Marlborough Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1881.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume III, Issue 297, 14 October 1881, Page 2

Marlborough Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1881.

Tiib local organ of the sham Liberal party has recently intimated that in its opinion a Ministry should be judged by its works, and weave quite content to admit that this should be so. A very slight reference to oilicial records will prove that this district has been exceedingly well treated by the Hall M inistry, of which Mr Seymour is a warm supporter. We have on a previous occasion referred to the striking contrast between the general action of the present honest and energetic Ministry, and its dishonest, reckless, and extravagant predecessor, and avc find that the contrast holds good even in details solely affecting this district. Our space, we feel bound to say, is too limited to allow us to recapitulate a tithe of the promises made by Sir George Grey, or to even outline his expressed intentions in regard to this district ; but it is sufficient to note that, not one of these promises was performed, and the good intentions of the knight-errant and his motley crew simply went to pave the road to the place below. In the House it was reserved for the Hall Ministry to take inhand and carryout all those reforms which the Grey Ministry failed to effect, and in like manner it has been their work to mete out justice to this district in the matter of local public works. Among the works which will materially benefit this district, and assist in developing its resources, and for the prosecution of which we have to thank the Hall Ministry and our hard-working member, Mr. Seymour, we find the following : —First the extension of the railway to Awatere, which, when mentioned in the Public Works Statement, was sneered at hv our contemporary, but which is now all but an accomplished fact, the plans being nearly completed. Mr. Mackay, the land purchase agent for Government., is now in Blenheim, and wc are informed lie has been successful in arranging with most of the owners of land required for the extension. The Engineer-in-Chief, Mr Blackett, and Mr C. Y. O’Connor, of the Public Works Department are also in the. locality on business connected Avith this and other important matters, and tenders are now called for part of the work. At the other end of tlie unfinished Main Trunk Railroad Line, viz., from Amberley to Waikari, work is also being rapidly pushed on. There is no necessity for us to dilate upon tlie benefits which tlie extension Avill confer upon the district, as it is sufficiently evident that they are numerous and great, both directly in opening up the country and indirectly in affording employment to tlie laboring population for some time to come. For the .£IOOO which is now being spent on the road through the Awatere Shearing Reserve we have also to thank Mr Seymour, whose earnest representations were successful in getting this important work pushed on during the fine weather. We find also that the necessary sums have been voted for the construction of the roads through to Canterbury by way of tlie Upper Awatere, and also by the Tophouse and Tarndalc. The construction of the road through the Rai Valley to Nelson, which is now progressing fast, is another work of the Hall Ministry, and it is also unnecessary for us to dwell upon the importance of this line of communication. We may remark, however, as an instance of the benefit it is likely to be to this district. that a few days ago, a gentleman who supplies nearly all the Nelsonbutcheis with sheep and cattle, purchased a large number of sheep in Marlborough to be driven through the Rai Valley, and expressed his ntention of securing .constant suppl is

so soon as (his road lino waseouipUd ml for tail lie, For the purpose of ppuiing up tracks in the fVlorus ail Queen Charlotte Sounds, a su n M money lias also been voted, and t le se£f]ers in those districts will doubtless feel grateful to the Hall Ministry for"" recognising their claims. 1} will be noticed that tuc works we have mentioned, which are now in progress, give Marlborough eommnnication with nil tlie adjacent districts in the Island. The list is not yet exhausted, for on the Suppieineutajw Estimates we observe that Mr. >Sey-

mour has succeeded in getting LIOO voted for improving the Opawa River, and L3OO for a drill shed in Blenheim, together with a section of land which was formerly purchased for the old railway line. We feel confident our readers Avill admit that the facts disclosed in this list furnish strong arguments in favor of the Hall Ministry, and we would recommend our local contemporary, if lie really wishes for the prosperity of tlie district to counsel his readers to vote for no man unless lie is prepared to support a Ministry which has proved itself to be progressive, and which has conferred such benefits upon this district, and lias set itself in earnest to rectify the unjust treatment the district received from its predecessors, including the sham Liberal Grey Ministry.