THE " WEST COAST" ROAD

West Coast Times, Issue 602, 29 August 1867, Page 3

THE " WEST COAST" ROAD

TO THE EDITOB OF THE WEST COAST TISIE3.

Cobb's Office, Hokitika,

August 27th, 1867. Sie — A copy of your issue of the 12th reached me at Westport, containing an account of the damage said to be done to the Christchurch road, and quoting the sum of twenty or thirty thoiisand pounds as the probable cost of restoring the same. I have now, in asking you to contradict this statement, to inform you that the Christchurch road has escaped the ordinary casualties which the late severe weather might have been expected to have brought about, and tliat, whilst the roads north and south of Clmstchurch have been damaged so as to prevent the traffic of our coaches in the regular way, we have lately on the West Coast road made our trips with regularity, and without having to ask the passengers once to alight upon the journey, and that last week, upon the arrival of the English mail, the Hokitika portion, weighing nine hundredweight, was brought through and delivered at the Post-Office at the ordinary time of arrival. I came over this road last week, and am prepared to state that it is in perfect order, as it ever has been since its completion ; that not even a slip has taken place on any of the cuttings, that in stormy weather are naturally subjected to falls of carth — and that the damage said to have been done is not true. As the circulation of this report is calculated to "do us a very serious injury, I have" to ask on behalf of the company I represent that you will, by inserting this, , perform your part as journalists in rectifying so unaccountable a misstatement. Yours, &c, W. R. Mitchell, Manager for Cobb and Co. [We are very glad to receive Mr Mitchell's statement, and to learn on his authority that there will be no necessity for a heavy outlay, which Kad it been incurred would havabeen charged upon the revenues of this district. At the time we wrote the paragraph to which Mr Mitchell alludes, statements were certainly current to the effect that considerable portions of the road were " destroyed." We wrote in reliance upon our information, which there was eveiy reason to believe truthful. It can easily be understood, however, that the long interruption to traffic caused by the heavy snowfall led to exaggerated reports of the damage done.— Ed. W.C.I I .}