INTER-PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1168, 17 April 1874, Page 4

INTER-PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Referring to the present condition of the road and railway works between Grreymouth and the coal-mine, the Grey River Argus says : —One is induced to ask whether it would not have been more economical if the Government had paid a considerable premium to some skilled engineer for finishing the education of the gentleman to whoso inexperienced hands the laying out of the railway and road was entrusted rather than that he'should have obtained his experience at tin: heavy cost of the thousands of pounds that have already been wasted, and the thousands of pounds that will be required to remedy the wretched faults of design with which these works abound. Bridges that the first heavy rain either washes away altogether or float from their position ; approaches without protection, and of course constantly falling away; culverts where there is no water to bo carried off, and none where there is a good deal ; earthworks placed in the most favorplaces for being destroyed by the river ; and generally the evidences of stupidity or ignorance, or both—are what anyone can see who will take the trouble to walk along the line. Add to those advantages that for a considerable distance the line is actually 4ft under water at times of flood, and a fair idea of this great undertaking may bo formed. The fact is that the whole affair has been frightfully bungled from the first'—

badly planned and designed, without apparently any regard to future natural damages and risks. In short, tho Brunner Bail way is what may bo called an " office railway," mado of India ink and tracing paper. We take tho following from a recent issue of the Southern Cross :—" Goldbearing quartz has been found at Tokomarua, a place about forty miles nearer Auckland than Gisborue, and Dr Hector has expressed his opinion that probably payable reefs are to bo fouuel in tho viciuity of the place where the quartz shown him was obtained. For many years a belief has been entertained by the Auckland settlers that the southern portions of this Province were highly auriferous, and these reports would now seem to indicate that tho belief was well founded. At about the middle of next year, under the provisions of the Public Health Act, the uso of earth-closets will become compulsory in all towns and villages iu the Colony of over 2000 inhabitants. The Tuapeka Times says:—The scarcity of labor in the district is becoming more and more apparent every day. This fact is, without doubt, more readily observed owing to the increase of public works' contracts in hand, throughout the province generally, compared to that of previous years. Seldom a week passes but we perceive that laborers for all kinds of employment are required. On the Tuapeka Railway works several portions of the line had, of necessity, to be abandoned during the harvest, as numbers of workmen were engaged at harvesting. At Waipori recently, 200 pick and shovel men were advertised for in connection with the Drainage Channel, and on the morning decided upon by the contractor for meeting those desirous of being employed, only one solitary miner appeared on the ground.