THE “DAILY TIMES” AND THOMSON'S ROAD STEAMER.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2082, 7 January 1870, Page 2

THE “DAILY TIMES” AND THOMSON'S ROAD STEAMER.

Our contemporary, in the issue of yesterday, stated as follows : —“ It will be recollected that his Honor the Superintendent sent home an order for one of these steamers, hut the order not having been authorised by the Executive of the day, Mr Thomson declined to execute it. ” We make no comment on the evident animus of this statement, but as the whole of the correspondence was laid on the table of the Provincial Council, we pro-cut our readers with the following extracts, which are quite sufficient to condemn our contemporary of having made gross mis-state-ment : “Provinceof Otago, N.Z., “ Superintendent’s Office, r “Dunedin, Feb. 16, 1859. “John Auld, Esq., Edinburgh. “Sir, —Deferring to my separate letter of this day’s date, I have now to call your attention to the enclosed newspaper slip, fiving an account of Thomson’s road steamer, f the statements here made are at all reliable, it is impossible to over-estimate the value and importance of the means of locomotion for this Province. Messrs Geo. Gray, Russell, and Co. are writing to their correspondents, Messrs Potter, Wilson, and Co., asking that linn to ship one of the engines on consignment to this port, where, if it is what it is represented to be, it will be sure to find a purchaser. It is quite possible, however, that Messrs Potter, Wilson, and Go. may be indisposed to speculate in the matter. Perhaps you will be good enough to communicate with thorn, and state that the Government propose to place a sum upon the next Estimates sufficient to pay for the engine, should there be no private purchaser. Its possession will be so manifestly advantageous and economical, in connection with public works throughout the Province, that I do not anticipate any difficulty in procuring the concurrence in the vote on the part of the Provincial Council. Should Messrs Potter, Wilson, and Co., under these circumstances, decline to make the shipment, perhaps you will bo able to make arrangements with the patentee. I leave the matter entirely in your hands, to exercise your own discretion. —I have, &c., J. Macandrew, Superintendent. P.S.—His Honor means to include materials for one or two waggons. Extract from Home Agent’s letter of 14th May, 1869, to his Honor the Superintendent : “ Edinburgh, 14th May, 1869. “ With regard to Thomson’s Road Steamer mentioned in your Honor’s letter of 16th February. I applied to Messrs Potter, Wilson, and Co., to send out one and some carriages, and gave them the fullest assurance which I was authorized to do by your Honor’s letter, but without coming under an express obligation to pay them. I regret to say that they declined to take any risk in the matter, but they express their readiness to procure and forward one on an obligation for payment. They had themselves received a communication on the subject from the Province. “I have now ascertained the address of the patentee, and shall immediately write to him on the subject. “John Auld.” Extract from Home Agent’s letter of 11th June, 1809, to his Hpnor the Superintendent ; - “Edinburgh, 11th June, 1809, “ Thomson’s Road Steamer.—ln my letter to your Honor of 14th May, I stated that I was about to communicate with Mr Thomson, the inventor and patentee of the road steamer. I have since seen him, and heard from him. He states that he would have been glad to have sent out a steamer and carriages on the footing formerly stated by your Honor, were it not that his steamer is in such demand here, that he is able to sell them faster than he can build them ; hut he states that he would be glad to receive an order from the Government for one, of which ho would endeavor to give early delivery. He suggests that it would be desirable to have an engineer appointed on behalf of the Government to see the steamer tested before it was shipped, and to certify that it was capable of doing the work stated in his printed circular. Two of these circulars I have the honor to send you herewith. “John Auld.”