THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1870.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 67, 13 May 1870, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle. FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1870.

The late lamentable catastrophe at tlie Taieri naturally gives rise to reflection, i and induces enquiry as to whether any- ■ thing can be done to render, the crossing to Hamilton more safe in time of flood than it is at present. The rivers of New Zealand are notorious for their dangerous and treacherous character; i and many a valuable life has been sacrificed to their impetuous and irresistible currents. It does not appear to us to be possible that the means at the command of any Provincial Govern- [ ment could enable them substantially to bridge the numerous rivers in their respective Pro.vinces, excepting along the main line of road. Still, it is the manifest duty of every Government to protect, so far as in their power lies, the lives of the public. If, therefore, their- means will not allow them at all crossings of ihe various rivers i:o erect good bridges, they can yet do something which shall cause accidenis similar to that which last week we had.the painful duty to record, to become less frequent, if not altogether to cease. The traffic between Naseby and Hamilton is considerable and daily, and the peopleof the one place are in the habit of trading constantly with the other for the various commodities of life. In addition to this, much valuable treasure, purchased by the agents of the banks here, is .'subjected to loss In time of j flood, by having to be Laken across the [ river on horseback. Indeed, only on j the evening preceding that of the sad ! catastrophe which we have recorded, \ ihe agent o H f one of these banks, in re- \ aiming with'gold p.urchisyd at Hamil- | on and other places, had, at the very I spot where the accident occurred, his horse suddenly taken off his feet by the current and compelled to swim at considerable risk, fortunately with no fur:he* 1) effects:to th rider than a severe •vetling. The result, however, might j ; >a\ e been v'ar differeni, and another valuao e lire might have been sacrificed, and a consider: 1 , jle amount of treasure lost. ,

We are of opinion Li atthis particular difficulty <a» be met, and In a great measure overcome, in a very cheap.and simple manner/ For the small sum of £IOO the public safety could be in a very great degree secure.!. .Wewould sug-. gesl tha;. the Govern ment should build :v small oonse on the bank of the river

—on whkh side matters little; that hey should coffer: this house, with- a bush license, ami from five • o ten acres of ground, free o some respectable and that a small useful dingy should be supplied for the purpQse of ierryage, and the person in charge should be permitted to make a definite and specified charge. We feel sure that, were similar to that which we have sketched,, to-be taken, a great boon would oe conferred upon the public bolh of Hamilton and We therefore commend ihe subject to the serious consideration of the Government. .Though..■any. step now taken ■would.-no doubt be Upon " When the " steed is stolen they shut the stable "door "-principle, yet ?t would also meet the. ojkl atUige,;!," Better* late than " •ney^-Pr"',','-.'!■"".".'",."';".'..'.' .""•".' " ' :.

In another column will be found a re■'quisition addressed to Messrs.,VogeJ and O'Neill, members for :he Oiago Goldfields in t\\e House of Representatives, calling upon these gentlemen J .o resign their seals. We are glad to see that the miners throughout the length and breadth of the Groldfields are becoming alive to their own interest, and j fc'b the fact that they have been and are j not only not represented, but actually ; by the gentlemen whom they have now called upon to resign. That a gentleman, the paid servant of another Province, holding office at the will of the.-Super ntendent of that Province, should sit fc r the Goldfields of Otago is hot only an - anomaly, but a

positive absurdity; and that the Post-master-General and Treasurer of New Zealand—the ostensible and reputed editor of the * Southern Cross ' newspaper—should condescend to place himself in so false a position as to continue to represent a constituency; whose interests are diametrically opposed to those of the Province in which he .lives* ! moves, and has his present being, ,is to us, We confess, simply incomprehensible. ; The Postmaster-Greneral and Treasurer of New Zealand, as well as the Engineer for the Province of Auckland, .may. not. find themselves sufficiently admired, or their talents sufficiently appreciated, co obtain in their " new pastures" constituencies so willing.to elect, them as was the Groldfields constituency of Otago. Stili that is no reason why, when these gentlemen discover that their present constituencies desire to cut the painter, they should for a moment determine to remain to misre present them. , With regard to Mr, Yogel, that gentleman has never, we believe, from the time of his election, had the courtesy to visit the electors whose votes enabled him to raise himself to the proud and highly remunerative position in which he now stands, and without whom he might, perchance, " have wasted his fragrance on the " desert air." To him, then, the severance of the connection between himself and his present constituency can cause little pain, while Mr. O'Neill will, no doubt, be in the receipt of an income which will prevent him from feeling vcy acutely at parting. At all events, there is but one course open to these gentlemen to adopt —alike in duty as in honor—and that is the course which will place it in the power of the Groldfields constituency of Otago to ! elect, without loss of time, two gentlei men whose interests are connected with this Province, and whose sympathies are with those of the mining community.