THE EXPENDITURE OF 1,50,000 UPON THE NELSON GOLD-FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1934, 17 October 1874, Page 2

THE EXPENDITURE OF 1,50,000 UPON THE NELSON GOLD-FIELDS.

A letter signed " Progress " appears in the "Nelson Evening Mail" upon the proposed expenditure of L 50,000, granted to Nelson last session, upon road works on the South- West Gold-fields. As it confirms the suspicions formed, in this district regarding the intentions of the Provincial Executive, we republish a portion of the letter : — Sin — For many years past, the people of Nelson have been clamoring for a road to connect the settled districts with the gold-fields, and the General Assembly having granted L 50,000 for that purpose, there seemed at last a prospect that before long we should at least have a dray road to the Lyell, but our active Provincial Secretary, whose interests all lie at Westport, has a strong objection to this piece of road being made, and cunningly ( suggests that the work should be commenced at both ends, that is to say, at the Grip at this end and nine miles from Westport and twenty miles below the Lyell at the other, at the same time knowing perfectly well that the L 50,000 will not complete the road right through. The proper course to pursue is to commence the road at this end, and at the Lyell, working this way, and the road from Little Grey Junction to Squaretown should be the first commenced below the Lyell, the cost of which compared with the Westport road, would be small. If these two roads were made, coaches could run from Nelson to Greymouth without any difficulty, and the prosperity of the Province would be greatly advanced. Ehere is not half so much need for a dray road to Westport as there is for good water carriage between the Lyell and that bown, and a good deal of money has been paid for a towing track, besides which, Westport has had more money expended in, and for the benefit of, that district, than any other portion of the Province, and there is a large expenditure on railway works now going on there,

but this does not satisfy Mr O'Conor. He wants all the money spent there, and in- s, tends to have it if he can. I really think the public should take I this matter up before it is too late. The Provincial Secretary has already, by public advertisement, announced his intention to call for tenders for a portion of the road below the Lyell, arid if the public allow them to be accepted the road from Nelson to the Lyell will never be completed. The wisest. ;cqurse to take is to petition the Superintendent without delay to call the Provincial Council together, in order that they may insist upon the L 50,000 • being laid out to the best advantage, and if the present Executive will not carry out the wishes of the . public on a matter of such vital importance to .their interests, let them retire in favor of those who will. '.',