THE Grey River Argus SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 455, 12 December 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1868.

If the opinions expressed by the various candidates during the election just closed are to be taken as something more than mere hustings' utterances, we may look forward to the new Council exerting itself vigorously to open up the country by improved means of communication. One and all have taken as their nutto "open up the country," and there an be no doubt that the cry is die mesfc popular one that could be chosen. But unanimous as Westlaud may be on this grand question of unlocking arid developing the resources of the County, there appear to be conflicting opinions regarding the means by which the desired result is to be obtained. Several of the candidate* in their addresses and

speeches to the electors took an almost entirely local view of the question. Mr, Salo himself, who should not be considered to have local prejudices, still thought it a proper thing to do to enlist favor in Hokitika, by advocating that ■ the Couuty Council should make a road or track to the Greenstone diggings from the south side of the Teremakau, bo as to secure the trade with the population located there to the merchants of Hokitika. Other aspirants for seats in tho County Council, and especially those who sought the votes of the electors in the country districts, have talked about getting thjs or that particular track done, No doubt all the various objects of this character about which promises were made, should the promisers be elected, are all praiseworthy aild neces* sary. But there appears to have been a great deal of forgetfulness of the aotual functions of the County Council. That body ib essentially one for the whole County, and all its labors should be directed only to such objects as will benefit the County generally. If this view be departed from, and matters are imported into the Council which should properly be left to the Road Boards, we shall very soon find the revenues of the County being frittered away in little things, and no work of a general and comprehensive character accomplished. If Westland is to become lastingly pros, perous, if the valuable resources which it is kuown to possess are to be developed, if population is to be settled on the soil, there must be something in the shape of arterial communication. Money enough has already been wasted in temporary expedients — the mere pig tracks which have been made to do duty for roads. It is a lasting disgrace to this part of the Colony that, with all its large revenues, it should, in the fifth year of its existence as a settlement, be almost entirely destitute of anything in the shape of a good serviceable road. Already the subject has been brought before the Council of the advisability of -constructing a main road, from the Grey to Ross, touching on the centres of population. It will remain for the new Council to determine whether a central interior road of this kind shall be made, or whether, as heretofore, the country is to bo kept locked up and inaccessible. If a main road penetrating the various gold-bearing districts were made, it would be a comparatively easy task to connect it with outlying diggings by means of branch tracks. Such a road as we refer to could be taken from the Grey to the Teremakau in such a direction as to include all the principal mining localities, the Greenstone in eluded, and it could be continued through a gold-bearing country to the Waimea, Big Paddock, and Hau Hau, on to the Kanieri. Not only would such a road greatly benefit the districts now holding a considerable population, but would open up a large area of country hitherto unprospected, which may prove to be as rich as any at present known. Besides, it would give employment to a large number of men, aud probably be the means of greatly increasing the land fund of the County. In the meantime, pending the completion of this work, the Road Boards and Municipalities would have to depend mainly upon their own means of raising revenue, except in cases where assistance from the County funds might be urgently needed. Whether the purposes of a main road can best be secured by a tramway, or an ordinary metalled road, is a question for discussion ; but there should not surely be auy hesitation in the public mind regarding the necessity of arterial communication of some kind.

Elsewhere we publish a very interesting account of a trip across country from the Eight-mile, New River, to the Greenstone Diggings. It will well repay perusal, as it contains a fine description of this almost vi - explored country, and an intelligent estimate of its resources, as well as those of the nowfamous Greenstone diggings, which are carefully and minutely described. A meeting of the Greymouth Volunteer Fire Brigade is to be held on Monday evening, at eight o'clock, at the hall, for the consideration of important business. A public meeting was held at the Shamrock Hotel, Maori Gully, Arnold, on Saturday, sth inst., in reference to the formation of a company for carrying out the Lake Brunuer Water-race scheme. Mr J. Lawn having been called to the chair, said , he had much pleasure in introducing Mr A. Doyle, as one of the promoters of the Lake Brunntr Race. Mr A. Doyle stated that in addressing the inhabitants of the Arnold District he labored under the disadvantage of being a stranger to most of them. Ho would not detain them loncj, but at once introduce the subject to the meeting. He then read a copy of the report of the original company, and, commenting upon the survey report of Mr Bull, said it was the opinion of the present promoters that a speculation of this kind was far more likely to be carried out by 3 party of miners, if supported by the

