THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY. MAY 17, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1186, 17 May 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY. MAY 17, 1872.

Tug wisdom of dealing with principals instead of subordinates, "with heads of departments in lieu of their clerks, of appealing to the fountain-head on all occasions, was never better illustrated than, the effect of such a course in connection -with the Reef ton road. At the time the contract for the road between the Mia Mia and Reef ton was accepted, it was generally thought that, owing to a variety of circumstances, it would never be satisfactorily completed by the contractor, or within anything like contract time. These expectations have been more than realised, and two months of fine weather have been all but wasted. A few of those materially [interested in Reefton represented the condition of affairs in reference to the manner in which the contract was being carried out to the Hon. Mr Reeves, Resident Minister for this island, when his action was at once prompt and decisive, and in strange contrast to the general usages of red-tape. He at once telegraphed to the District Engineer on the subject stringent instructions, and finding that the contractor could not carry out his undertaking, sent him to the rightabout forthwith, and the District Engineer is now ordered to carry out the work without the slightest further loss of time. Such an unofficial act, one so violating all the Barnacle traditions, has not been committed for some time ; and the singular part of the business io that public interested, both at Greymouth and Reefton and along the ■whole route, are not only not shocked, but positively grateful for such a departure from time-houored routine. Nothing that the present Government has done has so thoroughly induced confidence in the Ministry as this act of, the Resident Minister, and it will, at no distant occasion, duly bear fruit. Without going at present at any length into the neglect of bogus contractors, of whom we regret to say there is n. plentiful crop on the Coast, we cannot help regretting that men of the kind should be allowed to retard necessary public undertakings, by the Government recklessly accepting offers which the least reflection would prove could never be carried out. There are too many of " I-win-you-lose" people, ready at a moment's notice to take advantage of any laxity, arid trast in Providence to gain some pickings, whether at the expense of the poor credulous men who work for them, or by any other means. But, re.

verting to the course that the General Government have taken in the Mia Mia road matter, surely if anything can convince the public of the whole district of the advantages accruing, were it under their direct administration, instead of being " between the devil and the deep sea" in the shape of the Provincial Council of Nelson, and the County Council of Westland, the energy, and, what is more, the power manifested on this occasion should be conclusive. The principals have been appealed to, and have responded nobly ; the Government have fulfilled all pledges to the letter, and the community owe them a real debt of gratitude. Had the Nelson Government had any hand in the matter there would have been correspondence without end, humbug of all kinds, and it would have ended in the contractor being permitted to finish in twelve months what will now be done in a month. Mr Collins, in the Provincial Council the other day, had the consumate imperi tinence to get up and move a re- ! solution condemnatory of the General Government for interfering with public works in the Nelson Province. The tenor of his motion was substantially a vote of censure on Ministers for having dared to be vigorous and prosecute road works within Nelson's sacred confines. Disinclined to make roads themselves, Nelson members object to the General Government pushing them aside and doing what is needful ; and it must be evidently needed in the eyes of all but the obtuse individuals in whose hands, most unfortunately, the destinies of the Coast too greatly rest. Though dull to a degree, they begin to see that power is slipping away from their grasp ; that antediluvian notions are not suitable to a progressive mining community, who look forward with hope, and will welcome with inexpressible joy a transfer of present rule to other hands. That some great change must be, and speedily too, the Executive must surely see, and when it is effected, fires will be lighted and bells be rung in joyous celebration. So far, we have every reason to be grateful, but the task of the General Government is not accomplished yet, and will not be completed till the road between here and Reefton is finishad throughout. There is a missing link in the chain yet, viz., the route from the Arnold to the Abaura The Superintendent of Nelson, in his opening address, indicated his anxiety to effect this work, either by passing a measure having for its object payment for it in land, or by placing L7OOO on the Estimates to pay for it in cash. We may say that the public do not believe one bit in Mr Curtis's good intentions, and regard hi 3 conduct as simply a blind. Last year a sum of money was "placed on the Estimates," happy phrase, but it was never placed on the road, which is in the same state as when the farcial vote was passed. We have no doubt, unless some stronger power steps in to our aid, the same vote with identical results, will ornament the Appropriation Ordinance for years to come. Even if provision was made authorising payment in land, the conditions would be so complex that months might elapse before any one would take up the contract. In the meantime we rind the road to the Arnold all but completed, a good road formed to the Mia Mia from Ahaura, and the other we have already referred to being rapidly pushed on between'Mia Mia and Reefton, leaving a blank hiatus between Arnold and the Ahaura. We frankly tell the Govern men t that the public have no confidence whatever in Nelson administration, in Nelson promises, or in anything with which the present Provincial Executive has anything to do. We ask them on behalf of the community to once more and effectually interfere, and take such measures as will ensure the gap being filled and the work commenced at once. They have already laid the Coast under great obligation by the prompt manner in which they have carried or are carrying out works and facilitating communication between Reefton and the seaboard, by way of both Grey mouth and Westport ; let them strengthen the feeling already engendered, either by taking the needed road into their own hands, or by adopting such measures as will compel the Nelson authorities to undertake it without one day's unnecessary delay. There are means to bring recalcitrant Superintendents to reason : we earnestly beg the Fox Executive to adopt them in the present case, and thereby aid in developing a gold field that promises in a few months to be one of the most remunerative and important within the confines of New Zealand. We have neither hope from or faith in Nelson promises ; we look to the General Government to help us on this occasion, and trust that the appeal will not be made in vain. [Since the above was in type we have received a telegram on the subject that appears in auother column. We hope that some good may yet come out of Nelson, and should the tenders spoken of ibe called for, if endorsed by the General Government, we have no doubt that plenty of persons will offer to do the work. At the same time we feel fully assured that in the above remarks we express the public opinion of the district.]