THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1099, 5 February 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1872.

The Committee appointed at the late public meeting held in town regarding the main road from the Grey Valley_ to* Reefton, have been very active during tiio last few days, being in almost constant telegraphic communication with the Minister for Public Works. We have already published several telegrams received by them, but from the tenor oi the last it was apparent that the Government was being misled, perhaps unintentionally, by some ono. It will be remembered tKat Mr Gisborne telegraphed that he found the survey of both routes from the Grey Valley waa far advanced, whereas the truth was that no surveyor had been over, the short track recently discovered by Messrs O'Malley and Jenkins. At the same time it was apparent that the work of making the road on the Westport side was being pushed on under the charge of Mr Dobson, the Nelson Government's Provincial Engineer, and nothing whatever was being done on the Grey side, except a few promises being made as to proposed surveys. It was quite evident that Nelson influence was again being brought to bear for the purpose of bolstering up Westport at the cost of Greymouth. It was most natural that in whichever district the expenditure first commenced, there the largest proportion of the vote would be spent, on the plea that a road once commenced must be finished. If equal justice was intended to be dealt out to both districts the expenditure on the main roads ought to have commenced simultaneously on both sides of the Saddle, a special allocation of the money for each road should have been made, so that the interests of the one district should not be sacrificed to those of another. We believe that views very similar to these were entertained by the Committee, and a meeting was held on Saturday, when it was determined to send out the Town Surveyor, Mr Johnston, and a staff of men, to survey the new short track to Reefton, and to send in the surveys and reports as speedily as possible to the General Government, so that the Minister for Public Works may decide which is the best according to the physical features of the country and the engineering difficulties to be encountered. At the same time they thought proper to forward a telegram, of which the following is i copy, to Mr Gisborne :— " Greymouth, 3rd February, 1872.— Telegram to Mr Gisborne, Colonial Secretary. Wellington. — From enquiries made df local surveyors and others, we can only conclude that General Government have been misled as to survey of short route ' Mia Mia' to Reeftou, recently discovered. No Burvejor has as yet ever been over tho ground, while Mr Dobson and still' ;tru bußily engaged preparing working plans for Buller line. We are fearful that as works are being so rapidly pushed on on Westport side, and nothing being done on this, that all the Goneral Government money available will be spent on Buller line before even survey of Grey Valley road is completed, which action is directly detrimental to Inangahua District. The Nelson Provincial Government will, judging from past actions, sacrifice any interests to serve their own ends. Under these circumstances, we have authorised an engineer at once to make surveys, &c, of proposed new route, which, when completed, will be laid before your Government, and we trust you will then give an impartial decision based upon the natural physical features of the country. „.,Ih meantime, and until reliable survey is ready, we respectfully request that a fair share, say half, of General Government funds available for purpose be reserved for forming road from Grey Valley. We are determined, if engineer's report be satisfactory, to make road by short route, but rely upon the General Government's sense of justice to subject two roads to test of any impartial judge, and to spend upon Grey Valley route a fair proportion of money available. (Signed.) E. Wiokes, Mayor. Joseph Kilqour, Chairman of Committee," In reply to this, Mr Gisborne thanked the Committee for placing a surveyor and staff at the disposal of the Government, assured them that the interests of the

Grey Valley would be watched over, and that +he main road to Reef ton would be pushed jOn a3 Boon as the surveys were completed. Now, mark how different was the conduct of the Nelson Provincial Engineer, Mr Dobson. When he was informed that a surveyor and staff was placed at the disposal of the Government, he telegraphed to the Committee that, in his opinion, they had gone to unnecessary expense. . To this the Committee very properly replied that their conduct had been approved of at head-quarters, and that was quite satisfactory to them. There the matter rests at present. Mr Johnston starts early this morning to commence the survey of the main route, and we think the Committee deserves the best thanks of the community for the energetic manner in which they have so far acted.