CLYDE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 331, 9 July 1875, Page 3

CLYDE.

(From our own correspondent.) ' ' ' July 3rd. We have had a very quiet it of late ; in tact I do not know wheni tunes were .duller;* True, we have had glorious weather for this time .of the year. Now frost has set in, aud his highness reigns supreme in the high portions of this: district. ' ' In J municipal matters nothing is being done. It is, I suppose, a lull just before" the elections. No candidates are declaring at present, but suppose soon to hear them.named. Our bridge,contractors cannot complain. They have lost little or no time on account of the weather. The second pier is approaching towards completion. ; ; -i; [I ;! ,\ \Gi. y It is not often, that,l,go,to the meetings of our Town Council, but on lust Wednesday evening, l knowing that (Mr. Hazlctt) the lion, member for the Du rig tan would be there in his'capacity | of Councillor, I wended : my wiiy towards the hall,, accompanied by my old and trusty friend Toby. On arriving at. the door of the Council Chamber. I found it closed, and silence reigning ".within; I naturally.'retraced my steps; when the lights attracted the attention of Toby, who said, " they are inside, do let me-get-on'theC window -'sill, I can see and hear all that is going on, .foi; the,re is a chink-in-the sash." It being" cold, I felt inclined to go home, so at'-; ter much persuasion I L assented to To-; by's propoaition, though from his age ! and dimness of vision I concluded that he would bring me some cock-ind-bull story of what he had seen and heard. While I was' enjoying a comfortable glass of toddy .with' a little slice of lemon in it, my : quietude,was : rudely disturbed by Toby rushing in. I thought he - was gone mad, -for- he stood on his head, ran round the room, opened-his mouth wide, yeiped, grinned,, and at last to my dismay; jumped up oj?, +lie back' of Imy chair,' 'arid' close toj 'my, .ear gave .me, to understand he; had: seen some fun. He calmed down in ] an instant., and held up his paw as much as >to--;say listen! ; -I' patted him; on his back, when he began to relate his story in such a .disjointed .and inco- i heretit manner .thafc.yl could only get; 'Dunstan Times,' soft soap, Dunstan member, ! Clyde jail; track up a "tree.; Poor;fel,lo.w,; he. being so ..excited, f .I; patted and,.soothed.himl .. He'igradual.ly went off into a gentle slumber. Evi-i de.ntl.yy,thinks I,,there mustube- sorne-: thing curious, for I had never seen him; in suQh ;a -state - before.'ihis -necessi- i tated 'rne taking another' toddy, arid ; Huch.jtoddy too ; just the .sort to make j the mouth water of some of our old I identity.pptentates-in Dunedin.. I had' just finished, .and was taking a last! squeeze of my tropjeal friend.! the°le ; - ■ mon,' wherl Toby opened the' corner of; one of his eyes, and gave me such ai leer, as much as. to say, you are-doing ! it fine.b.oss.' He then.got,.up, and "sat j upright, placing his paws on my knees, ; and said, Eorgive. 'me; .butliwas so glo-1 -riously amused that' 1 T could j not. help | it. Do forgive me, and'T wit! tell'you; all, about it. I''looked anxious,'but' w.h'at'.couhl I do ?' so 1-acquiesced, and I in a calm, and delibei'-; ate-mannerxhus to relate bisatpry..:^>. J. pere.hedmyseif, oil the. wi.ndow sill.' The Mayor's back was-itowards'-nie—; round the 1 table:sat the: Councillors, as; mute and serious as-though a funeral; nvas ab;out'•to f ''t'ffike; ; ;^la'c'e. i ~Tl?ej''Tow r n: Clerk read the correspond '''s££ : Vrfei 'Mayor !i^ j the; u&uffloYm 'put ' the j motion'' for adoption' The"'"Dunstan Times' was'there duly I reporting. for the Dun- ! stan-rose to tell them what hejiadj done-for them, and related the several ; matters Jn detail,., I expected fto'-i)ei shook off the sill' by 'the reVerbe'ration of~aj)plaus'e 'j* 'jbfctj when 1 "fill;, • .'.silent the hon. member,cpniifluedlto. say that he had made it -all-right for several .others-matters.,y Tfra^climasy,!, could see, was coming on-,-as the hon. gentleman drewihimself up to .his fu 11' h eigli t, and, with that /withering worthy of Grattan or O'Cqnnel,' said he wished it to be understood that he had never, nor would he.ever be, influenced by the 'DunstanTimes.' This beautiful, rounded senjje.nce, and; ;g'esture of withering scorn, brought forth no applause..-,: Yon could,have heard a pin drop. The Mayor sat in his chair, -with: a slip, of; paper in his hattds, which he turned over and over." ; T could; disi tinguish 'bttly' a few words, such" Thanks—;.h,ofl.j.member ; — ; D,unedin ■— disLrict;- but, ; fjrom .the-regular spaces; it had evidently; been written from dictation. The * Dunstkn Times'' reporter looked 'tineasy, as much-'. as'to say,"' by hi? lopk;a,t the, Mayor, .how could/you allow thi.s without putting your, official check.oniiit.by.calling the hon..member to order ? But the Mayor still was intent.on .the paper in bis hands. , A supreme Silence arid wpnderment .prevailed. " Wheii ' tiiey ha4,];e,cpy.erf d,.a little, the Mayor •handedithe-papei'.'ito the i-/i"o\vn' Oierk —the Town' Clerk handed it!to. - ; a if back—arid it was then passed' across the..table—and the sauap, process >v*as again gone through, till it' was'returned to the Mayor.< "-Just at this moment I was .sp entranced; by the speech of th'e hon. member,for,the. Dunstan .1 4'a;s transported to the House of Commons, and;X; imagined I ; again the veil-born MinisteroOnearly a century ago, and would no doubt (v'ulgus) have gone-off-my'cliump.'Haid it not 1 been for the shuffling of the feetof the departing. .acgaunts for rny excited state when T fuuYu! vo U taking your toddy, and thanks'"for your forgiveness.

