The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, APRIL 8,1875.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 39, 8 April 1875, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1875.

The tbirty-fourth session of the Provincial Council is convened for the 3rd proximo. That allowa little more than three weeks for maturing the various projects now before the district, and for giving effect to which, the legislative action of the Council ia required. We have first of all to conaider the appointment of a Board of Conservators as provided for by the " Clutha River Trust Reserves Act, 1874." The provision is contained in clause two, which reads as folbws :— So soon as the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the province shall have passed an Ordinance constituting a Board of Conservators for the district of Clutha River, the said Board of Conservator shall hold the lands described in the schedule upon trust for' such purposes as shall be specified in the Ordinance aforesaid." Tbis, of course, simply means, that the representatives for the district of Clutha River will supply 'Government with the names of gentlemen qualified to act as a Board of Conservators, in order that they may be embodied in the proposed Act. The words dißtrict of Clutha River, as printed in the Act has a significance which ought not to fre overlooked in making the selection. As a question of locality, it indicates the course of the river, or at all eventß that portion of it, tor the benefit ot which the endowment is made. It follows then, as a matter of course, that the Board of Conservators is designed to be elected from men residing at, or having an interest in the district so defined. The parties eligible then for nomination are residents at Port Molyneux, Inch Clutha, Puerua, Kaitangata, Balclutha, and the upper portion of the river, as far as it is understood to be navigable, viz, Tuapeka Mouth. That is evidently the spirit and intention of the enactment, and our representatives in the Council can have no great difficulty in making a suitable selection from each of these places. The trust is a most important one, and the duties connected therewith, will be of the most onerous character, Ihe land set apart as an endowment is described by the schedule as follows : — " All that area in the Province of Otago, containing by estimation 50,200 acres, more or less, being runs numbered respectively 129,258 and part of run numbered 90 on the map of the south-eastern pastoral district of the said Province deposited in the Provincial Survey Office, Dunedin, bounded by a line proceeding from the Waipahi Stream due east to Three Stones, 50,000 links ; thence along the western boundaries of runs 24a, 72, and 122, 92,000 links ; thence along the southern boundary of the said run 129, and the eastern boundary 162, 104,000 links; then^ along the northern and eastern boundaries of run 162, and the northern boundary of run 251 to run 13* 93,000 links; thence along the northeastern boundary of run 132, 8000 links ; thence along the south-eastern boundary of run 102] 32,500 links , and thence in a

southerly direction along the Waipahi Stream, 11,000 linka to the starting point.' It must be evident that too much care and attention cannot be exercised in the selection of proper men. The provision is a liberal one, and if judiciously administered, a very great boon will be Becured for the district, by the improvement of the river, the protection of land along the banks, and otherwise rendering it fit and safe for navigation. The projected line of railway for opening up Catlin's River district is another point which should not be ovei looked. Despite the assurances given by Government that the preliminary Burvey would be gone on with at once, we are not yet aware of any move having been made to give effect to that promise. That branch of the subject is in _the hands of the Clutha Kailway Committee, and, from the earnestness and vigilance already displayed by that body, we have every confidence in leaving them to deal with it. The question of alterior proceedings is one, however, which must now be considered. Semi-official intimation has been made that there is not the slightest likelihood of the Provincial Government undertaking the work of construction. In that case, it behoves us to turn our attention eleewbere. We must, to a certain extent, be prepared to rely upon our own efforts, and after -all it is just possible these efforts will serve our purpose better than even the solicitude of a paternal Government. To place us in the position of serving our own turn, it will be necessary that some distinct understanding should be come to with the Council. What we will have to be armed with is an Ordinance, similar to the one passed some years ago, guaranteeing interest up to a certain amount for construction of a railway to the Olutha. That Ordinance, it is true, was never taken advantage of, but it is equally true that the general state of affairs throughout the Province, as well as the Colony, is vastly changed since the Clutha Railway Guarantee Act was baited, for the purpose of booking the capitalist. An act of this kind, passed on behalf of the Catlin's River project, will provide those interested in the work with something tangible to operate upon. It will enable them to open up negotiations for getting the work done, and, so far as we can see, the chances are greatly in favor of these negotiations being b; ought to a successful issue. On the other hand, if they do not succeed, no real harm will be done. If the guarantee, as provided, be not operated upon, neither the Province nor the district will be placed in any worse position than it is. View the proposal in whatever light we may, no harm can possibly result; on the other hand, very much good may be wrought. Amongst other subj cts demanding; attention, the throwing open of additional land under the deferred payment system claims notice. The avidity with which the blocks already thrown open were competed for is a sure and certain sign that the demand is still far from being satisfied. There is land in the Clutha district eligible for settlement of this kind, and the sooner it is opened to selectors the better. In conjanction with this suggestion, there is one point to which we would draw special attention. We have already pointed to the necessity that exists for establishment of a district land officer at Balclutha. The provision presently in operation is, in the very highest degree, inconvenient. To compel the selector of land situated at Clinton and Waipahi, as was lately the case, to go to such an outlandish place as Invercargill, or out-of-the-way corner a9 Lawrence, is about as mad a freak as could well be enacted. It is, practically speaking, throwing every obstacle in the way of free selection. The Clutha is contiguous to a deal of land which must, sooner or later, be opened for selection. We have got Otaria, Merrie Creek, Wyndham, and Waikawa, besides those extensive flats intersecting the bush between Grlenoamaru, and the localities mentioned above. The bridging oi the Molyneux at the Matau is another matter which will demand attention, but as the project is to be open for discussion by the residents themselves on Monday, we need not here allude to it further. A communication lately received from our Catlin's River correspondent reminds us of a small matter which certainly deserves consideration, viz, the inadequate remuneration paid to the local pilot. He was, it seems, appointed to the post when the place was of but little importance — consequently the shipping trade was trifling. Now, however, the case is different. His duties have become, not only considerable, but, from the intricate nature of the bar -harbor, they are of a very onerous character. We have no doubt his claim will be recognised. These are a few of the matters of more pressing import, and we trust that the short time that now intervenes before the meeting of Council will be devoted to their careful consideration.