THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1235, 13 July 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1872.

There are several matters which might fairly form the" subject of comment at this particular moment— the nomination of our County Chairman to a seat in the Legislative Council, the condemnation of the representative of the Butter District by the intelligent portion of his constituency, the prospects of parties during the impending meeting of the Assembly, the question between the Nelson Government, the District J udge, and the Press as to reducing the area of mining leases at the Inangahua, and the merits of two propositions relative to the formation of roads between tbe eastern and western sea- boards of the Middle Island. There have been free, and, in some cases, free and easy comments on each of these matters, and on each we should like to express an opinion such as the circumstances and local feeling seem to justify. They are subjects, however, which can be more conveniently dealt with in detail, and, in some cases, more conveniently dealt with when complete reports of particulars are to hand — e.g., the question between the Buller constituency and the person whom, in moments of misguided good-nature and mistaken sympathy, they elevated to positions in one of which he appears to have forfeited their confidence. For the present, and for the purpose of relieving our columns of a subject to which some prominence has recently been given, we prefer making a few quotations from the Canterbury ; papers relative to the roads which it is proposed to construct with the object • of connecting the producing districts of the East with tho rapidly enlarging community of consumers on the West Coast. Without any feeling of jealousy or of raising invidious comparisons between one road proposed to be formed from the Westland and Canterbury trunk road, to the Ahaura, and' another proposed to be made to the same destination by way of the Amuri, there has been frequent expression given in the Grey Valley to the opinion that the latter is a necessary aud expedient undertaking, and, having on several occasions pointed out its necessity and expediency, it is some satisfaction to find that the opinion thus expressed is not solely based on local sympathies. In the two Christchurch papers both the propositions which have here and elsewhere been discussed have received some amount of notice, and in two' issues of the Press there have been stated facts that may fairly be quoted hi support of opinions which have, in these columns, and in reliance upon the accuracy of the facts, already been expressed.. In the first of two articles on the subject, the Press

says : — „.;.;.. ' "The Abaura is about 145 miles from Christchurch, by a read running through the Amuri District up the Waian, and by way of the. Hanmer Plains.' Of this distance — which is 23 miles less than that between Christchurch and Hokitika— there are already 76 miles of good coach road without a break. We give the distance between known points as accurately as we have been able to ascertain them. From Christchurch to the Huruuui (Hastie's) is 51 miles ; from the Burunui to the Montrose Station (Sir D. Munro's), 14 ; from Montrose Station to the Waiau bridge, 11 ; making a total bo far of 76 milep. From the Waiau bridge to the next station on the Hanmer Plains there is a fair dray road, a distance of some 13 mil •*. A further distance of 14 miles biinja the road to the top of the saddle. Ir» flti» longth there are no difficult and all that is required is some si'le ciit tin»s. From the saddle to the Ahatim (a branch of the Grey) is a distance of about 42 miles. This length presents fow difficulties which cannot easily be overcome. The gradients are easy ; the bush is in many places open ; there are suverHl large grassy flats — one of, about 5000 acres of good land ; and *lu*re are no rivers to cross. At the Ahaura there are now several diggings ; and at this, point the existing track moots the inaih road now in course of construction to Reef ton, which lies about 27 miles to the northward. Rough estimates by men who have travelled on the road for Borne time' past calculate the expense of making the present track a good driving road at £1500. The Nelson Government has vutud this sum,

and it is to be hoped that no time will be lost in expending it to the best advantage. We are persuaded, however, that this will not satisfy the requirements of the case. It is said that from to J7OOO will open a good coach road, and we trust that out of the millions that are now being borrowed there will be no hesitation about appropriating this small amount to so useful an object. There can be no reason why the road should not be open for coach traffic within twelve months."

Referring to the same subject in a later number, and to the counter proposal of making a road from the present trunk road to the Ahaura by way of Bell Hill, the Press remarks : — " If the existing West Coast road would give access to all the principal markets for stock or produce on the West Coast as indicated in the memorial, we are far from thinking that it is a sufficient outlet for the produce of all the different parts of the country on the East Coast. Why should not the stock of the south of the Province find its way over Whitcombe's pass to the yet unexplored headwaters of the Hokitika ? and why should not the settlerß of the northern districts and the Arnuri have a more ready access than is afforded them by tracks which are travelled over with great risk and delay ? We are aware that public undertakings of this nature are largely brought about by the activity of sections of the public who are specially interested in each; and we are glad to see that the advocacy of one valuable line of communication has fallen into good hands. We trust that the zeal which is being brought to bear upon it may incite the inhabitants of the northern districts to press their claims for consideration without loss of time. "The information we have supplied in respect of the Waiau route is, like that which is the subject of this petition, necessarily incomplete without engineers' reports as to the cost, gradients, and distances. But if what we are told is true — that the distance from Christchurch to Hokitika by the present route is 168 miles, that the distance from Christchurch to Ahaura by way of the road diverging at the thirty-second mile-post is also 168 miles, and that the distance from Christchurch to Ahaura by way of Waiau is 145 miles — not only are the merchants, bankers, and traders of Christohu-ch largely interested in obtaining coach communication by the- Watau route, but all the centres of population on this route — Kaiapoi, Ratigiora, Woodend, LeithSeld— and the agricultural districts which surround them, are more interested in proportion as the distance between them and Reef ton is lessened." Our contemporary concludes his remarks with a recommendation which, though of local application, may be as appropriately applied to any action proposed to be taken in the Grey Valley or in other parts of the "West Coast : — "Let our representatives press both roads on the attention of the Government and the Assembly. In the meantime the ! northern districts should not hesitate to follow the example already set by petitioning for the VVaiau branch. Rangiora is holding meetings about the proposal to take a railway up the centre of its street : it could well ventilate this subject at the same time. Let the landowners give their land at once, and turn tlietr attention to a subject of really great importance. Let Leithfield remember that there are large tracts of laud beyond it unavailable for settlement, and that nothing would conduce more to bring on the railway northwards than the development of a traffic such as would be created by the opening up a road by the Waiau and. the Hot Springs to Reefton."