ROAD FROM LAWRENCE TO QUEENSTOWN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 354, 9 May 1874, Page 3

ROAD FROM LAWRENCE TO QUEENSTOWN.

The. up-country residents are indebted to the " Otago Guardian " for advocating the forming and. metalling of tlie road from .Lawrence upwards. We hope the timely suggestions thrown out by our contemporary will receive the attention of the Provincial Government : — "Amongst the papers presented to the Provincial Council yesterday, is the ' Report on the Roads and Works Department for 1873-4,' by Mr. Simpson, Provincial Engineer. It was a rather voluminous document, and contains a great deal of interesting matter. From it we learn that " the scarcity of labour, which has uninterruptedly continued during the financial year, has greatly retarded operations, and caused a considerable increase in the cost of works, to the extent of from 20 to 50 per cent.' Of course, this fact would account for any excess of expenditure on particular works over the votes. The works have been almost without exception carried out by contract. Last winter the heavy traffic on the line between Waitaki and Palmerston destroyed the crust of the road, and rendered it all but impassable ; but sufficient metal has now been provided for putting the roadway into a thorough state of repair. The Engineer also reports that ' the Tokomairiro and Tuapeka division is now completed as a metalled road, for a distance of about seven miles from the toll-bar ; and as the remaining part has been put in fair condition by pitching and gravelling, tolls might with consistency be established for the exaction of rat^s, on a scale perhaps lower than on those of the ordinary metalled roads, from which a revenue might be derived sufficient at least to cover the cost of maintenance.' Now, with all respect to the opinion of the Engineer we do not think it would be politic to increase the cost of carrying goods to the up-country settlements through Lawrence, although we are bound to say an excellent road has been formed to that town. The freight- charges at present are exceedingly heavy, and will continue to be so until the Lawrence and Tokomairiro Railway is opened. What we wonld rather suggest would be, that a vote be taken this session for a sum sufficient to form and metal the line between Lawrence and Roxburgh, if not to Clyde. If that work were done during the current financial year, a vote might be taken next session of the Council for a sum sufficient to complete the metalling of the road, which is the great central highway of the province, to Queenstown. In this way, the goldfields- settlements . would be placed in a position to avail themselves of railway communication to Lawrence at the lowest cost ; and the Railway, itself would possess a necessary feeder. Wereally think that a judicious expenditure of public money, in the direction indicated, would be attended with the most satisfactory results. It would cheapen the cost of living in the interior, and promote settlement and production;but if a toll-bar is to be erected for every eight or ten miles of metalled road formed, a check will be placed upon settlement. No one would voluntarily go up to the JJakes district to settle, for instance, vrho made the journey last winter from Tuapeka ; but with a well metalled road to travel over, the effect upon a stranger wonld be entirely different..