THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1269, 23 August 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1872.

Since the active initiation of the Public Works policy, it has been the practice of the Government to utilise the services of Provincial officers where these services have been available, and, while they wisely reserve to themselves the right to actorie way or the other,,, they still promise that that practice'will be maintained. The demands of the Opposition go further than this. According to Mr Curtis's programme they demand that, while the re'sponsibi\ity shall rest with the Colonial government, Provincial authorities should share in the execution bf public works, and Mr Stafford's resolutions point in the same direction, though not a whit more in that direction than has been the practice of the Government. Between his theory and the Government's practice there is, in fact, no discoverable difference, and only the distinction that there always iVhet.wfifln the theoretical and the [ of course|Tnat^Re^^vw^n^nW^HP present carrying out two important works —the construction of a road in the Grey Valley, and another in the Inangahua district, both connecting with Reefton. They must also be aware of the extraordinary character of the season during which these works have been carried on — a season which has been highly exceptional i by its wetness even on the wet West Coast, and which has consequently mate- , rially interfered with the progress* of operations and the character of the work completed. The difficulties which, from this cause alone, have been encountered by those to whom the duty of conducting the work has been committed have been so enormous that much allowance should be made for any slowness of progress or even inefficient construction. Giving due weight to these considerations, however, and making every allowance for the extraordinary circumstancesj there are several not incompetent authorities who describe the work in the Grey Valley, so far as it has. gone, to be, while inevitably and eminently costly, anything but eminently satisfactory as a specimen of road- \ work. In several letters this complaint has been made to us, but, in the absence of compliance with the rules of correspondence, we have not inserted the communications. Verbal descriptions of the same sort are to be heard in Greymouth daily, and, as the matter 1b now one of so much current remark, we quote, as

our justification for noticing it, not only that fact, but the following extract from a private and well-authenticated letter whioh has been placed before ua. Writing on the subject some weeks ago, a respectable up-country resident aaya : — " You may not be aware that the roads which are being constructed are still very far from being completed,,and,l have re-: liable information that the work ia being so Ul done that it is very questionable whether the roads will ever be of any use for heavy traffic. Now, when we consider that the main object in getting these roads is to enable very considerable and heavy traffic to pass over them, and that at the same time every exertion ia being used to divert this heavy traffic to the Westport aide, it is really a matter of vital importance to the Greymouth merchants that this matter should be looked into mosfc carefully. You maynot be aware that ever since the commencement of the work, up to the last few days, Mr Dobson, the , District Engineer, has not once taken the trouble to inspect the work, and very grievous rumors of the inefficient manner of carrying out the works are afloat. Ia there no means of drawing the attention of the GeneralGovernmenttothis matter 1 ! Already more than LBSOO, I hear, has been spent on the road from Squaretown i to JReefton, and it will cost at least LIBOO more. And again, no steps have been j taken to do anything to the road from the I Arnold to Ahaura Surely it is time that these things should be looked into. I really think you gentlemen of the Press should try and do something to let the Government know how the Nelson officials- are .dealing with the I public funds." ; Such are the complaints aa to the expenditure of the public funds in this particular case, by Provincial officials directly or indirectly employed by the General Government. It may be that they are in no way justified, but, common as they are, and coming as they do from persons who, however incompetent to form an opinion on the matter, have at least the reputation of "respectability," it is necessary that there should be full inquiry as to the causes or causelessness of the complaints ; and we shall hope that none will be more *eady to desire such investigation