business men of the district, than any other ] company. He would inform the meeting that it was the intention of the promoters to form a company under the Mining Company's Act, to consist of thirty shareholders, of which number not less than twenty are to work upon the race, with the remaining ten it would be optional, they could either work upon the race or subscribe towards it. He thought that the race could be brought to the head of M^aori Gully by twenty men in fourteen months at a cost of £5000. It is intended to flume the race the entire distance by boxes 6ft. 6in. by 3ft. Gin ; to erecb a sawmill at the head of the race, and cut the timber by motive power. He had no hesitation in saying that at the present time there was not a better speculation on the West Coast, as it was well-known that the whole of the country between Maori Gully and the Lake was gold-bearing, but could not be worked for want of water. In answer to Mr W. H. James, Mr Doyle stated that it was not the intention of the promoters to reserve any shares. In conclusion, Mr Doyle said that he wished publicly tc express his thanks to Mr J. Arnott, of the Grey River Argus, for the interest he had taken in this matter; also to Mr M. Levy, merchant, of Greymouth, for his promise of support. The proceedings terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the chairman. Advices from Wellington state that a large number of the N. Z. P. N. Co. shareholders are determined to wind up this concern. There does not appear to be much activity among the members of the Sports Committee this year. As yet no programme has been made public, although the month is now so far advanced that it is almost an impossibility for the information to be spread through the up-country diggings as it ought to be. Some" thing definite will no dqubt be arrived at this evening, at the meeting of the Committee which is to be held at Hunt's Club Hotel, at half-past eight o'clock. By a proclamation in the Genera' Government Gazette of the 2nd inst., the Waste Lands Board of the County of Westland is empowered "to withdraw from sale any block or blocks of suburban or rural land which may have been, or shall hereafter br, declared open for, sale by the Board, and which shall after such declaration be found to be auriferous." The Board is further empowered to declare the land again open for sale, provided that three months' notice of such sale shall be given in the Westhni! Gazette. As Mr Samuel Hawke, his son, and a Mr Fry, weie a few days ago, crossing the Waikato river in a canoe, from some cause unknown, the canoe was upset, and its occupants drowned. We have to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the first issue of a new large daily news- [ paper published at Shortland, by. Mr Win. Shaw, late of the W. C. Times. It is called The Times, and Tliaines Miners 1 Advocate, is very creditably got up, and appears to enjoy the support of a large share of the advertising public. We wish our new contemporary every success. An extensive fire has occurred at New Plymouth, by which ,£IO,OOO worth of property was destroyed. The sufferers were Messrs Bartlett, boarding-house ; Lowry, house; E. M. Smith, house; E. J. Cudd, furniture warehouse and grocery store ; Watson, building and workshop ; Mrs Smart, house ; Hoby, gallery and empty house ; Nicoll, tinsmith. The Governor has recently, by procalmation, made a number of reserves in that portion of the Borough at the head of the liigoon, for hospital, cemetery, municipal, and railway purposes. The municipal reserve contains 9a. , lr., 30p.; and is bounded on the north by Chesterfield street, on the east by the road and railway reserve, on the south by the town belt, aud on the west by the road along the coast. We learn by private advices from the Thames, that the shareholders in the claim which was discovered by the late Major Von Tempsky, called the Lord Ashley, or Golden Age, and which has lately turned out to be one of the richest on the diggings, have met and agreed to present his widow with a full share in the claim. This is a verj' generous action, as Von Tempsky threw up the claim, the expense of developing it being moie than he could afford. " Late telegrams from Wellington state that the last vessel of the Panama Company for Panama (the s.s. Rakaia) sailed on the Sth inst. It is said that the s.s. Mataura was seized in Sydney, on behalf of the Royal Mail Company, and that the steamers Claud Hamilton and Auckland have been sold. The Home News of October 9, says :— A petition has been presented to the Court of Chancery by a firm of wive merchants in the city for the winding up of the P. N.Z. and A.X.M. Co., and it is appointed to be heard early in November. A Gazette dated 3rd December, further prorogues the meeting of the General Assembly from the 22th December, until Friday, the 26th day of February next, when both Houses are instructed to meet in Parliament, at the City of Wellington, there, to take into consideration the state and welfare of the Colony of New Zealand. The Government have refused the services of a Volunteer Cavalry Corps formed in Wellington to proceed to the front. The Independent of the Ist inst. state 3 that " an adjourned meeting of those gentlemen who had offered their services to the Government as a cavalry corps, met at the Crown and Anchor Hotel last evening. There were forty present, and a number of others prepared to join the corps. A letter was received from Acting Under-Secretary Haughton, declining the services of the corps, on the ground that the Government had no arms to furnish them with. We regret that the Government should have declined the services of so fine a body of men. They vere all good horsemen, prepared to find their own horses, and many of them had previously served in the late Defence Force, and were consequently well up in the drill, They would have been a most useful corps in case of an outbreak in the country, aud could har« been moved with rapidity."