THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1346, 21 November 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1872.

The enterprise of establishing coach communication between Greymouth, Reefton, and intermediate centres of population in the Grey Valley, has, to a slight extent, received encouragement from the General Government by the acceptance of a tender to employ such means of carriage in the conveyance of the mails. Compared, however, with the cost of tho undertaking, any small extra money consideration to which the Government may, in this particular, have consented, is but " a drop in the bucket.'' The outlay is large ; the risks aro great ; the obstacles to any but energetic and enterprising men seem almost insuperable ; and all that is received from the Government, with a great deal more, is swallowed up in reducing, as much for the public convenience as for the contractors' gain, such physical obstructions to traffic as do now abound. In justice to the contractors, in justice to the population of the district, and in justice to the travelling public generally, it is neeesgary and proper that not only the General Government, but the other Governments which are inferior in point of power and far inferior in the exercise of that power, should aid as ranch as possible in opening a highway through the Grey* Valley, for eisy, cheap, and regular traffic. This, unfortunately, is not being done. In fact, the very opposite is being done. The foretaste of the dog-days .which we are already experiencing seems to .have affected the faculties of our administrators, "heads of departments," contractors, and all concerned. One of the most " fishy" practical jokes which has been attempted against the Government and the public interest continues to be perpetrated by the contractors for the construction of the Greymouth and Omotumotu road quietly consenting to a fictional obstruction which no more concerns them or their present work than does the discovery of perpetual motion by any philosophic brickmaker of the name of Coe. Four or. five months behind the time allowed for the completion of the road, they are now making a mountain, of a molehill, or an oak of a supplejack, which they have only to kick out of their way to enable them to proceed with what they have undertaken ; and the public look on at this mock obstacle as quietly as thfi Clerk of the Works, with whose interests a perpetuation of the contract to all eternity would probably in no degree discord. The season which is no«r most suitable to tho completion of a highly necessary and urgent work is being allowed to slip past, and people, though shrewdly suspecting, have scarcely begun to ask " tho reason why," though wo mistake the growing local feeling if it does not soon exhibit itself in some pretty pertinent expressions. Another and more substantial obstacle to dray and coach traffic in the same direction is the narrowness of the existing road in the vicinity of the Coalmine, yet the County authorities continue in a dogged dog-day condition, simply sending a surveyor of a Sunday to look at the obstruction, and then dropping into a skie of sublime indifference to everything but an approaching County election which may and should never eventuate. Leaving the County, and getting into the " land of promises," the Province of Nelson, there is to be seen the extraordinary spectacle of a private firm being compelled to construct a road because the Government have dilly-dallied with their responsibilities and the votes of a confiding Council until they succeeded in securing from the Colonial Executive what they should themselveo have undertaken. Though the opening of the route at this particular part is in the hands of private individuals, there is, however, on their part sufficient earnestness and industry to warrant the hope that no obstacle will be permitted long to continue in the way of their enterprise, and of tho enterprise of others which is certain to succeed their example. Gangs of men are already employed in road-clearing, and, with or without Government aid, Messrs Cassidy and Aahton will, no doubt, force their way through, though it would be most unwise that they should be left to do so. There has, no doubt, been on the part of some a fear that, by the Provincial Government spending a couple of hundred pounds on one particular track, they would be induced to abandon the greater enterprise of making a main through road, but now that the General Government are prepared to undertake the latter, there need be no reason for looking into the mouth of any small gifthorae which may come from the hands of Mr Curtis. The work which the contractors aro undertaking is calculated to expedite, by the space of a whole year perhaps, the opening of communication with Reefton, and a year's gain is a most important consideration. Already other men have come to this district in the expectation of being able to place drays on the road, but the possible postponement of its being opened for such a long period 'has 'forced' 'them to abandon the enterprise and to bstake themselves, after going to much expanse, to former fields and pastures old. It is the hope of Messrs Cassidy and Ashton, however, that they will be able to establish coach communication with the reefs as early as the NewJ Year. It is, in fact, mote a matter of determination with thera than any dreamy hope, and if their spirit i* at all sympathised with aa it should bo

the public here and at Reefton should be equally determined to assist in converting their speculation into an accomplished tact. It is an enterprise which derives its importance from the circumstance of its being certain to prove tho pioneer of a system of inland communication calculated to confer large advantages upon the district.

