AND GOLDFIELOS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1879. "MEASURES. NOT MEN"

Tuapeka Times, Volume XII, Issue 507, 5 March 1879, Page 2

AND GOLDFIELOS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1879. " MEASURES. NOT MEN "

At the special meeting of the CountyCouncil, held on Monday, the member for James Riding, with all his suavity, special pleading, and threats, could not get his own way. He counselled moderation in his fellow Councillors, but failed to exercise it in his own language, for he breathed out threatenings of imminent annihilation to the County if his resolutions were not accepted. He Baid, in effect, "If you do not support me in my reasonable proposals, I will bring such powers to bear upon you in, higher quarters, that you will for ever regret your opposition." The question was the purchase of the Beaumont bridge site, and the appropriation of certain moneys lent by the Government to repair damages done by the floods; and there is no disputing the fact that Mr Bastings put the question in a very forcible manner from his point of view, and from the lessee's point of view, but when he bounced and threatened the Council to do as he wished, he made a grand mistake. Members are not to be intimidated in that fashion; they hold their own opinions, and no doubt value them quite as much as the member for James values his. They may not have the experience of Mr Bastings — indeed, they do not profess to haye — but experience does not always bring infallible wisdom. Mr Bastings' experience has done him good service, but on Monday, in our opinion, his zeal for the lessee of the bridge outran his discretion. The question of the purchase of the Beaumont bridge site and punt has been very fairly put before our readers in these columns from time to time. i\lr Bastings said he objected to arbitration because, as a rule, public bodies went to the wall in such cases; but the reason the majority of the Council wished to go to arbitration was because there was not the remotest chance of their going to the wall, as they were not bound to accept the award unless it was a reasonable one. We have every reason to believe that under the deed of submission the award would have been an unreasonable one, and one that wo\ild have involved the County in very heavy costs, and the Council was quite justified in rejecting it. Mr Bastings made a great deal of the prospective profits of the bridge during the unexpired term of the lease, and its renewal for another fourteen years, but these prospective profits dwindle down to a very small sum when it is remembered that the lease may be determined at any moment by arbitration ; and that, while the Government is not bound, the lessee is hound by the award. It is not the Council's business, neither is it ours, to consider the equity of this arrangement. The Provincial Government — of which, if we are not- mistaken, Mr Bastings was at the time Provincial Secretary — seemed to think it a necessary provision, and the march of events during these latter days declares it to have been fraught with wisdom. After all the arguments that have been usedj we see no reason to change our opinion that the Council acted judiciously in deciding at their former meeting to ask the Government to give Mr Kitching notice to erect a bridge. When the. bridge is in existence theie will be something tangible to arbitrate

upon, bat not till then. la the meantime, if Mr Kitching would accept a reasonable sum to settle the question once for all, we have no doubt the majority of the Council would be quite prepared to give their assent.

The result of the third and test crushing of the Wetherstones Cement Co., is all that the most sanguine could have anticipated, and demonstrates the fact that the Wetherstones cement deposit is.quite as auriferous as that of the Blue Spur. The wash-up of Monday showed an actual return of £925, or £600 clear of wages and all expenses. Here we have no exaggeration, but plain honest truth. Over two hundred and fifty ounces of gold from sixteen days crushing telk its own tale. There can be no gainsaying it. The gold is there and only requires the machinery to take it out. We should, say this result of the Wetherstones Company will give all the impetus that is needed to push the other companies a-head. Further time devoted to prospecting would now be almost wasted. Capital is now required for machinery, and with such propects there should be no difficulty in the way of getting all that would be wanted.