PUBLIC WOIiKS B LONDEIiING-;

ALLEGED ~L)EI r ECTIYE SPECIFICATIONS. : ■'Jhe ;following i. lett'er published, in the 'Guardian' is of interest. f .Mr, Simpsbns value.as an 'Engineer "was" fully proved .when he was retained By the .oarbour Board, at a high salary, regardless of the .great need of :the;T,n>yince:^-. WESTf-llN" DISTRICT RAILWAYS (To the Editor.of iTitTOiago Guardian J Si;!,—The committee 'appointed for the purpose of invesiigating the subject matter of dispute .between the contractors and the Government supervising staff, sent in their, report on the day proceeding the proroga- ; tion of the Provincial Coiihcil, find I have no doubt that the "wording of''the report will highly amuse those who take an interest in.such matters, on account of its absurdity? : A Veference to the District Engineer's report, and' a comparison of it with the committee's conclusions, willfully explain this; and if the evidence taken before the committee was made public, an exposure would be niade; which would not reflect the highest credit upon the present Provincial; secretary. -y : "Reid" exhibited a tender for "the burking of the printing of the-- evidence; and although with his reasons then given •.forhii advocacyjof-such a' course'ilj-wish nothing-to'do,:! desire, to point out that, from his; actions throughout, in. connection .with.- this ; matxer >;f , he.-.h?is f to,- .use... a very mild, exp.p^ipn,'t>K6\yn,'i^.- r ©:eai.' l want" of 'straight forward and honourable dealing,' ::which;lt,take. leave .to: think , will be K ,very generally taken-exception :to. " : .When; the appoin.tnientofthecommittee was under*'<s6nsideration, r : Mr. 'i(eid made a statement.'to-thfe' effect that .the : specifica-: tions were exceedingly-defective. Un this being brought to ■ communicated with his-Honor the Super-; . ihten'deht;< and requested an inquiry,;being Provincial Engineer at the time the con- : ; tract,documents :were prepared,andi therefore. responsible 'forj 'them.; i That, inquiry was to; be undertaken by the ; Committee,; of which Mr Eeid was 'a number. I was : examined, and niy evidencc,' if' produced ■ will show that, although every latitude was'allowed Mr. Heid; hi's earnest en-, deavours'to justify his previous statement! were unsuccessful. ,I:do not ..wish to allude to Mu-J-feid's actions-iiufirst-of all ..making: the stafement in the Council and aftertwares acting on-the Committee, and no j doubt aiding to_ frame if not actually fram--i ing the-celebrateddocument-whielrreflect-. [ ed his own prejudiced opinion, as they—will; i be interpreted at theirown true value -by; i those who properly understand him. i