In consequence ' of the receipt, at a late hour, of European, , Australian, and interprovincial telegrams, we are compelled to hold over the greater part of our Grey Valley letter and other correspondence. It is stated that Mr Rowley, clerk to the Court at Cobdeu, is to be transferred to the Ahaura to act there as clerk to the Warden, Magistrate, and District Judge. We have been informed since the remarks whbh we have written on the subject of the Arnold road were in typo, that Mr E. B. Fox yesterday communicated with the County Chairman, and that he received a reply to the following effect :— " Not having the necessary funds at my disposal, have communicated with tho General Government, but intend under any circumstances to have the road made fit for traffic, and iv time." Mr Lahman adds that he intends visiting Greymouth as soon as he has recovered from an illness from which, we believe, he has suffered since his return from Wellington. A correspondent at Red Jack's writes : — Very little has been known of late concerning what is doing in this i>ood old creek. Nor is it possible to givo ah approximate idea of the amount of gold there is getting, .but it comes out from time to time : that large " specks " have been disposed of to the local storekeeper 8, and borne short time since one was disposed of at Mr Muir's store, weighing over sdz. It was found about half a mile above the township, and one was disposed of yesterday, tho ISth, at the same store, weighing within a few pennyweights of lUoz. So, from late indications, Red Jack's is not done yet. The intimation that Willie Steel, Southland's Natural Songster, would hold one of his concerts in the Heading-room, Brunnerton, on Tuesday evening last, caused quite a large number to invest a "bob" to hear him. A correspondent says :— Whether the f.aste for music is not so fully developed in the people of thia place to discern the musical powers of the wandering minstrel, or whether io was owing, as he remarked, to the peculiarity of his songs, it is certain they did not appreciate his powers as a "star." However, with the assistance of local talent, the entertainment was brought to a successful close. In the Resident Magistrate's Courb, yestei • day, four owners of horses were fined 5s and costs for allowing them to stray in the public street, and J. Brimble was fined Is and costs for neglecting to keep a light in front of his licensed house. An information agaiust Wm. Sansbury, for permitting an unlicensed person to be in charge of his public-house, was adjourned until to-day. Two cases from the Teremakau— a charge of abusive language, and another of assaultoccupied the Court for some time. In the first, Singer v. Fitzgerald, the defendant was fined 5s and costs, amounting to 41s. In the second, Hughston v. M'Carthy, the alleged assault appeared to have arisen through a dispute as to the complainant trespassing on some land, and as the charge involved a question of title, the Magistrate dismissed it. Rose Summers informed against Joe Elder for assaulting her in her house on Saturday night, and the defendant was fined 20s, with 37s costs. A meeting of the Masonic Hall Company is appointed to be held this evening, at Ancher's Hotel, at S o'clock. The adjourned meeting of the Sports Committee wao held last evening. The canvassers for subscriptions had, unfortunately, to give a very unsatisfactory report as to the result of their work, and the Committee considered it impossible to proceed with any creditable programme of sports. They resolved, however, to give the public another opportunity to-day of augmenting the at present deficient amount. Verb'; Sap. At the solicitation of several of the inhabitants, .the Mayor, Mr Wickes, telegraphed both to the Under- Secretary and to Mr O' onnor, the late District Engineer, describing the circumstances connected with- the Oinotumotn road to -A'hich we refer in our leading column. Mr Wickes telegraphed to tho effect that the contractors for the road wore now over four months behind time, aud asked if no steps could be taken for the removal of the obst) uction by Mr Coe, adding that the inhabitants were indignant at the apparent apathy of the Government. From Mr O'Connor ho received a reply yesterday afternoon stating that the Minister 'of Public Works would tauo immediate steps to have tho road finished. ' We understand that the track from Maori 1 Creek to Gerinau Gully is aboufc to be constructed. The tender of Messrs Hamilton, Russell and Co, it is said, has been accepted. Tho prospect of this work being undertaken gives great satisfaction in the district. Very general expression, we believe, has