DUNSTAN.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 233, 28 April 1874, Page 6

DUNSTAN.

[from our own correspondent.] April 27, 1874. At the last meeting of the Town Council, the tender of Mr Cambridge to build' the Athenaeum was accepted,—the price being £350. A rather important resolution was passed at the same meeting, to endeavour to secure the co-operation of the Town Councils of Cromwell and Alexandra, and of the Progress Committee at Roxburgh, and get a memorial signed to place before the Provincial Council, praying for the extension of the railway up country via Roxburgh from Tuapeka. It was stated that the present Government was inclined to favour the extension of the line, and if a little pressure were brought to bear in the matter there might be some means devised of carrying out the object. A letter was also read from Mr Cox, intimating that if the Council did not pay him for a quantity of stones supplied by him for certain public works, he would bring the matter into court. Cr. Auckland considered the Council were bound to pay for the stones, as he, in the capacity of one of the Public Works Committee, agreed as to the price of the stones, before being used. Cr. Bazlett reminded the Council that they had already passed a resolution not to pay for the stones, and until that was rescinded, they could do nothing in the matter. It was allowed to stand over. A resolution was also passed, empowering the Council to employ men to repair the road on the west bank of the river, —the money to come from the vote passed at last Provincial Council. The late rains have certainly made such work necessary; but the Town Council may make a mistake bycalculating on the use of Provincial Council votes outside their own boundary. Our Provincial Council member, to all appearance, will not be on this occasion burdened with a long catalogue of our wants stuck to his sleeves. Beyond the railway already spoken of, only the erection of a new gaol, to be in accordance with our handsome courthouse, is desired by our Town Council at present. They seem to want a little breathing time, so as to get the money spent that is already voted. They are only commencing on the Library, and the £3OO proffered to make the main road through the municipality has not been touched. The Government, however, seem to have got pretty well through the spending of their portion of the votes for the district. We have got the courthouse ready, and if the section of the main road from the dairy to Clyde, now commenced, were finished, the money must be pretty well exhausted. A like sum voted and spent during the next two years would make this hitherto very bad portion of the main road a very fair one.

From the Hospital, two deaths have been recorded during the week. The first, that of Simon M‘Kay, from the Garrick, from the effects of the fever which is now raging in the district; the other of Mrs Smitham, an old resident both of this town and of Cromwell, who it seems caught the malady, aggravated by other diseases, and after a few days’ illness, died early on Saturday morning. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon, and was well attended ; the most of the townspeople, including a number of ladies, as well as a few from the outside districts, were present. The Rev. Mr Jones was taken ill during the service in the Church in the foi’enoon, and was unable to attend the funeral. Mr Stevens, schoolmaster, officiated in his stead.