THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AT AHAURA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1124, 5 March 1872, Page 2

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AT AHAURA.

Mr Reeves, the Minister of Public Works for the Middle Island, received a deputation from the residents of Ahaura and the district, on Saturday, 3nd March. Mr Haughton, Secretary to the Gold Fields, was also present. Mr Frank Guinness acted as spokesman, welcomed Mr Beeves to the district, and apologised -for the absence of a more formal reception, as, owing to the short notice the inhabitants' haS of Mr Reeves' arrival, there had not been sufficient .time:' to prepare a written address. Mr Guinness then laid the sev.eral wants and requirements of the district before the Minister, and ■dwelt specially on the great . necessity of making the road from the Arnold to Ahaura — that road would complete the link between the seaport and Reefton. The road on the County of Westland side of the river from Greymouth to the Arnold was in course of construction. Tenders have been called for making a dray road from Ahaura to the little Grey Junction, and there was no doubt the road from the Junction to Reefton would soon be commenced. The portion of road from the Arnold and Ahaura was then wanted to complete the communication by means of dray traffic. The benefits likely to accrue from the making of this road to the miners, and agricultural as well as oilier residents of the Grey Valley, could scarcely: be over-estimated; and it was to be hoped Mr Reeves! wculd use his influence to have it at once commenced. The extension of the telegraph from Greymouth to Reefton was also a work rendered necessary by the importance of the districts to be placed in telegraphic communication, and there were reasonable grounds to suppose that the undertaking would be self-supporting. Mr J. D. Pinkerton, as an old resident in the district, could fully endorse the statements of Mr Guinness, as to the great necessity of improving and increasing the means of communication. The progress of the place was materially retarded for want of roads, and he trusted the honorable gentlemen they were welcoming to Ahaura would see fit to urge the consideration of the claims of the district in the proper quarter. Mr F. Guinness said he had been requested to state that the Government of Nelson long ago acknowledged the necessity of making the Arnold road, for on three seperate occasions thgy placed sums of money on the Estimates for its construction: ' These votes were passed each time, and yet the Nelson Government did not take any further action in, the fatter; The reason these votes wojfe riot expended had never been explained, and the conduct of the Government with respe3t to them was highly censurable. Mr Reeves said it afforded him great pleasure to meet so numerous a deputation from the residents of that 1 important district. They could no doubt understand the object of his visit. The General Government had undertaken to expend certain monies voted by Act of Parliament for public works; throughput the Colony, and in connection with these works it, was proposed to connect the jfirpy and Bnller rivers from the highest available navigable

point upon either river. The expenditure of the vote for this work devolved upon the department of the Government which he represented, and he was here to learri by actual experience the most advantageous means of carrying out the work. The reason the road was not made direct from Greymouth to Westporfc, via Reefton, was simply because the funds at the disposal of the Government were insufficient for the purpose, and therefore the Government were compelled to avail themselves of the water carriage as far as possible. It would in a great measure depend on the future progress of both districts, and the increase of the population, when the roads would be extended to the seaboard, and the land communication made con," plete. No doubt if the Reefton district turned out as most people anticipated, the Works would sooii be finished, and, at all events, all future roadmaking would not be included within the limit of the means available from the present votes, so that in the ordinary course these roads, being of such great importance, would be constructed before long. He made it a rule of his life not to make definite promises unless he had a reasonable expectation of performing them, and he intended to adhere to that determination. He was not in a position to promise the deputation that the Arnold road would be made at once, although he could, in common with them, see the great importance of it, and how highly conducive the joining of the several links and the completion of a main road would be to the settlement of the country. Sooner or later the road would be made, and he should not forget their unanimously expressed opinions and wishes that the work was one of urgent necessity. With respect to the telegraph to Reefton, he could assure them that he intended to closely watch and use his eyes on hia visit to th 9 Inangahua, and if he saw sufficient indications of progress and permanency to justify a reasonable expectation that the line would become selfsupporting, there was no doubt the telegraph would be extended so as to connect Reefton with the seaboard. There waa-a gr^at deal of telegraph construction going on throughout the colony, and it was not too much to expect that these districts ought to come in for a share. There was another subject to which the deputation did not allude, but with reference to which his friend Mr Guinness had written to him. He meant the desirability of construct a fit track for cattle to reach the Amuri district from the Gold Fields. The importance of this road could not be overestimated, and its great necessity was apparent. He had instructed the District Engineer to have an examination of the route made, and if no serious obstacles presented themselves, the track would be made without unnecessary delay. He had himself seen the necessity of pnshing forward the works already decided upon as quickly as possible, and of connecting the several portions of new roads in the Grey Valley, so as to niake the chain of communication complete. Mr James Graham, a miner from Half-Ounce, would like to hear an expression of opinion froni the Minister of Public Works with respect to the supply of water to the Gold Fields. Reefton and the reefing districts were no doubt important places, at least the alluvial miners were told so often enough, and if the quartz people were not heard of far and near, it was not for the want of blowing their own trumpets loud enough, but he was of opinion that the existing alluvial mines of the Grey -Valley,; and more particularly those of Duffer, Noble, and Half Ounce Creeks, and Napoleon Hill were as important to the country as any problematical everlasting quartz discovery. The amount of auriferpus alluvial material to be profitably qperated upon in the districts he had mentioned was practically inexhaustible, and seeing they had the land, he now anxiously paused for a satisfactory reply to his question — What about the water ? (Applause.) Mr Reeves said the question was a most important one, and had received the serious consideration of the Government. There was a sum of L 300,000 set aside to su pply , or assist to supply, the ; Gold Fields with water. The expenditure of this sum was spread ovgr a period of three years. Owing to lapse of time and other causes, there were L 200,000 of this money still available. The Gold Fields of the Polony might be reckoned as consisting of three great divisions, namely, those of Otago, the West Coast of the Middle Island, and the Thames and Coroniandel, Therefore each of these great divisions were entitle}, to a sum of nearly LfjQ.OOO to assist iv propnring water supplies. Since his arrival on the West Coast hp heard frequent complaints that the regulations with respect to the obtaining the proportionate rate of- the Government subsidy were unsuitable to the circumstances of this part of the Colony^ He had been told that there was not sufficient capital in the place to enable applicants to . take advantage of the Government grant in aid. He had been told also that if the two-thirds of 'the proposed cbst of works necessary] to be raised, before the one-third coming from the Government would.be available, could be pro-, cured, there would not be any necessity to upply ti» the Government at all for assistance, for that any capitalist would advance the remainder of the money on the security of the amount already subscribed. It occurred to him that those who made these objections were under a misapprehension of the meaning of the Regulations. If the Government were prepared to consider the value of tlie labor expended in the work, as cash, and allow for it as if it were capital subscribed, the case assumed a different complexion. Time alone could demonstrate the suitability or otherwise of the Regulations, and if it was seen that they were unworkable they would have to be amended. Mr Haughton, the J Secretary of the Gold Fields, whose special duty it was to recommend and regulate the expenditure of this money, was now among them. Every information would be given by him, and for ihat matter the miners would fee able to obtain detailed directions how to proceed to obtain a portion of the grant, on application to the Wardens of the Gold Fields, whose duty it was to give this information to': the; miners. He again thanked the deputation for the courteous reception he had received, and trusted his visit might be productive of benefit to the district. After thanking Mr Reeves for his courtesy, the deputation withdrew. The large room in which tho meeting took place was growded, and Mr Reeves was frequently applauded' -during tlie dpHvjjry of hj|3 address. ■'■ ' '•' "■■■• ■'."

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