The Southland Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER, 14, 1870.

Southland Times, Issue 1321, 14 October 1870, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER, 14, 1870.

la? would appear that- the projected visit of bis Honor the Superintendent is to be made rather an auspicious event. The reception programme is a little formal, nevertheless it is tolerably well arranged. It embraces a ride from the. Bluff to Tnvercargill in what is known as the Governor's carriage, a congratulatory address at the railway station, together with a ball and a banquet looming in the background. Should circumstances per mit, there is also to be a full muster of the juvenile population. There is just a trifle of state ceremony about the arrangement which makes it sound rather too highly, still it is satisfactory as evidence of an awakening from the state of lethargy into which' Southland had fallen. "We can hardly imagine the reception will harmonise in every particular with th.c personal instincts of the recipient, still it will be regarded as so much earnest of dead-weight thrown into the Macandebw, scale against the forthcoming election, and that is bound to secure for it ft gracious acceptance. To balance the debit and credit side of the account proposed to be rendered of ourselves to Mr Macaitdbew, it will be necessary to provide something more than a formal reception. _An event of this kind is not without its significance, so far as the outside world is concerned. It attracts attention to a particular locality in proportion to the influence exercised by the visitor, which in the case of Mr Macaotbew extends throughout all that area of country south of the "Waitaki river, and the western boundary of Canterbury. In other words, during the ensuing week or two the province of Otago will hear more about Southland than it has done for many years past; and if they learn nothing more interesting than that, Mr Macaitobew was greeted with sundry rounds of applause, the fact is not at all likely to make a lasting impression. If; on the other hand, something in the shape of a practical entertainment can be wedged into the programme,'the opportunity will be a valuable one of showing the public at large what Southland is capable of becoming. For instance, on Mr Macaitobew's arrival at the Bluff, were the train run right through to "Winton without stopping at Invercargill, it would be something important to tell the colony that Southland was enabled to run communication from the gangways of her deep-sea steamers a distance of forty miles inland in the brief space of an hour and a half. This 'would be somethinsr new for the colony to know, besides going far ~. to mollify the reproach ■with which our. late . - existence .as a separate province is regarded. It would enable the Chief Magistrate of the united province to realise by ocular demonstration that Southland's claims for railway extension to Kingston are not illusory, but based upon the soundest principle of commercial economy. We have no desire to intermeddle with the functions of the Befception Committee, at the same time we do not think they would be exceeding the discretionary powers vested in them were they so far to alter the initiatory arrangement as to send the train right through to Winton. This power of locomotion is Southland's distinguishing feature. It is, so to speak, the basis of our material progress in the future^ and anything that can be done to strengthen it is so much done towards forwarding the public welfare. Thesa are cogent reasons, and they ought to be weighed carefully by the Eeception Committee. The through journey to Winton and back again to Invercargill, would not occupy more than a couple of hours extra. The passage to Winton need not be a voyage of discovery. A trip of that nature will no doubt follow. The object is to make it a test of the locomotive .facilities with which the place is provided, so that influential evidence may be borne to the character of our claims to a through line as far as Lake Wakatipu. Another stroke of policy would be an excursion to the Mataura plains. It would afford an opportunity of inspecting the Woodlands Meat-preserving establishment, which in itself is an object of great interest. The agriculturalcc- r pabilities of these plains are undoubted. The want of facilities for transporting their products formed the only reliable data against the Southland Government brought forward by the Hon. Mathew Holmes in his memorable reunion speech. Indeed, the district only requires to be seen to understand the importance of extending a branch from Invercargill to the Mataura. We are not so very sure that this is a work respecting which Mr Macattdbew is fully convinced. A few days ago we mentioned a deputation anent a diversion scheme in which he had taken part, and, judging from statements with which he is credited, we are inclined to believe that he regards tfcfe Mataura line as a matter of secondary consideration. To remove such an impression is a work to which we should apply ourselves earnestly. It is true subjects of this kind do not come ; under Mr Macandeew's administration, still his official connection with the province exercises an influence it is hard for the Colonial Legislature to withstand, hence the importance of no effort being spared to get him well posted up in matters of local interest.