THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNSDAY, APRIL 15, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1776, 15 April 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNSDA Y, APRIL 15, 1874.

The whole of the work of construction of , the Hochstetter Water Race, has been contracted for by Messrs Roche and Co., who were originally the successful tenderers for the first three sections — the fourth section would have been let to Mr Rowe, of Charleston, who was the lowest tenderer, but he failed to complete his sureties, and his deposit of i>3oo was forfeited. -Messrs Roche and Co have takeu up this section at the price of £9991 33 6d,;with an extra allowance for providing timber for the tunnels. 'Mr Roche informs, us that the work will be commenced at once, and be pushed forward as rapidly as possible. The total cost of the race will be £32,066 17s 4d. ;

The people of Rp3s, and, the mercantile comrauniiy of Hokitika, are taking active steps to induce the Government to construct the Mikonui Water Race, and we wish them every success. It has struck us as something very "strange, that during the agitation of this subject, which has existed for some time, the services of the member for Totara, Mr Tribe, in regard to this work, have apparently received n^ recognition -whatever. , The writer of this, paragraph can bear personal testimony to the unremitting exertions of Mr Tribe iii endeavoring to get, the race constructed, and the heaps of correspondence that he addressed to the Government on the sub}ject. In fact — although it sounds jocular^ if is no joke — the hon. member for Roesj through his persistent pleading of the. cause of the Ross miners in- thia respect obtained in Wellington the sobriquet of " Mikonui," by which name he is as wjellr known as by his own. It seems shabby that the present promoters of the race should forget altogether Mr Tribe's serjvices — more ; particularly because if the Government should in the end consent t(| make the race, the present Mikonui Race Committee will . have simply achieved success on the? basis of his previous 1 efforts. *" . . •

Remonstrances are continually appearing in the Colonial papers against the large importation of an article which the Colony possesses in rich abundance — coal. During the year ended 30th June, 1873, New Zealand imported 106,757 tons, ■valued at .£176,170, from. New South Wales alone, as is Bhown by the following table, taken from a Parliamentary parser : — . „.....,. New South Wales. Tons. Value. Auckland 17,544 29,863 Thames ...... 606 1,063 Taranakt ... ... 233 464 Wellington 26,449 40.949 Napier 1,360 2,935 Nelson 3,646 6,8"2 Lyttelton 27,211 45,676 Timaru 3,490 7,116 Oamaru ... ... 2,874 5,266 Dunedin 22,074, 33.136 Inverca'gill 1,270 • 2,739 Totals ... ... 106,757 £176,170 Besides this,. Nelson imported 97 tons from the United Kingdom, valued at £278 ; and Dunedin,. 1657 tons, valued at £2625 ; Lyttelton also imported 10 tons from Victoria, valued at £5 ; and Invercargill 2 tons, valued at L 3. In 1871 the total value imported amounted to in 3872 it had increased to .£127,508,; and in 1873 it reached the enormous sum of £179j 087. • This represents over 2000 tons per week, every pound weight of which could be supplied by the coal-mines oi this district if only facilities were afforded for shipment, and ten times the quantity could be raised for exportation. It is idle folly to grumble and growl about . sending money out of the Colony for coal that we have in abundance at our own doors, when so littlo practical effort is being made to develope the Colonial coalfields* We are certain that if the Brunne r

Coal-field had been in Victoria the railway would have been completed years ago, and that no expenditure would! be grudged to make a port for large vessels."

Mr Calcutt, the gentleman whose services as an inspector of land are highly valued by the Government, has arrived in town. His errand this time was to inspect the country about Jackson's Bay in relation to Mr Vogel's pet idea of special forest settlements in Westland. Mr Calcutt, however, did not get there owing to the absence of the Waipara, and he now proceeds to Canterbury via the Amuri track. We take this opportunity of again denouncing the special settlements scheme as applied to Westland as impracticable, illusive, and utterly unsuited to the requirements of the Province — besides being a delusion to the unfortunate immigrants who may be brought under its provisions. We have a paragraph now before us, in an Otago paper, which states that of the number of special settlers placed upon Steward's Island onlyone familyremains— the others having all left for the mainland and j,one into ordinary occupations. Now it, was expected that the settlement at Port William would be very successful. The land was good*, excellent timber abounded, and facilities for shipbuilding were great, the adjoining seas teemed with fish of all kinds — and it was considered in fact a Paradise for the poor Shetlanders who were brought out and placed upon the settlement. They fished, and cured their fish, but had no market, and finding that good wages and easier living were obtainable in Otago they gave up their land and emigrated. And a similar fate will assuredly attend any scheme of settling families in isolated places in the West Coast Forests. They will not — they cannot remains in them, and the attempt to artificially settle the desert regions of Westland will prove a certain failure. The scheme is the outcome of an ingenious man utterly inexperienced in the actual work of colonisation, and is backed up apparently by one who ought to know better if he does not than to countenance such a mad and really ridiculous idea. Would the Superintendent care to live in one of these projected settlements himBelf, or would he advise any of his friends to do so ? We trow not.

