BALCLUTHA.

Evening Star, Issue 3958, 1 November 1875, Page 3

BALCLUTHA.

{From our own Correspondent.) Bar, cloth A, October 30. Tho news of the feast given to our member of the Assembly (Mr J. W. Thomson) will be stale to your readers, still it is a subject which will bear comment. While we deserve credit for entertaining our member, we merit a severe reprimand upon various subject connected therewith which were the cause of so miserable an attendance. In the first place our orgenisation was too contracted, next we did not give sufficient publicity, and a very serious hitch occurred at the reception—in fact, there was no reception. The visitors, as you know, had to tramp from the terminus at the bridge site up to the township. The road was muddy, and therefore the m<we unpleasant. This blunder originated through force of habit —i.e., that of retrenchment Jat'dy introduced into our Town Council. The having been entrusted by the committee to ascertain the exact time the special train was to leave Uunedin, went to the telegraphic department here about 4 p.m. and requested tho telegraphist to ask when the train left. An operator in town who was communicated with, replied that he did not know, and was busy ; operator No. 2 at this end asked this question—What time did “the train” leave? to which he got the reply, “ About ten minutes ago it then being 4.25 p m. The Mayor strode away, bearing the tiding.':, hence the cause of the party meeting with such indifference. Without attempting to inquire the causes of this action the district is left to bear the die-

credit of so inhospitable a reception, which is not Jesieued by the fact that the guests of the district were allowed next morning to be dunned for their hotel expenses for the night. 1 hose acquainted with the district will see at a glance how this has occurred. A letter in our local paper, the ‘ Clutha Leader,’ of the -Bth ult. snowed the get-up of the banquet very correctly. Its sok promoters were tho Town Clerk and Mayor; in place of calling a public meeting to solieit the concurrence of the inhabitants they took upon themselves the ap pointu.ent of a committee. A more determined piece of folly cannot be imagined than the ‘Clutba Leader’ persistently urging upon the Government the Waitcpeka deviation of the Southern line of railway. Having frequently and continuously visited Warepa (one of the main, if not the main ground of support for the above deviation), I find the people there thoroughly sick of the continued harping on this alteration, and that they are looking very anxiously for the commencement of the line by the Four-mile Creek,_ which they say is the bettor route. Now, if they are of that opinion, why should others go in for the much-talked of deviation by Waitepeka, in defiance of two able and efficient engineers having reported in favor of the Fourmile Creek route. The delay means danger to Balclulha, for the line will be completed very shortly to Clinton ; then the whole of the traffic, both of wool and grain, will most de cidedly go by rail to Invercargill, in place of a considerable quantity coming this way from Clinton and Matama cn route for Dunedin. How this course has been so persistently advocated through the columns of our local paper. I, with many others, am at a loss to know. If the editor took the trouble to visit Warepa his views would quickly undergo a change. Our Tapanui friends can now make the through j urney to Dunedin in one day. Messrs 11. Williams and Co. have put a coach on running there and from there thrice a week ; this will injure Lawrence considerably. The Matanra road is still in a wretched state between the Gorge and the Mataura. The last tinrm 1 was down a very numerously signed petition was in circulation, its object being to the Government to form and metal this much required line. 1 wonder if the walking of our guests on Friday from the railway terminus at the river hero up to the township will assist my suggestion of making a light branch line of rail uu to the traffic bridge; it so, we who have grain to run into town and goods to receive may well exclaim, “ All is well that ends well.”