The Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Saturday, Oct. 3, 1863.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 45, 3 October 1863, Page 4

The Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Saturday, Oct. 3, 1863.

If anything goes to show the confidence entertained by the people of the stability of Queenstown, it would be indirectly proved in the varied character of the numerous meetings which have taken place within the last few days. We have had meetings of racing and cricketing clubs, Hospital meetings, and Improvement Committee meetings. The Cricketers have selected a piece of ground near to the township, and purpose making application for leave to fence it in. The Permanent Committee of the Hospital was elected on Thursday, and with the exception of one or two little errors in the form of procedure, which can be easily remedied, things passed off well and quietly. We think it right to call the attention of the Committee to one or two things, which, if attended to now will save trouble, and perhaps expense, in the future. The Bth clause of the "Hospital Ordinance" distinctly provides that the " officers" as well as the Coimr.ittee of Management, shall be elected by a majority of the contributors, and the election of any officer by the Committee, unless specially empowered by the contributors, will be void and of course ineffective. The Committee it is also distinctly stated, shall consist of such number as the

contributors shall determine, and included in

that number shall be a president, treasurer, and secretary. At their meeting on Thursday the contributors determined upon appointing nineteen as the number of committee-men, and yet the contributors, before leaving the court house, elected a secretary without ballot, thus making the number twenty. Thi9

took place too after the present secretary had % lost his election as a member of committee when balloted for. We only see one solution

of the difficulty, and that is to elect a secretary out of their own number. If they go into the management of the Hospital without doing so, they will be acting illegally, and render themselves liable to have their actions challenged in the Supreme Court by any contributor.

The present Committee must also frame rules for the management of the Hospital as speedily as possible, and call together the contributors to adopt them, and also to vest powers in the committee to go on with the conduct of the Hospital in all its branches. We think, however, that the contributors would require a paid collector. The duties appertaining to that office are arduous and varied, and we are always of opinion that paid services are more thorough than gratuitous ones.

The election of an Improvement Committee made yesterday, and the result of which we publish in another column, will, we hope, be productive of beneficial results to the township. If they set themselves earnestly to work, and abjure t politics, and work merely for the good of the town, they have an opportunity of rendering good service. They will have plenty to do in looking after the state of the streets; in seeing that the creek which proves so valuable to the inhabitants in supplying them with pure and healthy water is not polluted ; in getting powers given to the police to prevent the pollution of the shores of our beautiful though wayward Lake; and in supervising in any way that may suggest itself what may be necessary for the benefit of the community. We think it is almost a pity that the electors should have exclusively consisted of those holding business licences. The interests of Queenstown are so intimately interwoven with mining interests that one or two to represent the latter would, we think, have been advisable. Co-operation gives strength, and in present circumstances all the strength that can be gathered together is required to further the multitudinous interests of the Wakatip field.

An act of stupidity has just been committed by our sagacious Government, which we should not have given them credit for; and which calls for a strong protest from the residents of the Wakatip. We need not advert to the difficulties and dangers, almost unsurmountable, which beset the road from Dunedin to this place during the past severe winter —all who had the misfortune to travel that road, or who, more unfortunate still, had goods coming up from Dunedin, can fully corroborate our statement; and no doubt will willingly tell their tale of upsets, bogs, broken kingbolts, ruptured traces, and smashed axles to any sympathising individual who cares to listen. Still, in spite of all the terrible drawbacks of swollen and angry rivers and shaking quagmires, the Lake coach steadily dashed through with its living freight and H. M.'s mails, overcoming all obstacles and winning the wonder and admi ration even of battered and irritable travellers, and anxious expectants of letters. We do not mean to aver that the mail serviee was | performed with unerring punctuality, but no reasonable man could expect more than was performed by the coach proprietors; and many may remember, too, that the mail via the Dunstan has been several times " found wanting." We hailed the establishment of that service with great satisfaction because from the shortness of the route, and the fewer difficulties presented, we expected more punctuality in the delivery of our letters, and to a certain extent have not been deceived; but it is a bad set-off against a punctual mail service to destroy all means of communication except by letter. The Government have announced that at the termination, of the month of September they will withdraw the subsidy for the conveyance of the mails from the coach proprietors; and Messrs. Hoyt & Co. have announced that in consequence of this step they will have to remove their coaches. They naturally complain of this sudden determination on the part of the Government, because the season is now fast approaching when the service can be fulfilled with punctuality, and to which they have looked forward to compensate them in Borne manner for the outlay and exertions necessary to run the coach during the past winter, which all agree to have been one of the most inclement and severe that has occurred for years. Thus we shall be left without any kind of public c:nveyance to Dunedin; for all do not care to ride on horseback, or establish themselves on a dray for a period extending over the major part of three months; and the whole range of country lying on the road between the metropolis and the Lake is

therefore left void of all communication. A serious injury is inflicted on the inhabitants of the Lake by this determination, and calls for a strong remonstrance from us. Perhaps it is not too late for the Government to reconsider their resolve ; this object is at least worth an effort to obtain. If they won't make us a decent road, they might in all conscience let us have the benefit of the petty sum they pay the mail contractors to maintain some sort of communication with Dunedin, especially when it is a matter of grave doubt whether the mail service can be more expeditiously performed via the Dunstan during the ensuing summer months than via Kingston.

Should the Government conclude that the interests and desires of such a contemptible field as the Wakatip are not worthy of their high consideration, there is yet another hope for the unfortunate coach proprietors, and no doubt Messrs. Hoyt & Co. will receive the hint with a due amount of gratitude. Let them try the effect of establishing a line of coaches between Kingston, and Invercargill; and with the advantage of the increased proximity of the latter port to Melbourne, and the regular call of steamers there, in all probability they, as well as ourselves, will have reason to quote the satisfactory Hibernian proverb—" It's all for the best." Perhaps, by the time the dray-road by way of the Dunstan is completed, the projected railway from Invercargill will be also, and they will then be in a position to supply even the Dunstan with goods at a cheaper rate than Dunedin, and through Otago's pet road. As Messrs Cobb in Invercargill have shown themselves so dilatory and unenterprising, Hoyt & Co. may profit by the opportunity. "6 v e n'est que le premier pas qui coute" —it may be the means of obtaining annexation to Southland, and then woe to the Dunedin pundits.