QUEENSTOWN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 725, 10 March 1876, Page 3

QUEENSTOWN.

(FROM our correspondent.) The Town Hall Company have at last disposed of their property, which was sold by public auction by Messrs J. 0 M'Ardel and Co. for a trifle over L7OO, the purchasers being a party of Queenstown gentlemen who bought for speculative purposes The building is certainly a very great bargain, and with an outlay of some L2OO for repairs, will be worth double the money—of course the right of tho Corporation to hold their meetings therein, as well as the use of the Hall for the public purposes of tho citizens was specially reserved and made a condition of the purchase. It is to be desired that the Corporation will soon be able to see their way sufficiently clear to become tho proprietors of the building outright. It is said that in anticipation of the increased traffic for goods and passengers consequent upon the coming opening of tho railway line to Kingston that, a Company will be formed to place a fast iron steamer on the line to run in conjunction with the trains arriving and departing from Kingston. At present, both goods and passengers are very severely delayed at Kingston, especially the latter, who are compelled to remain oftentimes, one whole day awaiting conveyance to Queenstown. Groat complaints are also made of delay by coach passengers leaving Kingston for Invercargill, who are kept one night on tho road consequent upon the slow travelling of the coaches, when, were only an ordinary rate of speed preserved, they might, iu conjunction with the railway, reach Invercargill tho same evening after leaving Queenstown in the morning. Nothing can be urged against our present steam-boat Companies for want of facilities to meet the down traffic, but the up traffic is very seriously delayed so far as the passengers are concerned. Even tourists, fresh to the charms of Lake and Mountain scenery, unanimously agree that Kingston is by no means so interesting as to admit of a whole day being expended in studying its romantic beauties, while as to society, there is positively none. The entire buildings in this lively town consist of two hotels, a store, school-house, and the goods shed of Messrs J. W. Robertson and Co. Dr James Douglas, House Surgeon to the District Hospital, and a gentleman universally respected by all parties, takes leave of absence for twelve months from May next for the purpose of visiting the old country. Dr Douglas has been steadily in harness for twelve years past, and richly deserves his well merited holiday. It is not yet decided who is to be his successor. To keep the Wakatip Hospital going, has, of late years, become a work of considerable difficulty, iu fact, the Institution these dull times is far too large and cumbersome to maintain in a proportionately efficient position, and some modification in tho manner of management is required to relieve the unnecessary burthen put upon the shoulders of subscribers. It appears to me that that very commodious building at One-Mils Creek, and known as the Immigration Barracks is entirely disused for the purposes for which it was built, nor is its services ever likely to be required. This building I should imagine might be obtained from the General Govern ment, and devoted to the purposes of a hospital, for which it is admirably adapted. Such being the case, the large expense, consequent upon a Resident House Surgeon could bo dispensed with, as in the case of Naseby and Cromwell, a local surgeon, resident in the township could attend the patients in the Hospital for a small annual salary, thus effecting an enormous saving, and securing the same efficiency as heretofore. The Regatta to be held on the 17th, St Patrick’s Day, promisesto prove a thorough success, the number of entries exceeding those of any previous year. A Regatta appears to suit tho peculiarities of the place, better than a Race Meeting, and situate as we are on the shores of a vast Lake, aquatics should be our forte.