost half it will take to repair them now that the frosty weather has set in to break them up. PerI haps the Town Council will take the matter 1 up ; and urge on the Government the ne-

ressity of the change we have suggested. settlers resident in the Upper Clutha Valley have called upon us during ♦lie last few days to represent the urgent necessity existing for the immediate repair j damage done to the Wanaka road by the late heavy rains. At two points the ro ad is now quite impassable for vehicles _viz., at Gravelly Gully, about three miles beyond Mount Pisa Station ; and jtrain at Nineteen-mile Creek, on the Cromwell side of Mr T. Anderson's farm. The road at both these places is cut along the face of a steep bank, and the gravel of finch the cart-track is formed has been cashed away to such an extent as to leave no room for waggons to pass. Something must be done, and that speedily, to enable traffic to be resumed on this route. We would respectfully suggest to the District Engineer the advisability of making arrangements with some local resident for keeping the Wanaka road in at least passable condition at all seasons. This could, we believe, be accomplished at slight cost, and the advantage to the settlers would be very great.