than the officials themselves. As will be seen by a telegram in another column, the feeling on this subject, or one kindred to it, has culminated at Reefton in an indignation meeting, the merits of whose resolutions we are scarcely in a position to judge of accurately. Some daya ago, it will be remembered, the Overseer of Works, after .permitting one party to pass over the 'road, prevented further traffic for the time being, and, if his explanation is founded on fact, he was justified in doing so. At anyrate, it can easily be understood that while on the part of packers and others there is likely to be an eagerness to avail themselves of the new road, there is aa likely to be on the part of the Overseer a wish to see the work completed and consolidated before he permits it to be subjected to the mo3t trying descriptions of traffic. It is to be regretted that, in connection with this matter, there should be attributed to Mr Mirfin a disposition to contemn public feeling and requirements; and it is also to be hoped that such is > only a misrepresentation or a misunderstanding of any action on the part of a gentleman who is more likely to be chargeable with geniality than contemp- . tuousness. That a strong local feeling i, exists, however, is evident from the contents of a telegram which is corroborative 1 of that received by us, and which has 1 been addressed by a respectable firm in > Reefton to one of the principal merchants • in town. It is to this effect :— i "Large indignation meeting held here , last night. Mirfin refuses to recognise Reeves's instructions to open the road. Will you interest yourself to Strengthen 1 our efforts 1 Old track dangerous. Can i get no goods. Mirfin's conduct severely HKrademned. Apprehend serious disturbW/ice& among packers and roadmen* ■ On the merits' "of this matter we need I say nothing. Of course the " packers and I roadmen" have interests in one direction, I and Mr Mirfin's. judgment may go diametrically ia the opposite direction. It ia for him, however, or his superior officer to keep the Government fully and trulyinformed of the facts, so that there may be no unseemly cross-action between Minister and Engineer. If the public are unreasonably impatient, the public must wait, however provoking may be the delay ; if the Provincial officials to whom the work ia delegated are acting with Provincial affinities for obstructiveness or dilatoriness, they must be awakened or ousted ; and it is for the Minister at the head of the department to at. once take steps which may satisfy himself as to the facts, and, let us hope, satisfy the public as much as all previous Governmental action in this instance has done.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before E. Wickes and E. Masters, Esq., J.P., the following civil cases were dis« posed of :— Robert Brown v Raynor Harrison, judgment for L 4 6s and costs. Wise v Kettle, a claim of L 2 7s for three sheep supplied. As the delivery of orly one was proved, judgment was given for lGs and costs. Wise v Thompson, a claim of L 6 5 j L 2 Is had been paid into Court. Judgment was given for the amount paid in -and an additional 13s. Constantino v Pateraon, a claim of L 3. Paid into court 13s. Judgment was given for 395, also the amount paid into Court, and costs of Court, but no professional costs allowed. The public are reminded that Mr Salo mon, jeweller, late of Dunedin, is still in town exhibiting his magnificent stock of every deeoription of jewelry. As he intends to leave in a few days, all who purpose paying him a visit should do so early. In the County Council, on Wednesday evening, a select committee, consisting of Messrs Hoos, Barff, and Robinson, was appointed to report upon the advisability of removing the locality of the toll-gate at the Kawhaka, A vote of L 33,753 19s 3d was taken for the current expenditure of the halfyear ending 31st December. Some discussion took place in committee on Mr Hungerferd's offer for the maintenance of the Christchurch road, but no decision was arrived at, the matter being postponed pending the receipt of a report from the County Engineer. The other business was unimportant. A social gathering of the friends of Mr J. P. Taylor took place on Wednesday evening at Gilmer's Hotel, for the purpose of presenting that gentleman with a small token of their friendship and personal esteem ; Mr W. Hill acting as chairman, and Mr W. M. Cooper as vice-chairman. A very pleasant and enjoyable evening was spent. After the company had done full justice to the very excellent repast provided under the superintendence of Mr Veale, the chairman gave the following toasts :— " Tho Queen," "|The

