SOUTHLAND AND THE DUNSTAN.

Southland Times, Issue 1330, 1 November 1870, Page 2

SOUTHLAND AND THE DUNSTAN.

» The Dunstan Times of the 21st instant reviews the reunion question at some length, and the following suggestions are made, which we recommend to the attention of our readers : — Now that reunion is accomplished, the people of Southland will naturally demand a road connecting them with Otago, and communication by way of the "Wakatip and the Mataura will be opened up, by either of which routes a large amount of produce will find its way into Otago, while a considerable proportion of the supplies for the northern goldfields will be brought via Invercargill to this district instead of by way of Dunedin. From the Bluff to Winton, a distance of forty miles, there is communication by railway ; from thence to Kingston, sixty miles, level and good roads exist, available for traffic both summer and winter, and preferable at all seasons to the road between Clyde and Palmerston. From Kingston there is water-carriage to Queenstown and Frankton, and, with a small outlay, the road could be continued to the banks of the Kawarau, near Messrs Boyes Brothers' home station, and, by a still further small expenditure, waggons could reach Cromwell and Clyde, from Winton, by way of the Nevis Ferry, the entire distance to Cromwell not being more than one hundred and ten miles, and over a level country all the way. This being the case, our supplies of breadstuffs and horsefeed would be largely increased, and obtainable at moderate prices. It seems very clear that, even with a very large increase in the area of; cultivated land, we shall scarcely be able to produce sufficient cereal crops for local \ consumption. The Lakes will have! nothing to spare but wheat, the quantity of which will gradually decrease, and to' Southland we must look for permanent ; supplies. Our business men will be able I to push their trade in that direction, and; barter, as far as possible, their wares for! such articles as we may require, so that; no more hard cash will leave the district; than is actually required to complete; purchases. The sending of bo much ;

is

ready money away from the Dunstan for farm produce is seriously detrimental to the interests of the district, and our tradesmen are not doing their duty unless • they provide a remedy for this evil.