been given in the Paroa district to a desire that Mr Peter Dungan should again become a candidate for election as a member of the County Council. Mr Dungan has not yet intimated his consent, but possessing z.n interest in the district as he does, and being a man who takes a lively interest in public affairs, there is little doubt that, unless there are extraordinary reasons, he will not decline to re-occupy a position in which he has conducted himself with credit to himself and with profit to his constituents. The Japanese troupe repeated their entertainment at the Volunteer Hall last evening, and give another this evening at the same place. All who see theru become voluntary peripatetic advertisements of their performances, the excellence of •whioh it is, therefore, the less necessary for us to notice. A fire (whether in the bush or among the buildings is not ascertained) occurred in Reef ton yesterday. It was so close to the Telegraph Office that the instruments had to be- removed, and communication was consequently for a time cut off. The exact quantity of melted gold brought down from the A jax claim, Tnangahua, was, we are told, GQGoz 16dwt. At a meeting of the directors of the company held yesterday, a dividend of Is per share was declared, making a total of L 2500. At_ tho last meeting of the Hokitika Hospital Committee, Mr Barrett moved, seconded by Beuning, "That a committee be appointed to inquire into the allegation as to the Surgeon-Superintendent receiving fees for private practice." An amendment, moved by Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Hudson, was carried, " That Mr Maunsell be requested to state whether he has infringed the hospital rule in that respect." ; , At a meeting of tho Westland Waste Lands Board, on Wednesday, Samuel Hill and James Hampden applied by their agent, Mr Learmonth, to purchase 30 acres of rural | land in Block 1, Grey district. Grauted, L3O paid. David Thomas Faulkner, by his agent, Mr .Learmonth, completed the purchase of section 1455, Grey district. Lls paid. Geo. Mallinßon, by his agent, Mr Leavmonth, applied to purchase 30 acres of rural land in Plock LXXIX, Grey district. Granted, L3O

paid. Adam Jackson, applied by his agent, Mr Learmonth, for a pasturage license for WOO acres of land on the Christchurch road. Mr Standish opposed the application, and| 3tatecl that it the run were granted it would ' absorb the grazing ground required for cattle brought over to Westland for sale. The Board having considered the objections made to the application, both personally by Mr Staudiah, and by letter from himself and others, and from Mr Tabart, refused the application, and temporarily reserved the land included in the application for commonage. Michael Jackson applied, by his agent, Mr Learmonth, for a license over 2000 acres of land in the same district. The application was refused on the same grounds as in the case of Adam Jackson. The fortnightly meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was held at Gilmer's Hotel last evening, Mr D. Maclean in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and continued, the secretary stated that he had received a letter from tho lion. sec. of the Red "Jack's Benefit Society, euclosiug L 7 Is, being the contribution of the society for' the past "quarter. A letter was received from the Greymouth Amateur Dramatic Society, offering to give their services for a benefit to the HospitalLetter received and offer accepted. The Visiting Committee reported that all the beds in the Hospital are occupied. The general rules for the management of the female ward were brought up by the subcommittee, and, after discussion, were agreed to. The sub-committee reported that circulars and bills had bean :sent to the late secretaries and treasurers of the local committees, in the various fcountry distorts, asking them to call public meetings for the appointment of new committees for the current year. A young man named Charles M'Mahon, a printer, met with a severe accident last week in Wellington. He resided on Te Aro flat, and in order to make a short cut home jumped i some fences, over one of which he fell, breaking his log just above the anklo. He wag at once picked up by some passers-by aud taken to the hospital, where the broken limb was set by Mr Monteith. A meeting of the stewards of the Ahaur a races was held at Gilmer's Hotel, Ahaura, on Tuesday, evening. There were present — Messrs Alex. White, James M'Laughlin, Walter Burrows, Alex. M 'Donald, B. Clapi cott, and the Secretary, Mr F. Guinness. \ After discussion, it was finally decided the race meeting should come off on. Thursday and Friday, 