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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 768, 20 December 1870, Page 2

AiTOTHEE flagrant example of the evils of double government 1 in the Grey District has recently been supplied, the facts of which reflect little .credit indeed on the Nelson authorities, and more especially on the new. Secretary for the Nelson Gold. Fields— Mr.Greorge Donne. Our readers are aware that there have been for some time three ferries over the Grey. River — one at the Coal Pits owned by Mr Alabaster, one a little further down the river owned by Mr Montgomery, and one at the Junction of the Arnold, owned by Mr Langdon. Each is of great use to the travelling public— the latter commands a dangerous crossing on the Grey, arid the others are the means of considerably shortening in tin^e the journey from Greymouth to the up-river, settlements. . But one— that of Mr Langdon—is entirely in the Nelson Province, and the other is only' a 1 means of connection with the County of Westland. And for this reason only one of the latter is,- at the instance of the Nelson Government, 1 ordered to be removed:! . Mr Montgomery has obtained* the consent of : the Westland authorities •"' to. work his ferryfrom or- to this side the river, but •has not been ■ allowed the : : same ; privilege by tlie Nelson 1 Government on their side. ■ And for what reason 1 Simply because' his ferry is slippbsed by some stretch of the imagination to" interfere wi<h MrLangdon's "rights" at -the. Junction— 'between four and five miles' ; distant j and because also the County Chairinah of Westland refused to grant 'protection to Mr Langdon for a ferry across the Arnold, .and gave it to a Mr .Curtis. To show how the public interest is made to. snffer. through the conflict of authority, we may briefly state the whole facts from the commencement of this disgraceful muddle. There weie two applicants for the right to establish a ferry across the Arnold, each a desirable person for the purpose— Mr 1 Curtis, who was the first to put a boat over the crossing some 'years ago, and Mr Langdon who owned the ferry over the Grey River, near its junction with the i Arnold, The Arnojd river being a boundary line between {the

Province of Nelson and the County of \Vesfcland, it Avas necessary to secure the, United permisaion of the two G-overn-•ments before either of the applicants could establish his ferry. were '-made by each party, but the Nekon GoVernment favored one and the Westland Government another, so that neither could secure a proper right to the ferry. Mr Curtis, however, went to great ex--pense.:;.in.-: .opening; :.;iip ... a road from the Arnold River to connect with the metalled road on the Westland side from the. Coal Pits to. Maori Gully, aad Mr established a ferry across the CGrey- near the Coal Mine in order to niake an uubroken line of easy communication from Greymouth or Cobden. No '|on.c who knows the route from the port ito the up-river diggings can hesitate for la moment as to which is the most speedy ;and comfortable. The only, decent bit of iroad oil the Nelson side is from Cobden to the Coal : Pits, whilst the road on the Westland side from that point is the best up-river...-; But it is;eyiden tthat the public •'"convenience or safety is as nothing to be compared in importance with the necessity • of pi'esetving the patronage and authority of the Nelson Government intact. Mr Donne has lost no time in airing his new dignity) and has given instructions to the Warden to order the removal of Mr Montgomery's punt-wire from the Nelson side of the river on pain of its being removed • forcibly by ; the Nelson Government. Can anything be more outrageowo I or absurd, or show more unmistakeably the necessity of terminating snch a wretched condition of affairs. We know nothing arid care' less about the rival claims of the respective ferry owners. All . we . know : is . this, that any system of administration that stands so flagrantly iv the way of public convenience should be : swept away. Means of communication, are scant enough in this part of the Colony without making them less just because two petty local Governments happen to differ in their ideas of patronage, or two rival punt owners choose- "to . compete with each other. Under a more sensible system of government such things would be impossible. ; The monopoly of ferries can only be palliated in special cases of difficulty or expense, but to think of shutting up a ferry over' a navigable river is monstrous — especially for such frivolous and childish reasons as have actuated the Nelson authorities. But this is only 'another example of the farce of " delegated powers." Mr Hoos furnished one the other; day, and Mr Curtis, through his very responsible Secretary, has supplied another. Surely it is time this absurdity were terminated, and that the public, who pay the piper, should be consulted. We snppose the sequel of this miserable job will be that the Nelson Gpvernment will carry out their threat, and that Mr Montgomery's ferry over the Grey will be Btopped to the great inconvenience of the public. How long is this state of things to last?