The Invercargill Times FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 2, 15 May 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1863.

A GRRAT deal hag been written in the Southland Press about roads and roadmakers, but the subject is by no means exhausted, nor do we think we run mucli risk of tiring the community by again alluding to it in a prominent manner. It is rather late in the day to remind peop'e that freedom of intercommunication is a point of the highest importance to the members of every social union ; or to tell them that roadmaking is onfi of the first duties which falls to the lot of the Government of every new country, and that the prosperity of the people depends in no small degree on the manner in which that dnty is performed. That is the case always, but in Southland there are circumstances of a peculiar nature which demand that more than ordinary care shall be taken in bringing our highways to a state of perfection. The commerce of Southland is not altogether dependent for its prosperity on the exertions of the agriculturalist and squatter, though we would by no means be supposed to underrate the importance of those interests. There is a third industry which has, during the last few months, done more for the Province — has introduced more capital and a larger population — than the other two would have effected in as many years. The splendid finds of gold in the Lake district have done all this. The capital and the men have been rapidly coming into the place, attracted by the idea that, from its geographical position, this province ought to become the caterer for the wants of the miners. All these new comers were aware that Nature had done much for the Province ; they knew the country was, generally speaking, level ; they knew that the distance from Invercargill to the Lake was shorter than the distance from Dunedin to the Lake ; they knew that the Otago route -passed through a country of a hilly and impracticable nature, and that the line through Southland presented but few difficulties, and they came here supposing that Nature having done so much, man would take the trouble to do the remainder. Well s they have been

grievously deceived. Let us look at the North Road, and see what improvements have been effected in that direction. Knowing that on the northern outskirts of the Province thousands of men were congregated, who must draw the necessary supplies for their existence either from Otago or Southland, and seeing with half an eye how much shorter than the Otago route the one through Southland naturally was, and how far preferable it might be made by the exercise of engineering skill, the Southland Government ought at once to have exerted all their energies in that direction. They should have made use of all the available talent at their command to effect that object ; in short, they should have made the route passable, and when we use those words we mean fit for heavy traffic. Have they exerted their energies in that direction as far as possible ? Have they made use of all the available talent at their command to effect that object ? Heaven forbid ! The miserable state of the road at present compels us to say that they have not done so. We would not offer so gross an insult to professional ability — even in so small a place as Southland— as to suppose that to be the case. The whole affair has been delayed, bumbuss-ed, botched, neglected, anything; butdone and done well, and the result is that, with winter settling fast down on us, we have the satisfaction of knowing that through the supineness of the present Provincial Government, communication with the Lake is almost at a standstill, and a heavy blow has been st.ru ok at the commercial prosperity of Southland. We speak advisedly, thoujrh strongly. We have dealt in generalities, let us give an example. We assure our readers that we will speak strictly in accordance with truth, but we recommend every one who can spare the time, and feels an interest in the matter, to go and look for himself. Not many miles from town an attempt has been made to improve a portion of the North Road by means of a species of tramway, consisting of two rows of baulks of timber about a foot, wide placed longitudinally, a driver being supposed to keep the wheels of bis dray on them : should he once have the misfortune to get off, it is nearly an impossibility to get on again. Giantin?, for a moment, that he can contrive not to set off when he has the road to himself, we should like to know how he is to manage matters when be meets a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. The rival teamsters must arrange with each other who is to go off and get. bogged, for on either side of the so called tramWay is a hopeless sea of mud. We would suggest that, to avoid disputes, the ©over-ment issue a notice that. on all such occasions the drivers have recourse f.o the time-honored custom of " tossing" for places. That is the only solution of the difficulty which occurs to us Rut the subject is of too much importance to jest about, let us ;it Once state plainly that the T>lan of this North Road tramway displivs an utter "want of engineering skill and judgment, and that any old market woman of moderate mental capacity, or pven the donkey she has the pleasure of driving, would see at a glance that the money spent in its construction has been thrown away. The " road-makers" must try again, but it is " bard lines'" for the people to have to pay for their egregious bungling and incapacity. We cannot enlarge on this subject further, but earnestly entreat our readers to ponder well on our concluding sentence. — (Hoods are rapidly coming into Liver care/ ill, and, tmless a useful and permanent road be very quickly made to the Lake, it will not he long before a crisis occurs amongst the mercantile community, jar apart from the H'aJcatin trade, the requirements of the Province do not warrant such large importations as have recently been made. The road to the Lake is of paramount importance — the railway to the Bluff is a secondary consideration, for there is little use in crowding with goods a town from which there is no egress. We have finished, and it cannot be denied that our criticism has been severe, but, on the other hand, it will be conceded to Us that the objects of our attack have made themselves ridiculous beyond compare. . &~ .

