THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 862, 2 May 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1871.

The Hon Mr Sewell is, we believe, holding the portfolio of the PostmasterGeneral during that Minister's absence from the Colony. As Mr Sewell iv now in Greymouth, it would not be amiss if representations were made to him of the utter want of any regular means for securing the delivery of the English mails at this port. As matters now stand, the Westland portiox of the mail reaches its destination by chance. Sometimes we get our mails in tolerably decent time from Auckland, at others they are delivered after the Suez mail, which brings letters of later date, has been received. Last month a portion only of the Westland mail reached hand by the steamer supposed to bring it all, and the Hokitika boxes lay here for several hours, whilst those for this port had been left behind. These irregularities are due to the fact that no regular or definite arrangement exists for bringing on the mails from Nelson. They are left entirely to the chances of a coasting steamer being in Nelson on or about the time when the mail arrives from Manakau. By accident occasionally there is a steamer immediately available, but far more frequently several days are lost in the transmission. Now this is not a fair thing towards Westland,^ which, contributes, perhaps, in amount" fourth in the list of Provinces towards the cost of the Postal Service of the Colony. But Westland has always been neglected in the matter of the Mail Service, and this port most especially. In the new Californian contract, for instance, amidst all the provisions and precautions established for ensuring the punctual delivery of the mails, not a word is mentioned with regard to Westland, whilst the Government undertakes to provide a steam tender at Napier to land the mail from the ocean steamer as she passes. Of course it could not be expected that the niail steamer would come on here, but it is certainly only fair and reasonable that the Government should take steps to give us some relinble means of getting our mails down from Nelson. We don't know if any subsidy or bonus is given to the chance steamers that usually bring on We JSngllßli Man from Kelson, but we feel sure that for a moderate payment the service of a regular steamer to bring the mail could be secured. We trust that the Acting Postmaster-General will satisfy himself of the necessity for increased attention to the postal wants of this part of the Colony, and adopt measures that will be to the public convenience and advantage.