THE WEATHERSTONE WATER-CHANNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 323, 1 January 1863, Page 6

THE WEATHERSTONE WATER-CHANNEL

" Whichever ;you like my little dears; you pajs ' . your money, and you takes your choice." (7b the Editor of the Daily Times.) Sir—Whether our Provincial Government was in | ' any way controlled by the notable showman, who ' studiously-av.ided'a collision with the opinions and jnclinations_pf, those who contributed to his coffers. I am unable to'say ; butTthere is a coincidence in the ~" j .circumstances which rather faiors the presumption .. < that it .was not without its influence in determining th c question ot the formation of the iWentlicratone ,' Water-tliannel; and it niuy b« well to investigate a ' little the principle thus' involved, and to endeavour to show howiartbe maxims of a two-penny exhibition are adapted to the circumstances and requirements of a new country, and to ■ what extent they can be 1 politically followed with safety. I shall set out, Sir, with ibe aisertion, that.the water-channel is, i,t the moment I write, an accomplished fact—that its eouiuienremeiit, progress." and ' ■ completion have been characterized by an.evenness of circumstances, and an absence of excitement very unusual with woi-ks which are expected to reveal ' , riches so rare. And it maybe instructive to.new arrivals, as well as refr( shiiig to ourselves, if I briefly recur to the little e^ents which preceded the commencement of this great national undei taking. If my memory fjcivti" me right, the meeting at ■ which it originated was presided over by a pt otesskinol gentleman. Butchers, I well recollect, weie held to be experts in this matter, and accordingly their opipiont were received with the mos-t patronizing support and encouingrin'eiit. • llsirliers were regarded v» profubsed geologists ; some of ihein had the cdvantuge of a uviicticnl acqiiintdnee with the strata of the locality, aud were experimentally convinced iif the payable quality 'of the lower stratum j atid their opinions too were received with marked approbation , ■ and confidence. —although I have a slight recollection that- one of my fraternity, evinbed some little astonishment nt the pretensioas'of tliese gentlemen, by mildly ejaculating "■ scissors." Bakers had lieard and seen sufficient- of the matter to justify the declaration that, if was one of'the grandest conceptions ' that ever entered the head of a New Zealauder; ■whilst groceri were sutliciently satisfied with, the excellent objects contemplated by their predecessors— and well indeed they might be —to endorse every" sentiment which had been expressed ; nor were thcra ; wanting some few'miners, who with an apparently well grounded confidence iii- the project gave their •'' Support. '. True it is, there were some discreet and experienced ] '. diggers1 in the-neighborhood—alas! that prudence ' ~'; and wisdom 'shouldever bear so alvtr.-e adfcpropor- ' ' "tion to folly and intrigue—who from the first ex- | pressed1 a doubtful opinion of the advantages to be obtained; whilst there were others who thought that if it was to.' bo done, 'twere better it ■were done quickly, and thus an early 'consummation was demanded. , : . ■'- With such n provisional committee and .prospective board of directuis, wit!) E-culapiusat the'r head and ':' -'Diogenes at ther- feet (for if thf. digger lives not in a, tub, he' livpfl \y '»■ tub, which 1 apprehend-is much r.. the same thing), one might naturally exptct the realisation of i lie btst liO|,es ot its most sanuuine supportcis. Sir, indeed, have they been disappointed ; lor . . . accordingly we find that beef rose fioni twelve to ■<i.( fifteen pence, an iucieasud number of beards Kept up ,i. • a .more • imiuterrupL'd piocess of shaving,' bread ,i,. . g.u'pkly, doubled its value, and butter and cream ' j Jargelyparliciph'ted in the general bu«iancy of the '■ ' markets.' But there aie one or two interests to which «' I forbear' t to make allusion 'just now, a settlement with whom'-I fear is exceeilingly-likely to cause a serious strain upon the assets likely to accrue from the peculation. But for the": sequel. The Weathcrstone Waterchannel presen s the rather p.ii adcxicnl phenomenon of a dry ditch, with a rather annoying superfluity of •water in the few claims that are being worked con-

tiguoua to it. The Weatherstone uiners may pretty jieariybe saidTto *be amongst the things that were. The golden results which were to follow may be gracefully, if not in. all. cases. trntufully, rtferred '.o by saying '• hope told a flattering tale ;" and grievous as it 19 to make the admission, I must declare that our last state is worse' than'the first—for wo have expended a considerable sum of pul lie money in a w«y that is not at all likely to condui-e to our advantage, or in other words, to contribute either to the resources of tlie /Government or tiie prosperity of the people - ay, these are the interests. ' ■ ' . . But is there not in the ditest calamity one ray of iiope to clieer the drooping spirit ! Let us ponder for a moment. Have we not in the circumstances before us a case which, at least politically, " points a moral!" The truth is that here as well as elsewhere —to wit, Victoria, with her extravagant expenditure upon unproductive works,- whilst others ot gnateinecessity, suclr as roads, &c, into the interior have bteri comparatively neglected we are all too apt to Clitch at some puny nnd contemptible present; good, (and the advnntige which this job lias giver.to kbjtthas indeed been paltry in the extreme) to the 8 i eat detriment of our luti.re interest. But as the amount involved is only a flea bite, we may fairly hope to be compensated for its loss (for such I lc-av it will prove) by the example which it nffurds of a too ready ac-quie-ence. wituout a sufficifnt amount ot piaettcal information upen the siljvct, in our demands, by the Government, and the'lesson it teaches us to n.nke oui i-hoice with a little more prndci^uu aud le&s prtcipitation. I am, Sir Your obedient servant, Sluice box. I ' The Neighborhood, December 29th, lcJua.