BALCLUTHA.

Evening Star, Issue 4166, 4 July 1876, Page 4

BALCLUTHA.

(From our own Correspondent.)

J.uly 3. I have heard many inquiries during the Ewt week relative to our position during the te heavy rains. Tokomairiro and Kaitangata seem to have been most affected. On Wednesday night last Mr Jerusalem Smith might have been seen with a squad of sixty men at Kaitangata, employed cutting a large ditch. They started in the evening, and continued all night through until the re?uired channel was completed. The heavy aliof water from Tuakitoto rushing clown the ditches of the swamp line soon blockaded the usual outlets, and being thus backed up required assistance to get away. Mr Smith arrived on the evening of Wednesday, and soon dispelled the majority of the fast accumulating enemy. Two cylinders of our railway bridge are completed, and another pair under progress of being permanently fixed. The first pahare sunk considerably deeper than it was anticipated they would require to be to reach the rock bottom.

The Waitepeka Railway Deviation Com mittee are determined not to leave any stone unturned in their efforts to secure their pet line by the Waitepeka Valley. They have got up another petition to the Assembly, iu which they state that they not wish to "coerce" the Government. This petition is to be forwarded to Mr Jas. Maeandrew. Mr J. W. Thomson, their member, who was feasted and toasted nut long ago here as the summum bonnm of the district, is now not to be trusted with the egotistic petition of the Waitcpekaites. But theSfe pe .pie's efforts bid well to be cutdone as the matter has now caused the people of Balciutha, Warepa, Kaihiku, Popotunoa, Clinton, &c, &c, to bestir themselves, and they have now in course of signature a counter petition in favor of the original survey (by way of Four-Mile Creek) and stiongly against the Waitepeka sideroad. The Waitepeka people no doubt are quite right in endeavoring to get the line by their door; but the time has arrived now, seeing that all the other portions of the line between Christchurch and Ipvercargill are either completed, formed, or let, for us to step in and put an end to any further unnecessary delay. A local in to-day's 'Bruce Herald,' referring to a petition to the Mayor and Councillors of Balciutha, praying "that an approach and accommodation to receive goods be made on the south-west side of the Railway Station, at the river-side, near Balciutha," is a leading bone of contention at present. Mr Cramond is the present Mayor of Balciutha, and many are of opinion that he had the privilege of a siding in view for a considerable time, which he should have set in motion in the interests of the municipality and not himself individually. Seeing:that the office of Mayor is an honorary office, I do not see that the Mayor elect should do held to devote his entire time and ability in behalf of the municipality. - • Some few weeks ago our worthy Mayor was brought to bay, relative to the unauthorised expenditure of municipal funds beyond the town boundary, and this resulted in the Council and-the Mayor each appointing an Arbitrator to settle the real • amount so expended, in order that the coffers of the Council may receive its own. Shortly after the .above question was discussed, the Council were in receipt of an invoice of a weigh-bridge from a Duhedin firm, and portions of the article. A committee was appointed to examine the pieces of machinery to ascertain if it was complete, but they found that they were inadequate to the task, and obtained permission tc appoint an expert to re-examine the article, which resulted in their pronouncing the portions to hand incomplete. It appears that the same com,mjttee were appointed to inspect the weigh- ' bridge : that brought to litht the above unauthorised expenditure. Now, by way of of a quid pro quo it is said that a case containing a portion of the weighbridge was wilfully detained away : from the township, tbJDking : that the committee would "pass tlie "portions to hand as complete and certify to the account for payment ; but the bait did hot take. Is this not the quintessence of shuffling? We shall no doubt hear more of e subject ere long. . For the Mayoral election, Messrs John Dunne (of the Newmarket. Hotel) and Peter Mason (bootmaker) are already in the field. Two more candidates are spoken, of as likely to come forward—viz., Mr Robert Hogg (watchmaker) and Mr W. A. Mosely. Our annual rate has just been struck at Is 6d in the £. The total assessment is over L 7.000.