We have been frequently asked during the past month why the Government advertisements were no longer to be found in our columns, instead of, as was formerly the case, appearing in both the Southland newspapers. The public seem to take a little interest in the matter, and we are quite willing that their curiosity should be gratified. Shortly after the Invercargill Times printing office was started, the Provincial Government called for tenders for their printing. That of the Southland Nev's office was accepted, the Government contracting, however, with our office for the insertion of their advertisements. A week had not elapsed before we were requested by a gentleman connected with the Superintendent's office to do some of the general printing of the Provincial Government. The work was executed, and from that time up to the termination of the contract with the Southland News office, we frequently executed orders for the Government, and the statement was repeatedly made to us by gentlemen who were in a position to speak positively on the subject, that the Government were very much dissatisfied with the manner in which the Southland News office carried out their engagement. We were told that over and over again delays and disappointments took place : that our friends of Dee-street never would come to time, and that the government were getting heartily tired of their bargain, and were very much inclined

to cancel the agreement on the grounds that the tenderers had not kept faith. All this information was volunteered to us ; we made no inquiries on the subject, being perfectly contented with things as they were. At length the term of the contract expired, and fresh tenders were called for, including the advertising. A gentleman who shall be nameless called on us and asked us definitely whether we could not come to some arrangement with the other printing office, by which the work might be divided between the two establishments, by that means insuring greater rapidity of execution. We professed ourselves willing to enter into such an arrangement, and accordingly having spoken to the proprietors of the Southland News, the tenders sent in from the two offices were identically the same. The prices were very moderate. The tender of the Southland News was accepted, and the advertisements immediately withdrawn from the Inve.r car gill Times. As far as the general printing is concerned we are perfectly satisfied ; although it is rather puzzling why an office which on the previous occasion did not fulfil its engagement, should be selected in preference to an office whose tender was precisely the same, and had never broken an engagement ; but we consider both the public and ourselves have been treated in a most shabby end unjustifiable manner as regards the advertising. Supposing the circulation of the two papers to be equal, it is certain that many who take the one never read the other, and vice versa, and therefore it is clear that (prices being the same) it, would be of more advantage to the public, and fairer to the proprietors of the papers, either to advertise in ail the issues of both papers, or advertise ouce a-week in one, and once a-week in the other. But we will go a step further, and say that our circulation exceeds that of our contemporary very considerably, and that being the case, the Government are neglecting the interests of the public by not advertising with us. The object of advertising is to disseminate certain information as widely as possible ; and as we before said, (prices being th ••> same), if the Government will only adverti.se in one paper, it is but fair to all parties that they should choose that paper which is most widely circulated. We cannot say with certainty why our tender for the printing was not accepted, nor can we be sure why the Government advertisements have been withdrawn, but we have a suspicion, amounting almost tocertaintv, that the independent course we have pursued in speaking of public matters and public men in this Province, has given offence in certain influential quarters, <mi we " put that and that together." So paltry a retaliation will certainly not have the effect of extinguishing us ; we shall continue to express ourselves freely and fearlessly, and must, altogether refuse to' fall down and worship as gods, men who bear so strong a reremblance to wooden images.