Greymouth Volunteer Rangers," coupled with the name of Captain Hamilton. Then came the presentation by the chairman, who in a few appropriate remarks referred to the tpreat respect in which Mr Taylor was held by a large circle of friends, and on behalf of the subscribers begged to present a collection of very handsome jewellery as a souvenir of I their acquaintance with him. Mr Taylor I feelingly- replied. The vice-chairman gave "The Volunteer Fire Brigade," coupled with the name of Mr Glenn, ?'The Trade and Commerce of Greymouth," "The Mining Interest*"* and* other toasts the J intervals being filled by songs, recitations, &c. ' : The directors of the North British^Gold Mining Company, No. 2 north, Shiel's line, Inangahua, haAje decided to resume operations at once 'in "'their mine. The drive from the shaft is to be carried a further distance of from 50ft to 100 ft to the eastward. Work •was discontinued some months ago owing to want of funds, but. the shareholders have good reason to believe that the reef will be intersected within 50ft after starting the drive. Mr Thorpe has been appointed legal manager.

The contractors for the Atlas Company's tunnel at Inangahua have completed their contract. In the laat 40 feet they drove through. a seamof coal about 16 feet thick, intermixed with which a good deal of pure rosin was discovered.

A wire foot-bridge, spanning the Inangahua River between Reefton and Rosstovm, is iv contemplation, Mr Dalton having made application to the Provincial Engineer for protection of the same. The work will, we Believe, be taken in hand as soon as the protection is granted, and will prove a great public convenience. The production of the " great American drama,* "Under the Gaslight," at the Volunteer Hall. .last evening, was a perfect success' as regards either the com' pany's exchequer or the public entertainment. The house was crowded, and from the commencement to the conclusion of the performance there was close attention given to the play by the audience, and approval boisterously expressed on each occasion that the curtain felt. Five acts and 17 performers sufficiently represent how great the play is in point of quantify and variety of character and incident, but it is the scenery and mechanism requisite to its' representation which form its great attraction, and that attraction was most skilfully and successfnlly contributed by Mr Neville Thornton as the scenic artist, and Mr George Cooper as machinist. By their ingenuity the play was produced as no other play has been on West Coast stages great or small, and Mr Thornton was deservedly complimented by calls before the curtain. In thanking the audience, he promised still, more Bmooth working of the panoramic part of the piece on the next occasion of its pacformance, and that occasion is to-night* •;,■•/•

Reefton is likely to be well supplied with coal, so says the Herald of yesterday, two valuable seams having been opened, one to the north and the other to the south of the township. Applications for leases have been forwarded to the Superintendent, but no reply has been yet received as to whether or not they will be granted.

By the new road from Reefton to Christy's the distance has been shortened to a little under twenty-one miles. The following figures, showing the distance between various points of the road, are reliable, and are given by the Inangahua Herald : —Reefton to the j unction of the left-hand branch of the Inangahua, 3% miles ; across Fern Flat, 1 mile ; thence to Larry's Creek, 4 miles 7 furlongs 3£ chains; Larry's to Langdon's punt, 6 miles 1 furlong 7 chains ; Langdon's to Christy's, 4 miles, 5 furlongs^ and- 3 chains. Total distance, 204 miles. ( r , In the House of Representatives, on the Ist instant, Mr lHarrison\ asked the Colonial Treasurer whether he intended in the forthcoming estimates of expenditure, to include provision for paying out of the -Consolidated Fund, a portion of the salaries of the Resident Magistrates on the j Nelson-South- West Gold Fields and the County of Westland ! The hon member stated tttatdn the County of Westland the whole of the duties of the Resident Magistrate werecondridted by 'paid officers, by the local authorities, while the General Government drew a considerable revenue from those courts, a' sum of L3OOO having been received from that source during the last year. It was true the Government paid the salary of the Resident Magistrate at Hokitika, but the business, (rf-t^CougLwiis not nearly so great as that trf nsacted atjftae Resident Magistrate's CourV'at 'Greymoutb. The revenue from that Court atone amounted to more than the revenuefrom the Tte'slaent Magistrate's Court of Hawke's^ay or Marlborough, and in the present state of the colonial finances the salary ><)f jbhe Evident Magistrate at Greymouth aoeuM be voted from year to year as in the case of Marlborough and Hawke's.Bay.-r Mr Yogel said it was not the intention of the Government to propose any alteration .., of the system of last year, which was that all the money that could be spared from the colonial expenditure should go to the Provinces in the shape of capitation allowance.

The Fiji Legislative Assembly is only yet in a state of semi-civiliaation. A correspondent of the Southern Gross writes : — "One member commonly appears in. the House in a state of helpless intoxication, and on Friday, Jane 14, he acted in such aaoutrageous manner that the/proceedings of Far* liament had to be ; suddenly suspended, and since then he more than-, ever astonished bis brother legislators, and shocked the strangers in the House (some o£ whom were ladies), from the fact that.,iwhil»t andeavoring to stammer out some -incoherent sentences, his nether habilimenbs fell to hi? feet. This denouement of a member of Parliament, inpwra naiuralibus, whilst 'assisting to make laws, was not regarded with satisfaction." . As aproofof the inutilifcy of attempting to rate mining, property) ,it may be men* tioned that oji, Ifriday la^u£fc^o. persons in the employ of the Totara Bond., .Board pro, ceedeafo the Aylmer Lead, and assessed the property at that-'piace/^'The result is thus described by the Ross Guardian ; — " On their return iW the'e'vehi^g.'l'aM "btelabofs of tfie day, they annbttncdcU *&& satisfactory news that -the, assessment ( amounted: to; 32a* 6d; Tnus, two men have been a whole day in making the valuation, .wdWotUer man yfr^ be another day in coUJeoting this handsome amount " \' I i i'r ■ ;

