The Kumara Times. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1877.

Kumara Times, Issue 215, 12 June 1877, Page 2

The Kumara Times. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1877.

Thb perhaps seasonable, but certainly unpleasant, weather , that we are having just now, brings into extraordinary prominence the defects which exist in the facilities by our public bodies for. communication between the several districts in our neighbourhood. Of these facilities the Teremakau punt stands first and foremost. We recorded yesterday that on. Sunday the punt was closed for traffic, and to-day we learn that the same state of things exists, and has done since nightfall yesterday. Mr Dale is to bring the question of the construction of a bridge here, before the County Council to-day; and if he needs an argument to support his motion, he has only to refer te present circumstances. For want of a bridge, traffic is brought to a standstill on the main high road.on the West Coast.- While on this subject, we may mention what seems to be an unwarranted presumption on the part of the "punt owners. They virtually close communication between the north and south banks of the river, from ten o’clock at night to six o’clock in the morning. This may be a very desirable arrangement, for the purpose of keeping people at home in the bosoms of their families, but the punt owners are scarcely entitled to take upon themthe office of guardians of public morals, in this manner. Next in importance to the punt, may bo considered the roads which are available for coach traffic. These are reported from all, sides as being dfr,a . wretched state. Originally, of necessity, they were, for

the most part, constructed on anything but a solid foundation, and nothing but constant attention '-'can, keep' them in good order. Instead’ of receiving this constant attention, they'afe suffered to ■ remain uneared„ for during the fine • weather ; gradually they are worn into , ruts, and when such* weather as we are. how having comes, they are at once rendered ail but impassable. The same remarks are. applicable to the horse tracks. These are made in a very unsubstantial manner, and for want of timely attention frequently become a disgrace to all connected with them. In mitigation of the censure which is often cast upon the maintainors of the tracks, it is only fair, however, to say, that in some instances, as in the Dillman’s track, wheeled vehicles, of a nondescript character are. used, for which the track was never intended, and j which, consequently, do great' damage. . For this damage, of course, the

authorities are hot primarily 'responsible. Lastly, we come to the so-called streets of Kumara. It is no exaggera-. tion to say that they are utterly un- ’ worthy of the name. But for the fact of a .verandah being in front of Mr Drummond!s premises,, there would be no passage for foot passengers from Seddon-street to' Main-street. Tuistreet, Third-street, and Fifth-street, : the only other streets which are supposed to be formed, are in a wretched condition, which is every day becoming worse. As yet, the traffic upon them has been confined to the conveyance of building material to the public school and a couple of churches, but e >’en that has been more than sufficient to prove of how flimsy a . description the road formation has been. There may have been excuses for this unsatisfactory state of our roads, and we shall probably be told that whilst the responsibility has been divided between County Council, Road Board, and Board of Education, we could not expect anything better. It is only an exemplification of the proverb of “ many cooks.” It is high time that the, responsibility was fixed upon one body, and then the public would know r where the blame lies, and be able to bring pressure to bear upon the deI faulters. 1

Telegraphic, communication between Adelaide and Port Darwin is interrupted north of. Bel tana. ' ■ The meeting of the local Hospital committee, which was to have been held last night,: lapsed fqr want of a quorum. The members rro suminoned for Thursday evening, at 7 o’clock, when business of great importance will be brought under their consideration.

At the Theatre Royal, last right, the attendance, in consequence of the verj bad w eather, was anything but commensurate with the merits of the performance. This differed from that of Saturday in the production of the admirable burlesque of II Trovatore.” This burlesque is bristling; with puns,- Wihkh were effectively given by the performers, and abounds in gems trpm the opera, which also were done justice td by Miss Nye, MdlleNaWfurb, Mr Em.mett, and Mr Hunter, Mr Emmett Introduced a song with a number of local hitfc. This told immensely well, and the singer had to submit to an encore. Mr loglis was melodramatically- forcible as Azacena. Mr Williams* make up was a study from nature. Miss Lyater, who has little to sayV does her share iu the choruses and so evidently enters into the fun of her part, that she adds materially to the audience’s relish of it. The selection of pieces in the concert, was varied, but included several exquisite morceauz. First of these was the <( Bid me discourse” of Miss Lydia Howarde. The same artist sang ‘‘good-bye Charley” with an amoun of expression such as we never heard given to it before. A trio in which Mdlle Navaro and Miss Nye joined the prima 1 donna, was beautifully sung, and the quarrel duet from “ La bile de Madame Angot” was given with great spirit- by Miss Howard and .Miss Nye. Tjie last mentioned lady’s dancing, in- the. bur-, lesque, was specially commendable. We may mention that the accompaniments were'played on a much better instrument T than had been used on Saturday. To-night is the last night but one of the company's stay in Kumara, and we can srfely recommend our friends to pay them a ulsih-

A. bridal party pf three, two of them . being the bride and bridegroom, left town i this morning, vat six o’clock, In a buggy ...for the purpose of visiting Hokitika, where the nuptlslknot be tled. It speaks well for the ability of the happy i couple to fight their way through the .battle of; life, when, they, were not to b . deterred from facing tbd difficulties of the road on sucji a, morning. The Christchurch • coach from 'Hpkltika this morning.had tQ retprn, after reaching 6 as far as the Kapltea Creek,, on,the Loopline Road. Power, the driver, attempted - first to go by the.'old toad, but finding .that blocked, then essayed the Loopline, with no . better success. He had' four or five passengers.

The Kapitea Creek, at the new. bridge is running very fiercely, the prater being considerably higher than it has been at any time since the bridge was completed. The firm of Messrs Cullen Bros, it> will be seen by an advertisement in to-day’s issue, have dissolved partnership. Communication with Greymouth is entirely cut off by the swollen condition of the Tetemakau. The Tramway cars have not been plying. The Coach from - Hokitika to Greymouth could get no further than Kumara. The coach from Greymouth, it is supposed, has been stopped at the Greenstone, which isr in high flood. The Teremakau is full to its bankaj and quantities of drift timber are, being brought flown on its water; There , have been two landslips on the one' of which must stop traffic till the'debris is cleared away. .It is not improbable, that others may occur, should the heavy, rain; continue.