If distance lends enchantment to the view the recent discoveries of gold in South America will probably attract the attention of those miners who are disposed to rush anywhere on the slightest provocation. A gentleman in town has shown us a letter from his brother, which states that some distance from Cayenne, in the mountains, a rich gold-field has been discovered. He writes : — " There is great excitement about gold discoveries in French Guiana, South America, the seaport in Cayenne. Fabulous accounts have been received, and it is stated that three men in 27 days made 100,000dol. The diggings are 70 miles up country amongst the mountains, and the climate is temperate, but it is very hot on the coast." We suppose if there was such a thing . as steam communication with Cayenne, lots of the " bone and sinew" would depart for this new gold-field.

'/ Two locomotives and a large quantity of plant for toe Brunner railway have arrived 1 at Wellington, and await shipment to this port. Mr White, telegraph lineman, returned to i Hokitika on Monday, from his repairing trip on the Christchurch line. He states that the line is only very temporarily made good, and that several hundred pounds will be required to repair it in a substantial manner. He also corroborates Mr Nightin-: gale's opinion as to the amount of damage done to the road and the cost of its repairs. Mr Mr Muller left to inspect the road on Monday morniug, and on his return the above much vexed question will be authoritatively set at rest. The tender of Mr M'Whirter, for section 7 of the Waimea Water-race for L 7502 6s, has been accepted, being for a distance of about three miles. Tenders for sections 8 and 9 in the same race close to-day, at noon. It will be seen by, our telegram that the Good Templars at Wellington have allowed their zeal to overcome their discretion, and have lost the fruits of the active house-to* house .canvass they made in order to close some of the public houses. Their petition was a day too late, and could not be- received. ' ' .■' • - "'^ i It will be seen by a prospectus which appears in another column. that the members of the Orwell Creek ; Gold Mining Company intend increasing the number of shareholders and forming the new association into acom| panv. under the Mining Company's Act oi 1872. r The old company which was comi posed ; principally of working 'miners' and business men, residing in the immediate locality of the -works, has been in possession of the ground now thrown open to the public for a considerable time. A large amount of prospecting has been done, and sufficient is known to justify the expectation that rich auriferous gutters exist at Orwell Plat. The further continuance of operations is beyond the means of the present company, and the J)lan now adopted of forming a limited iability company is considered the best under the circumstances to thoroughly test - and work the ground. This is the first association of the kind formed to work alluvial auriferous ground in the Grey Valley, and we heartily wish the new venture every success. A meeting of the members of the Church of England resident in the Half-Ounce district was held at Mr John Graham's, at Half-Ounce, on Sunday, after divine service, to take the preliminary steps towards erecting a church for the use of the congregation. The Rev T Flavell was in the chair, and the following gentlemen were appointed to collect, subscriptions and to act as a building committee : — Messrs Jas. Cunningham, R. Pittman, and John M. Ollivier for upper Half-Ounce ; William Young and G. Erickson, Granville and Mabille ; Charles Clarson and John Baybutt, Duffer and Sullivan Creeks. The committee adjourned to select a suitable place in which to erect the church, and the site fixed upon is on the main terrace opposite to Mabille. The spot chosen has the advantage of being centrally situated and easy of access from Half-Ounce, Duffer and Teviot Creeks, as well as other parts of the district. A meeting of the Grey Valley Road Board is convened for the 15th (to-day), at Ahaura. The fearful condition of the roads and bridges throughout the country from the effects of the late flood, and the almost total cessatiou 'of traffic in consequence, makes it an absolute necessity that prompt and energetic action mutt be taken to obtain funds from the Government for the Board. It is said that a final request will be made to the Government for the immediate transmission of a portion of the subsidies to which the Board ia entitled, and, in the event of a refusal, a majority of the members of the Board will tender their resignation, i

