The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1868.

Dunstan Times, Issue 306, 6 March 1868, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1868.

Beneath the Tlulc of Men entirfi.y just, the pen* is mightier than the svord.

The time is now rapidly driving near, when our representatives in the Provincial Council will be called upon to attend to their Legislative duties, such being the case, it naturally suggests itself, that the different gold fields' constituencies should bestir themselves, and as far as practicable, mike those, whom fey have elected to represent them thoroughly acquainted with what is require.! at their hands Since the last Session of the Council, members representing goldfields' interests, have been rather shy in coming before their Constituencies, nor have they made any efforts to preserve that mutual confidence, which is so desirable between a member and his constituents; for all we know, those gentlemen, representing the goldfields, might be members of the legislatures of Kamschatka or Timbuetoo, they have not oely been silent 'n the Provincial palaver, but have never even deigned to come forward and address those, that have conferred so much honor upon them surely, in common courtesy, they should make us acquainted with what they propose doing at the coming

SeSsiou of the Council, or at least give ns the chance of making our ■wants known to them, so that a remedy might he provided. It is highly desirable, that during the coming session of the Council, that something should be done towards making one thoroughly practicable line of road, from Dunedin through the goldfields, so that in the case of a little extra fall of snow, or accumula. tion of mud, the goldfields’ i .habit ants might i ot be assimulatcd to the dwellers in a beleaguered city, with a prospect of probable starvation before them ; as it is, during inclement seasons, the cost for conveyance of goods rule excessively high, the necessaries of life are correspondingly increased in price, the same may be said of all usable material; under the most favorable circumstances, the roads are the reverse of being good, and we pay considerably more for the transport of goods than we should do, did we but possess one passable through line of road, the want of which puts a pretty heavy tax upon everything that we eat, drink, wear or use, the evil effects of u Inch, however do not end here, the high price of necessaries not only keeps popul itinn out of the country, but limits the producing power of those that are here. The Hoads de partmeut, has without doubt been disgracefully mismanaged, it lias never displayed any practibility for promoting the traffic of the Province, mud die and contusion appears to run paramount, and w i.hout strong measures are adopted, there seems every probability that for the next ten years at least, the goldfields will remain without a highway to the Capital of the country, which they have been the means of e riching. We have had a great many ommissions of Enquiry lately into nutters concerning the goldfields, and one more Commission enquiring into the working of the Roads’ department, might not be araiss ; we fully believe that such an one won d bo attended with highly beneficial results. The next important matter, is the throwing open of land for occupation about the goldfields ; some two years ago, an \ ct was passed in the House of Representatives, and duly assented to, empowering the Provincial Government to take live thousand acre blocks from the squatter’s runs, for purpo os of cultivation, nothing however has boon done in the matter, the Government has received no end of applications from minors, willing to become settlers, but not one single acre has yet been redeemed from pasturedom, sheep still lord it over man, and will doubtless be permitted so to do, unless the people themselves make a stir, and demand the unalienable rights which nature hj is bestowed upon every man. Tin- difficulties of ob gaining land in this dhtriet, is a matter, which not only concerns those desiring to possess it, but it also affects the miner, ami business man, it enhances the price o’’the necessaries of ife, makes labor dear, and keeps away population, and we all very we!! know that for the want of the latter, anything like progress is out of tin? question, for do or try whati ver we may. the want of population forms an insurmountable barrier to the object sought Respecting !he survey of the watersheds, nothing pertaining to that object has been done in this district as yet. A thousmd pounds was voted f r that purpose at 'he last Session of the Council, and it is said that Hr Miller, F.S.A. proceeded to Tuapeka some months ago to commence preliminaries, but nothing more have we heard about the matter, nor do we suppose that we shall do so, till such times as themoney has boon expended, a thousand pounds judiciously laid nut, would have made a .survey of all the principal watersheds in the Province, nothing very elaborate was required, beyond that in the cutting of water-races from the larger sources of supply, the miners might have been cnab'ed to arrive at some data for calculating probable expenses, and distances to be cut. It would be impossible to enumerate here, all the pressing wants of the goldfields’ population

what we have pointed out, is quite sufficient to draw public attention to the subject, and we hope that the opportunity of arousing our members to a sense of what is required of them' will not he allowed to pass unimproved.