Baker, ,who ; is nowin*fae, 'Auckland Pro^ vincial Hospital, under.treatmeftt for variola, was never vaccinated/- /He 1 was engaged' as a workman at one of '.tliel local mills. When the alarm.. was at its height} and Gardner's restaurant was prominently referred to as' the fountain head of.the contagion, Baker derided the fears of Jtisifellbw-workers, and previously to the Hem sailing ior' Sydney he visited Gardner's restaurant, where he remained some time in company with Sutcliffe, who has since died froth (variola. On parting, Baker » and Sutcliffe shook 'hands, the latter leaving by the Hero todie, and the former remaining to take the infection, and to spread it by his contact'with other people. A sad accident occurred on Wednesday or Thursday last on tß&Upper Bullet 1 , at the ford known as the Wit&Uope Crossing, near Jacklin's. The Wesfport Times states that two brothers lived there named Kerns or Kearns, carrying on 'business as storekeepers and butchers, and they purposed taking some oats down the river to some carters, a,qd this necessitated their crossing to the other side // ii ■'' ' ' ' : ■

from their store. The only canoe they had' was leaky, and hardly fit to carry more than one passenger, and one of the brothers alone crossed in it ; the other, Charles Kerns, decided on attempting' to, ford and. swim": the, stream on horseback, leading also by a rope : another horae. For this purpose he divested himself. "of a portion of his clothing, and mounting one horse ventured into the current. The IM'hdrSS^hW'everV proved restive, and dragging at the hatter, pulled Kerns off the back of the other into the water j but having struggled out he re--mountedandagain essayed tocross;'*"TJiifor- v tunately, when about four yards only from the landing,' the horse he was riding suddenly sank underneath him, and Kerns was again thrown off into deep water, wherein | he instantly sank, after raising his arms once only for help. His brother was vithin three yards of him with the canoe, but the heavy fresh in the river prevented the pos* aibility of rendering any assistance. The deceased was twenty-two yeare of age, and well-known and respected on the river and amongst cattle dealers. He was a native of Wakefield, near Nelson, where his father resides.

Referring to a recent arrest made in Greymouth, the Ross News says : — "The individual Harney, alias Smith, who was in the employ ot Mr William Owen, the wellknown dairyman, and for whose arrest a warrant had been issued, on a charge of embezzlement, has been apprehended at Greymouth, and will be forwarded down here to interview the Resident Magistrate, at the earliest possible date. The facts of the case, we believe, are that Mr Owen has employed the prisoner to carry round milk, and also entrusted him with the collection of money, but the large sums involved in these weekly and fortnightly milk scores proved too great a temptation to his too-yielding naturej and at the first convenient season he levanted, with a week's gathering in his pocket." . .: .

Some excellent specimens of stone from the Just in Time claim, Inangahua, have been again brought into Reefton. The stone, when broken, shows gold plainly interspersed throughout; The reef, as at present opened up, is some 4ft in width, at a depth of about 150 ft from the surface, and is worked from a drive put in from the face of the hill. The shares are getting in demand, and present holders are sanguine of having struck something good.

The Totara Road Board have been unable to obtain the co-operation of any of the other Boards in the matter of the netition concerning the proposed changes "in the form, of government, and the petition in its original shape has been forwarded to Mr Tribe, for presentation in the House of Representatives. A wail of discontent already'comes from Picton, anent the Picton and Blenheim railway management. It appears that the traders of the port were anticipating lots of trade with the "navvies" imported by Brogden and Co. ; but to their intense disgust, the firm have a storekeeper employed, whose duty it is to serve out to the men, tea, sugar, flour, and, hi fact, all goods that could be obtained, at any store in the Province. "Brogden and Co, Storekeepers," have an advantage over other trades-people, inasmuch as they have no risk from bad debts, and, consequently, are ' able to sell at a minimum of profit, not only to " navvies," but to any stray customers favoring them with ready mOney. Whereat Picfcon traders are exceeding wroth, and denounce the truck system as illegal and abominable .-

; The prospectus of the Cassius and Morning Star Gold Mining Co, is published in the Rosa papers. The Company has been formed for the purpose of working the claims hitherto known as the Cassius, Koh-i-noor, Morning Star, Scandinavian, Excelsior, and Golden Gate claims, situated in Jones's and Guardian Flats, Totara- district. The ; property of the Company consists of the : above well-known claims;' which together comprise an area of about 40 acres, through the entire length of which very rich leads of : gold have been proved , to exist. In addition tjo this, the { Company ,possess, t five steam engines, ' ' aggregating 130 horse ' power, together with pumps, winding gear, and all necessary appliances for large and extensive mining operations. It is'propdsed'^to'purchase from the present proprietors the claims which are held under lease from.'' the Crown for 15 years, together with the plant, for the sum ; of, L 10,320, which they have- agreed to take in paid-up shares, thus leaving L 5680 to be subscribed for by the public. These shares are proposed to be issued at par, and the capital thus raised will, be devoted, to the purchase of the powerful plant of the_Drainage^ompany,*aTidtoeffecting^th^'necesslry alterations, in. the drainage appliances, so that the whole can be worked on a more econo-