. The new Church of England, in course of erection at /Wajpuna Terrace, Nobles Creek, for the use of, the members of that denomination residing at:-Waipuna, Browne's Lead, and Noble's districts, will be opened during the next visit' of the JKe'v, T. Flavell to the Grey Valley. It is also contemplated to establish a school in connection with the Church of England at Nelson Creek, as soon as the preliminary arrangements • are made and a competent teacher can be secured. In the published list of prizes in the Albion Grand Sweep No.. 2, which appeared in our advertising columns yesterday morning, a typographical '''error occurred. No. 301 representing the horse Burwood should have been printed 361. In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Jas. Wylde sued the New River . Water Race Company for L 39 14s for servic9 rendered. The claim was disputed, and judgment was reserved until Tuesday next. Up-country travellers are warned that the ford at the Little Grey Junction has shifted during the recent flood, and that the only available crossing is deep and dangerous. Strangers are cautioned to well inform themselves of the right place to take the Grey River before an attempt is made to ford it. It is said that a safe ford exists opposite Mr Austin O'Malley's farm some distance up the river from the old crossing, but that this new ford cannot be made practicable for want of a few chains of track cutting along the river bank. The fixing of flags or. other marks to indicate the proper crossing places of rivers on the main lite of traffic is as much a necessity, and also a matter as much neglected and as religiously disregarded as it was five years ago, when the Nelson Government promised that the subject would be "taken into serious consideration." The Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes : — " A whimsical instance of the views which some members entertain and are not ashamed to avow, respecting the duties of a representitive and his claims on his constituents, has been afforded at Creswick. A person named Philipps, who represented this district in the last Parliament— a man who had once been a clergyman of the Church of England, and belongs now to the genus of loafing members — was addressing a meeting of electors, when he was asked if he did not get L 5 from a certain man name J. replied that he did. He got a Crown grant for the man, and the latter gave him a L 5 note. He went on to complain that very little had been done for him by his constituents. All that they had ever given him, including chickens and pieces of pork, was not L3O worth. The low, sordid, Belfish greed of this clerical regenade was too much for the electors, and they passed a resolution declaring him to be an unfit and improper person to represent their district. This is a satisfactory result, and it is to be hoped that the electors will act in consistency with this vote on polling day." As showing the spirit of the General Government to the Provincial authorities of Wellington, the correspondent of the Daily Times mentions one little fact. The HutD railway is almost quite completed, and will be ready for formal opening within a week. On Tuesday, Messrs Brogden invited the Superintendent, Mr Bunny, and about; six other gentlemen, to go out in a train to the Hutt. It was to be quite a private and informal affair, but the General Government heard of it, and although the line is still in the contractors hands, sent down an order to Messrs Brogden that they were not to use the carriages, and actually put a man on guard to prevent their being used. There will be some nice discoveries of mismanagement in connection with this Hutt line when Parliament meets. Every possible obstacle to its completion has been thrown by the Government in Messrs Brogden's way. One hundred tons of flour, 10,000 eels, and a vast quantity of dried shark constituted the bill of fare at a great native meeting at Te Kuiti recently. Private letters from Fiji of an authentic character state that all hopes of annexation are abandoned. The Cabinet had arranged all and advised King Thakambau to cede the Islands. The Commissioners went in state to Bau to hear the Chief's decision. To the surprise of all, he thanked them, and desired them to thank the Queen for the interest; taken in his kingdom, but did not fear taking on himself the full liability of the public debt, and, with the help of the white men,' of governing the country. The Commissioners at once accepted the position, and offered him friendly advice and assistance: The Ministry at once resigned, but Mr Thurston has been since induced to act in the interim as Premier, and has convened Par--liament again under the Constitution of 1871. He has reduced the armed force from 1200 to 300 men, and -stationed them in posts in the intoriqr to overawe the mountaineers. Everything will therefore begin de novo, withoul any attempt to lead the settlers by an armed force. The expenses of Government had also been greatly reduced, beginning with the civil list of the King and the salaries of Ministers, from which two-fifths have been' deducted, and others in proportion. The letters that bring this news were sent by private boat to Suva, whence they were brought by the Marion Rennie. The confer^ ence with the King, and the ultimate decision, took place at Ban, so that there was no opportunity of hearing of the effect on the planters or people at Levuka. A correspondent writing upon the Permissive Bill crusade in Wellington says : — The Permissive Bill is rapidly becoming au intolerable nuisance. It has pleased the Good Templars to proscribe seven out of fifty-two public-houses in this city, and to endeavor to get up petitions in favor of their closing. Of course, this is resisted by the threatened publicans, the publicans who are not threatened, and by all who object to fanaticism and the dictation of lodges. The result is that,, at every hour of the day and night, one's house is invaded by importunate canvassers in favor of shutting up houses or keeping them open. The papers, too, are full of violent letters on each --ide, and strong leading articles. The result is that people are getting utterly disgusted with the whole affair, and Mr Fox's name is frequently mentioned with anything but blessings attached. The publicans of Wellington have, however, had a very narrow escape. Tne teetotallers, having friends in Council, had very nearly secured the appointment of three Commissioners, who would certainly have refused half the licenses in town. . The proposed Commissioners were three Government officers of pronounced: views on the liquor traffic, and all local preachers. The ever-watchful Evening Post found out the little scheme, and denounced it, protesting against the appointment of such men as Commissioners. This brought the matter under Mr Vogel's notice, and on enquiry he found that the names having been approved by Mr O'Rorke, were actually in. type ,for the Gazette. He at once stopped the publication of the Gazette for some hours ; sent special messengers about town to secure the services of three independent Commissioners ; and having succeeded •in obtaining three \ such, he had their names gazetted in an hour j or two afterwards. This has been a great ] blow to the Good Templars. The Beoch now , is a very fair one, and as several of the houses petitioned against are amongst the j best conducted houses in the city, the teetotallers are not very likely to effect their ' object. The General Government is, I be- j lieve, preparing a general Licensing Act, ' devoid of the absurdities of Mr, Fox's, which they will introduce next session. ' \