The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1868.

Dunstan Times, Issue 323, 3 July 1868, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1868.

Beneath the Ruleof Men entirely jfst the pen - is MiOHTir.r.thai) oheswoßD.

We have written very many times upon the necessity of there being one complete line of road uniting Dunedin

with the northern goldfields. The necessity for this has become inconveniently apparent during the last three weeks. Mai's have been delayed for days behind their time, and there is every prospect of a scarcity of the absolute necessaries of life should a favorable change in the weather not take place shortly. Flour, the great staple article < f consumption, is already extremely scarce, and temporary supplies have to be procured i' om the Wakatip; but too much reliance must not be placed even upon that source. The severe weather is lowering the waters of the lake very fast, end there is only sufficient water power to drive hali' the machinery at the mill; consequently there remains the disagreeable possibility, in the event of cmninumcation with Dunedin still interrupted, and Lake Wakatip reaching a fttviUer lower level, of something likeafanvne inbreadstuffs. We sincerely hope that we may be mistaken in this opinion, but the possibility of ovr predictions becoming verified is by no means unlikely. The goldfields inhabitants have an undoubted right to insist upon the Government completing one through and aHvays accessible line of road to the seaboard. For the interest of all districts this can best be made via Waikouaiti, and we are sure that, notwithstanding the late heavy falls of snow, had lace been a metalledroad, as there should have been, the ivconveniences under v.! iclr we now labor woukl never have arisen. It is now six years since gold wps dis. covered io I e Dunstan and Wakatip districts, pi \ no.'.wi Lstp-ndiog the large por "* ; on settled therein, and the immense capital expended by private enterprise, we have no road yet, the great highway through the province beiDg for the most part jusi in the same sta+e as when nature formed it. The cl'mcte of Otago, in ceitain elevated is doubtless a severe one ; but there are no natural difficulties but wire* can be overcome. , The completion of the road referred I to would not be a very costly affair ; j in fact, had the money already spent 1 upon roads been but judiciously expended we might by this time at least have possessed a good road between the Dunstan and Dunedin. The slow-going department of roads and works wants a little .' e.sh energy infused into it, and its operations rendered more comprehensive. To the absurd system of patching here and patching there, instead of making one complete work, aiises all our present difficulties. We should have one complete trunk line of road in the first place, and all branch lir.es to follow afterwards. From the fact of having commeuced at the wrong end arises all our p v esent difficulties.

The Escon. on .Monday last took down the following qui 1 itities of gohl : Queensiown ... 6P.80z. 4dwfc. A'lowiown ... C4loz. 3d\vt. CroroweU ... lllOoz. Odwt. Dim s .i>n ... 144 Go;.. T' i.wt. Ale::p»id-a ... 7440z. Odwt. Black's ... 4540z. Odwt. Dunstan Creek... 38-toz Odwi. Mount Ida ... 5630z. Odwt, Total s,9Boozlßdwfc. A corespondent at Queenstown. sends ns the following copy of a " Petition " that has been signed w! th hut lew exceptions by the whole of the in habitants of Queenslown and outlying district. He also informs us that a counter-peiittonmet with poor support, not above ha" a dozen br.Tingrttached Iheir vy Jm es. The p dl ; o- was as Wows: —" To his Honor the Superintendent of the Province of Ota^o. — Pj Vj — undersigned Residents of Qneenstown and the Lake Wakatip Drstrict, Wke this opportunity to express to you:- Honor our confidence in the present pdreim&iraiiomjwe believe your Honor's Government have, during the short time they have been in office, shown an earrest des-ire to benefit the outlying disv ids, and so long as your Gove -lnient continue this policy we Bhrll rej.'et 'o s n e any change. & W* are req jested by Messrs. Cope and Fache. to draw attention to the s!?le by auc'on. on Wednesday next, a* t!.3Jr -ooms, of a Photographic