20th and 21st February, 1873. The following gentlemen were appointed to canvass the several localities for subscriptions : — Messrs M'Laughlin, Burrows, Clapcott, and Dr Phillips, ' Ahaura, and Totara Flat, the Ikamatua, and Little Grey. Messrs White, D Carroll, and G. H. Gilmer, Greymouth." Messrs Jas. Marshall and A. M 'Donald. Half -Ounce and Duffer Creek. The canvassers to bring up their reports by Friday, December 6, when the programme would be arranged and published. It was suggested that a handicap race for a good stake should be arranged, and the particulars advertised at once, but the matter wa3 deferred till the canvassers bring in their reports. It was incidentally • mentioned that there would be about L4OO available to be run for. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. It has been resolved that the Colony of Natal shall receive the benefits of railway communication, for which purpose a convention has been signed for the construction of 345 miles of single line on a guage of three feet six inches. The whitebait, which have for a number of years been so plentiful in the river Avon, Christchurch, arefasfc diminishing. Experiments have been made in the Acclimatisation Society's gardens with n view to practically testing " what are whitebait ?" The Waipara brought to Hokitika, from Dunedin, a party of seven Chinese. Mr Tribe, member for the Totara, returned to the Poast by the Tararua. The Spray and Lady Don, which sailed on Tuesday from Hokitika for Lyttelton, took 82,000 feet of sawn timber.' It is notified in the Nelson Provincial Gazelle that Mr Graham L. Greenwood is appointed Inspector of Leaseholds, ; and Henry Lucas, a clerk iii the Wardens' Courts, of the Nelson South- West Gold Fields. Protection for a punt ferry across the Qrey, at the junction of the Little Grey, has been granted to F. Vjolich and Q. Pailelich . The sale of 250 acres/ for 15s per acre, at Poerua river and lake, to John Evans, lias been authorised by the Governor. The Fiji Gazette has lately changed hands aud is now issued under the Imperial iinprimateur of Cakobau. ; A temperance society has been started in Levuka, under the presidency of the Hon.. li. Swansfcon. ** A. water under is at present at Albury ; ho maintains that he. has studied the laws of nature to such an extent as to be able to ascertain by the appearance and characteristics of the surface soil, whether it covers a supply of water, and if so, at what depth. The Attorney-General of Fiji (Colonel Hamilton) has resigned his office in consequence of the verdicb given by the jury in a case in which he was engaged. Colonel Hamilton seems to be highly disgusted with the people of "the kingdom," for he has thrown up his position as a magistrate. The Wanganui Herald says that Colonel M'Donnell has received orders to proceed to tho (Jhathams, with the appointment of Resident Magistrate. A sample of peat found at Flagstaff Hill, Dunedin, was forwarded to Professor Black by the New Zealand Distillery Company, which is a large consumer of Scotch peat, and has been analysed by Mm, and also a specimen of Scotch peat, to ascertain which is the better. The Professor reports : — " So far as I can judge, the Flagstaff peat is pcrfeotly adapted for all the purposes to which the Scotch peat is applied." • Information is wanted at the Colonial Secretary's office of the undermentioned persons :— Miss Ann Watson Cooper, an assisted immigrant, who arrived in Dunedin from Scotland in the ship Victory, in 1863, and is now about 2G years of age. James Thomas Couch, formerly of St. Anstill, Cornwall, England j went to America, and thence to New Zealand within the last ten years. It is not stated to what part of New Zealand Couch came, and it is supposed that he died in this Colony. It is said by tli6 Nelson Examiner that there is every prospect of a large body of miners resorting .thia summer to "Salisbury Open," the great success which many obtained thera last year causing them to return as soon as the-weather would permit of work on so elevated a spot, Scarcely a day now passes but parties of men are seen wending their way towards the foot of Mount Arthur, to reach tho *'Open" by the bridle track formed last year by the Government. As this road now admits of being packed over by horses or bullocks, as well as stock being driven by it, the cost of living on this promising gold field is now exceedingly moderate, u.u.i not only,< may all necessaries be obtained there in abundance, but luxuries also. Many of the men who have proceeded to Salisbury Open make no scruple of saying that they believe it to be one of the richest fields in ' Now Zealand.