THE CHARLESTON WATERRACE SCHEME.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 511, 1 June 1869, Page 2

THE CHARLESTON WATERRACE SCHEME.

(To the Editor of the Westport Times.) Sie, —For some considerable time past I intended to write to you, but for want of something really new and exciting I have until the present time been silent. After all I am somewhat doubtful if there is anything new in Charleston. Everything seems dull and stale —no fresh rushes, no lafge yields of gold, neither riots nor robberies, few births and marriages, and, I am glad to say, fewer deaths than either. In fact were it not for the indefatigable exertions of the worthy editor of our local journal we might as well go to sleep and remain so. I will just give you one instance of his desire to merit the approbation generally bestowed on him, earned by his unwearying industry, perseverance, and deep research in finding profitable and instructive information for his readers. Tou are, of course, aware of the scarcity of eggs lately, but not of the great anxiety that has been felt in Charleston on account of such scarcity. The same has led to our editor collecting and compiling statistics relative to the daily yield of eggs in the district, and I am given to understand that, after immense laboi', he has arrived at something as near the truth as can be ascertained, and will in a few days lay before his readers a very interesting account of the result of hislabors. lainjalso informed he intends in future to pay mightly visits to the various hen-roosts, so as to be enabled to furnish with accuracy, in each issue of the Herald, any fresh information on the subject. I hope, Mr Editor, you will not think me tedious, having yet a little more to say. As I was about finishing this epistle a friend of mine brought the welcome intelligence that the great Charleston water-race scheme is, as far as can be seen, a complete success. Shares are being eagerly taken up,, money freely subscribed,; and the preliminary arrangements of the affair started in downright earnest. We, however, require help and a little assistance from you. Your letting the thing get properly known through the medium of your extensively circulated journal would, I am confident, conduce to its ultimate success. By your advocating the necessity and urging on the Provincial Council the importance of the thing, Government aid might be procured at once. The interests of Charleston and Westport being identical, you will need no incitement to encourage the project,: so that when wo have the great water reco in, and Separation an accomplished fact, Charleston and Westport will be two of the most flourishing towns in New Zealand. Hoping I am not too troublesome, I remain, Sir, yours, &o, JONATHAN GOOOMABK.

THE LAND QUESTION"

(To the Ediiorofthe Westport Times.)

Sir, —"We are not yet in possession of the results of the Government's consultation of the oracle regarding the permanent settlement of the goldfields. Many look for this informatipn in hopes that some practical sugges- . tions may have been made that will enable those on the coast, who have will and ability to build homes for themselves and their families, to do so, provided they are dealt with suitably to the exigencies of the case. The romance of travel has ceased to influence many/ and men are not here so much from a love: of adventure as from the necessity of earning an honest and independent When by dint of well-directed industry a little, money has been accumulated, no opportunity is afforded for its permanent and profitable employment, and the

tendency is for it to gravitate either to the already glutted money markets of Britain or to other and neighboring colonies; but whether this fugitive tendency of our realised resources is for the advantage of "its owners or the colony, are subjects which, as yet, have made no salutary impression, and if any impression has been made at all upon our minds, it is just such as is produced by " the baseless fabric of a vision," leaving nothing after it. Though the building of Babels, from the first, has always been attended with misunderstanding and dispersion, with no little confusion, the inhabitants of our towns will persist in shutting their eyes to the true relation that ought to subsist between the towns and the country, and are content, it would appear, to risk their fortunes on the permenance and success of one uncertain industry, and a few are to be found who would even trust the management of this to the care of strangers. No doubt but that there are many difficulties to be overcome in the settlement of any new country, however favored by Nature, and tjhis district is not an exception. To the speculator in land, who would wish to realise a rapid fortune and leave the country, perhaps we can offer no great temptations; but to the settler in good feith, inducements might and ought to be held out, that would enable him to secure that measure of independence and prosperity which he looks for elsewhere, and without this being done no stability or advancement whatever can be looked for.

In your issue of Thursday last containing the report of some proceedings in the Provincial Council, Dr Irvine is reported to have said—" the land was held in trust hy the Government for all time, and therefore those who administered it must be careful thafe they looked out not only for gold, but. some permanent improvement, sometling that would render it fit to sustain a population after it had been rifled of its gold." Now this is just the sort of language we expect from Nelson men on the Land Question; and it is a fair sample of what they would call" substantial objections "to the granting of Separation. " Give these people what they want, and the land will be bungled for settlement," might be a very nice cry for those who wish to do only a little crying, but when it is apparent that this mental agony is improvised for a special emergency like the present, it may be said to be rather amusing. Surely, plenty of time and opportunity has been afforded to these political philanthropists for bringing up a land law of some kind for the district, however inadequate it may have been for the requirements, when such apprehensions are felt lest we should perpetrate felo de se. But, however much latitude we might be disposed to allow for the good opinion they entertain of their ability to colonise the coast after the sifting process has been accomplished, we can, after all, confidently predict, that these Councillors, if that is to be the time of, initiating their scheme, will not be able to accomplish any appreciable settlement during the natural period of their lives, however tenacious of life they may be. Moving in the orbits of their Nolson constituencies, they may be able to give enough of light for the extremely limited requirements, but when they attempt anything beyond this, the rays they shed are of that very peculiar character which serves only "to make darkness visible." In the County of Westland we find people taking up laud in spite of the exorbitant prices demanded for it, and in the face of every discouragement, and making it yield abundantly ; but it is too bad for them to be bound down by a bad law entailed on them through their unfortunate connection with Canterbury. Pending the settlement of Separation, perhaps the Progress Committee could not be better employed than in ascertaining our exact position in regard to this important question.—Tours, &c, R. W.