The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1872.

Dunstan Times, Issue 540, 23 August 1872, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1872.

Beneath the Buie of Men entirely justti the pen is mightier than the sword.

.A •PTE it mi interval of nearly nine years it is most gratifying to find that the people of Clyde have aga>n taken up the subject -of a, bridge across - the Molyneux. At the time weave writing about, the necessity for opening up ■communication between the Northern gold-fields and Dunedin by wry of the valley of the Molyneux, was fully agreed upon by all classes, it was the original idea of the engineers of roads atthat time, to reach theinterior hy this route, which, had it been carried out, the evils of blockades by snow and mud would scarcely have had existence. Local jealousies unfortunately crept in and prevented .the execution of the work, and the result is that we have not a practicable road between the seaboard and the most prolific of our gold-fields. Years ago, the Dunstan, Wanaka, and Wakntip should have been placed in easy communication with each other, as it is. we have on'y a partly formed road, wanting the necessary links in the shape of bridges to connect it ; true, there are punts but the fees allowed to be charged by the Provincial Government are so ex-

cessively high, that the road is practi cally of but little public benefit-. A bridge crossing the Mob neu-x at Clyde would mot only open up a large area I of country and prove of great public benefit, but would be a paying speculation in the bargain, while, if built sufficiently strong, it could be made available for therail way which wehopeat no distant day to see formed to this district, via Bomahaka, and thence by the valley of the Molyneux Kveu in the absence of the railway, the bridge, if constructed by private enterprise, would prove a paying speculation. as a toll could be charged unon all traffic passing over it; and, even at rates less than one-half of the present punt charges, a very handsome income would be derived. The construction of such a work would, in all probability, not exceed in cost, say 5,000£. or 0,0001., and could be undertaken by the Municipality, who might issue debentures to the tune, say of 10,0001., issuing them as circnmstuices might require. Should such a possibility occur a.4 the whole of the amount of money being necessary, there would be plenty of capitalists willing to advance the money at seven per cent, interest, the max ini urn under the Municipal Corporations Ordinance: and, even could the money not be obtained at that price, a public company might he formed. We should, however, imagine that there would be no difficulty in the work becoming strictly a Municipal one, as there would be the best of security in the shape of the Town rates, and the bridge itself as ■collateral. Private enterprise in hedging the Kawnvau at the Bannockburn and thcdifficultyin doingthesameonthe Molyneux at Clyde is not much greater, while the revenue to be derived, is ; very much larger. If the matter is otfly taken up energetically by. the citizens, we see no: difficulty in the accomplishment of the work.