The Dustan Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1880

Dunstan Times, Issue 960, 10 September 1880, Page 2

The Dustan Times.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1880

Beneath therule of men entirely just th pen is mightier than the sword

Now that the Government are inviting tenders for the conveyance of mails through the Provincial District of Otago for the term of two years from the Ist of January next, the time is opportune for residents in outlying districts that are left out in the cold, so far as the mail service is concerned, to ventilate their grievances, and to bring under the notice of the post office authorities at head quarters their individual and particular cases. Of our own knowledge several alterations in the existing arrangements could bo made that, while without entailing any or but little extra cost, would prove of great convenience. The Naseby and Alexandra route is one, and the Cromwell and Up* r Clutha is another. By exi.Jing arrangements Alexandra aud Blacks

districts, though closely allied to each other xu their business relations, have no direct communication -with each other, all correspondence having to pass through Clyde, thus causing a loss of time to the residents of both districts. To our mind the mail should pass direct from one town to the other, and to do so, the only trouble would be to the contractor who wc suppose would have to be recouped. As to the Upper Clntha mail, at present the mail, which is twice a week, takes The one road that is by the west side of the river—by this arrange ment all tho'pcople on the east side, including the Hawea settlement, and which by far outnumbers the population on the west side, aie precluded from any' of the advantages of a mail service. To so alter the journeys and take each side of the river alternately, all parties would be benelitted, and no further expense incurred, as we feel fully assured the contractor whoever he might be would take the alternative mute equally as cheap as the one route. Upon more closely' scrutinizing the advertisement for tenders we notice, however, the omission of the mention of the town of Alexandra, hy this omission it appears that Alexandra is worse off than at first sight it appeared, as there being no service between the two places communication is to be reduced to a weekly one. Anotlrerpeculiarity in the advertisement relative to the services for this part of the country is that tenderers have the option of tendering for the con • veyance of the mails between Palmerston and Clyde and all the intermediate places either by r horse or coach, in this there is a very great deal more than appears on the surface, and looks like a quiet dig by one of the supporters (?) of Central Otago. We have decidedly no figures to work upon, therefore are at a disadvantage; but we can never believe that the service between Palmerston and Clyde could be performed by' horse. Unlike Clyde, which has its mails pouring into it from Tuapeka three days a week, and from Palmerston two others, Kaseby, St. Bathans, and Blacks have but the one route, at them is levelled the in=ult, and from them should come the resentment. We have pointed out where changes arc desirable, and if no action is taken by those interested the fault will be theirs.