The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 40, 27 March 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1863.

Whilst the Town Board of Invercargill seems to be getting as much amusement as they can for the ratepayers' money in Taj-Street, the Provincial Govern- [ ment of Southland are, so to speak, resting on their oars, and enjoying a good laugh at the expense of travellers from the "City to Dunedin,(viaM'Gibbon's cro.: ?; place at the Wataura.) Natural roads, either on dry land or across rivers are, as a general rule, b.'d, but their badness may be, with a lLt'e t 'ouble and the expenditure of a few hundreds or thousands, much increased. Such is the case On the line o( which we are at present speaking, and we have pleasure in congratulating all parties concerned in thesuccessof the arrangements made for that purpose. Between Invercargill and the Mataura, at M'Gibbon's, there are creeks which have been bridged in a manner which ill rainy weather just enables travellers to reach the spot at which the rulers of Southland have placed a boat to carry them over to the sister Province. There is a boat on the Mataura, at M'Gibbon's, and further, we should like it to be understood that the boat is so bad that a few more Weeks' service will, in all human probability, see it a total wreck, and at the same time rd a little active employment for 'be Coroner. A gentleman who had o casion to cross the Mataura on Tuesday evening informs us that the river was far too high to ford, and that, therefore, he was compelled to swim his horses to the opposite bank ; what was his surprise on finding that the Southland Government had ! provided a boat which was not only utterly unsuited from its size for the purpose, but was also in such a state of decay that a very slight bump would cause it to fall to pieces. We were rather anxious to find out who was to blame in the matter, thinking Mr. M 'Gibbon was responsible, but on inquiry we were informed that the boat belonged to tne Government, and that not only was that the case, but that the Government had received notice of the fact that the boat was altogether unfit for the service to which she was put. For the benefit of our readers we publish the following extracts from the correspondence on the subject between His Honor the Superintendent and Mr. M'Gibbon : — Extract from TL,etter from 3tr JbJrn if' Gibbon, of Mataura "Ferry, to His Honor the Superintendent, dated March 2 .• — The ferry boat belonging to the Government is so far gone' in her timbers, that it is very unsafe to ■work with her on the river. I have had her repaired twice. More particularly I have to state that the present boat (12 feet in length) is too small to cross drays or carts, therefore it is necessary to have without delay a boat 16 feet long, with 6 feet beam, and so full in the build of her bottom as to lay solid on the waters, or else to put on a punt. With the present boat only at my command, should the river rise, any drays or carts that require to cross will be compelled to remain till the lall of the river enables them to take a ford. John M'Gibbon. An answer was quickly received, as will be perceived by the following extract from. His Honor to Mr. M'Gibbon, dated 7th March : — Superintendent's answer to above, dated Ith March, 1863 :— The Government has no intention to establish a punt at your ferry, but' the state of the boat in present use will be inquired into, — if necessary, it will be replaced by another. Why has no action been taken in the matter up to the present time? Why has not some competent person been sent up to M'Gibbon's to see whether or not the boat at presont in use is worn out and actually dangerous ? Those are. questions which we decline to answer, merely vouching for the facts that the boat is a most dangerous one, both as regards size and condition, and that the road between Invercargill and the crossing place at M'Gibbon's is as bad as can be. -♦ Invercargill is certainly going ahead. The anticipations of " new arrivals'' are varied as the individuals themselves, i

but those who may hare formed their expectations from the representations of the Australian press generally must on landing here b,e agreeably disappointed. " Barrin' " the ignoble jetty, whose progress goes on at a snail's pace, the new arrival cannot be long in town without seeing an activity and bustle for which we seldom get credit. Once over the bridge (?) which spans the Puni Creek, the most jaundiced will admit that Invercargill is no mean place — not a collection of shanties but a busy thriving town, full of active j merchants and store keepers, who keep the streets continnally crowded with drays passing to or from their premises. Our highways, urbane or rural, we caunot in honesty praise — on them there is too much room for improvement — but in other respects there is fair cause for congratulation. In nothing, perhaps, is the sign of commercial prosperity more evident than the large number of imposing buildings that are being erected in every direction. Turn where one may, his ears are saluted by the sharp crack of the carpenters' hammer as a nail is driven home, or the dull thud of a ponderous axe fixing in the mortice the heaviest beams and poles. No trade just now so thriving as the carpenter's ; so much so that we know of several instances where operations had to be susy ended for lack of material. In Tay-street numerous erections of the most costly character are being put up, and Dee-street bids fair to rival soon her older sister in attractive appearance. There the Government has but recently completed an extensive range of offices, and so much impulse appareutly has this given in that quarter, that, judging from appearances, the whole vacant space between the old buildings and the Prince of Wales Hotel will before long be covered over; not with temporary erections put up today with the view of removing them at once if need be to-morrow, but large stores of the most solid and substantial description are speedily displacing tall flax and Maori heads. The older merchants whose tents are pitched westward are either building: entirely new and improved premises, or are extensively adding to the old. If all this does not convince any one that Invercargill is progressing at a rapid rate, we do not know what would. The consequence is a demand for land and an inadequate supply, or at prices which will make the most speculative pause before accepting them. Five pOUndS per fOOt frontage is now quite usual in Tay-street, and a hundred fold what was paid eighteen months ago for a piece of ground is now given in the form of annual rental; town land has risen so much in value, that a person of moderate means can scarcely procure a spot in the principal street either as lease or freeholder. It is, perhaps, to this that we owe the idea of an Arcade, which, when completed, will be another ornament to the town. We have seen such places both at home and in the colonies, prove pleasant resorts for the lounger, and good markets for the man of business. There is little fear that the Lowther will be an exception. Rough and uncouth as our streets may be, the traffic on them corresponds with these extensive preparations for more. Shall it be forthcoming ? We have no fear that it will. Daily, numerous immigrants are arriving, and they must be clothed and fed, whether they reside among us or whether they proceed up the country. In either case their wants must be supplied. These palpable symptoms of advancement must be perceived by every strang-er who takes a walk through the town, and must be gratifying alike to him and the "old identities."