~I ;T purposed .going fully. r into the -fluestion,-; and.convicting Mi*.■ :Reid> with jhis ownj weapons; but I think-that, under existing; .circumstancesi itiisrnSwlunnecessary*-._,.Lw-Quld,..hoiKey.e,r,j;ecoxnniend_hiin..ini the exercise of,-his duties in .future, to extend to those! position-at the sime might preclude l 'them from combating remarks'which mav; or may r.ot be ;utteredun avspirit of pique, or .while, labouring under the influence oft strong animus;. as he. t should recollect that : he wiirsometimes leave himself open to; rebuke. Were I to" follow his example and grve' utter'ance lo an opinion, I mightsay:—prompted by a well-grounded con-, viciion—that he has quietly recognised his: own incompetency by handing- -over 'con-;; trol of.thp Works department to one 'who* caii 4 tolerate a spirit of fair play and occupy; .his position with becoming - dignity,- certainly./in, a manner more ) .honourable<,. and! ■gentlemanly..)than that evinced; byehis-pre-1 decessor.—l am, &c., -■ D. L. Srxipsos. •' OTATTTAU"' 'E.ATL-WAY. vX The Distijict. .Engineer reports as fol- ; lows:— ' ' QjpPnifigs -Trr-Ths. ,timber ..openings" fori' ,thisjme most -pari-, ;• in a very ' unsatisfactory state, as already reported. > Prior to exception! was !: taken to' the "piles brought on the ground for their construction, as being un•suitable in quality -of timber and undersized in lengthf ? -'Th'<Kcontractor and -his agen^sjwAre?instriicted.;aridlwarned, both by'tlie -inspector in=; immediate :charge 'of the works and myself,-not to use these piles notwithstanding this,': the ; .driving of the > piles commenced andcontinued ){ in opposi- ; tion to all orders. and the height of the;.'embankment necessarily varied considerably at the . sites of the several-fr'feet openings, s tfre • pills appeared to be all of the same length; instead of being driven to .suit, the , ground,., they weredriven to .suit' formation. level,'' contrary to the' 'tenns of the specification, and thus many ofthe piles yielded 4 ands inches at the last blow of the ram. A complete register kept by the "local-inspector, who (in the face of such opposition) was simply to. fiote- carefully; the 'Result of the driving, proves, the work to be utterly inadequate;.tp. future: requi rements, stabil-ity,-and safety.. ■ • hiO 'The contractor ..had been frequently directed to..remoye.-these ; openings in the terms.of the the,conr ! tt•act',' i from "he ■' proceeded to form the embaiikments to formation level, and close' up to the back of the shgathi/ig", pausing the 5 earth wdrk -(in the' absence of wings).to. meet in _ the creeks between the' thus dam the water back. T By this unworkmanlike proceeding, the'replacing of these" openings' will prove both troublesome and costly, as the embankments are in some cases of great height.... 1.-both telegraphed; ari.d r.to the contractor to at once cease the backing of,these,openings, but to no .purpose. » .X 5E r-,0 REI?PKr:R AILWAtf Earthworks. —The- formation on this ' linp-i's in a hiost- unsatisfactory statey and f since December last, apjjears to have been « quite'abrinSbned)®; s'; 5 '; ;Fo.r'the. first' two- miles from Ilivei'toivrio' tVvo 'consecutive chains are, completed' t . The; contractqv's attention lias been calledatQ/th.is,' and A^ithin 1 the' fast few weeks a party have commenced working towards Orcpuki, but no effort is ti.ade to complete the unfinished portion at

the commencement of the line.' The earthworks, to the -81 st March . Amounted; to 9475 cubic yards, the estimated total being 114,731 cubic yards.' ' • Culverts and Openings.—The culverts of masonry already built un this line have .not,'been ; :altered by the. contractor, although I have ieVeral* times brought ho his notice the necessity of bringing the"tap surface of the walls to an inclination of I in Ip, to admit of the earthwork filling resting securely, which at their present inclination would hot be the case. -