CROMWELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 717, 14 January 1876, Page 3

CROMWELL.

—o ' (prom our own CORRESPONDENT.) The Waterworks are near completion, and by one in authority I have been informed that they will bo finished iq three weeks, and the water placed at tho disposal of tho ratepayers. Ono thing is certain that, on the whole, the contractor has been most fortunate in meeting with easy cutting in Melmore Terrace. It will bo remembered that Mr Barr, the Engineer, was paid a pretty tall sum for his report, and he recommended that tho pipes should be carried along Melmore Terrace to the junction of tho Wanaka read at Grant’s corner, but the Public Works Committee of the Municipal Council in their combined wisdom thought fit to disregard this suggestion and determined upon carrying them through Eunisstreet, and accordingly called for tenders for forming and cutting the same. It was on'y a few weeks since that the contract ■was lot for LBO. In this street there is hut one house, and that a private one, and it is not likely that any other buildings will be ■erected contiguous thereto the land being private property, and the street when made would only lead on to the Cromwell Flat There are three other streets leading from Melmore Terrace to the same, namely. Inoiscort, Murray, and Sligo streets, while between tho latter and the Wanaka road there is only 250 yards. Where, then, did the necessity exist for squandering this money on a useless piece of road making. Tho original idea was, as stated, to make v-,way for the water pipes, but now, at the last moment, in fact, at the very last regular meeting of the Council, this idea was abandoned. The consequence is that the loose sand being now removed to the south side of Melmore Terrace will, wheneverthebreeze comes down the Gorge increase the dust and be far from acceptable to the residents of this end of “ beautiful Cromwell.” But this is not all the venerable and august rulers have determined to celebrate the great event by a grand spread, and the Mayor—the model Mayor, assisted by the ton of fashion, the Town Clerk, will proclaim a public holiday, and call upon -all good men and true to rally round mid celebrate the opening of the Cromwell Waterworks. Doubtless on the occasion our stump orators, election fogies, and trimmers will mount the rostrum and pat each other on the back, and soft soap the deluded ratepayers, and exhort them to inculcate in the minds of the young the great and glorious works performed by the Corporation of 1875-6. The cost of the demonstration is to be borne by the ratepayers, but a ball is to take place in the evening which is to be purely select and by invitation. This is what I call cool. The working man is, whether willing or otherwise, to pay for the pleasure of the Council during the day, and at night he is solely dependent upon an “ invitation,” but this is the usual style of managing things in this .small town. The outlay of thirty or forty pounds in the proposed celebration is nothing short of a wanton waste ol money which might be far more profitably expended in improving the town by repairing and forming footpaths, etc. As I ventured in my last communication to doubt the suicide of Robert Inglis, I am pleased to record that ho is still in the land of the living, in the vicinity of Blacks, and that the pelucid waters of the Clutha and Kawarau have not been allowed to hatbe his ma dy form. This intelligence will, no doubt ho hailed with satisfaction by those interested gentlemen .to whom I referred in my last. So the head of the Corporation, at its last meeting complained against the Press in not reporting the proceedings of the Council, and was quietly met with the mild but ironical rejoinder that “ they might do too much reporting,” which I think is the case, as to afflict the reading public with the senseless twaddle of the Town Clerk and more than one Councillor would, in all probability, have the effect of consigning them VOenVodlam or a premature grave. In Saturday evening last there was an .-usual arrival of waggons, there being no less than eight, representing fifty-seven horses, and all heavily laden ; ha fact, Melmore Terrace, in the vicinity of Soally’s Kawarau Hotel, reminde I one of a Melbourne market day. It is seldom that so many teams arrive at the same time, and that such a large quantity of goods are brought into the town. This fact is suffiI oiently patent to speak for itself, and indi- * cates that the Cromwell district, by way of consumers contributes largely to the State coffers and incidental taxation. The want of a bailiff to the Court at Cromwell has been long felt, and there can be no doubt that the non-residence of such an officer is an injustice to the community, and affords dishonestly intentioned debtors an opportunity of besting the trader and making good tbeir escape from the district, thereby entailing additional expense and trouble in having service of the summons effected. Mr Hall, the bailiff to the Court, discharges his duty faithfully and well, but tho Dunstan district is too extensive to he entrusted to one man, no matter how energetic or efficient. In a scattered district like this the permanent stationing of such an officer would be productive of benefit to all, as the one officer would be able to assist tho other with valuable information respecting the whereabouts of those who, on certain occasions, desire to bo unknown by their friends. The business transacted at the Court will bear favorable comparison with that of any other in the Dunstan district ; and seeing that tho District Cour„ will bold regular sitting, it does not appear to me in any way unreasonable to request tho appointment of an additional bailiff. In questions of this nature all narrow-minded prejudices should be forgotten, and rational calm-thinking men should ask the question can one bailiff do Hyde and Cromwell Court work to tho satisfaction of all. Is it not expecting too much ? If a bailiff were appointed here, ho might, with the permission of tho Warden, periodically attend at the Nevis, Bendigo, and other district centres,

for tho purpose of issuing miners’ rights, &b.,' ns it is somewhat harsh to expect a man to to walk 20 or 30 miles to procure a miner’s right, or for a storekeeper to wait three weeks after a warrant has issued before a levy can be effected owing to the absence of the bailiff on other duty at Blacks or Tinkers, the consequence is that, when the warrant comes to tho hands of the officer of the Court, the goods have been removed, and no ono knows where. What return then does the trader gut ? Why, nothing.