The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 179, 26 February 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1868.

The subject of tracks has been prominently brought before the inhabitants of "Weatport by the late case of Stevenson v. Brennan, tried in the Resident Magistrate's Court. It was then contended by the defendant that the track was not in good condition, and that this was one of the reasons why he objected to pay the toll demanded. There cannot be the slightest doubt but that this plea applies not only to this track, but also to all the other various tracks to the diggings surrounding AVestport. The track to the Caledonian was bad enough before the wet weather, but now it is a perfect sea of mud, all but impassable to pedestrians, and through which packers and pack horses flounder about almost hopelessly. It is time we think that something like a good dray road should be formed not only to these digings, but also to those at Addison's Flat, whereby the cost of provisions, &c, would be materially reduced. In any other country but New Zealand, a dray-road would * have been formed long since, but iu this antipodes there seems to be a great leaning either to retrograde or construct works in the most antiquated manner possible, and in doing so subject the parties who are supposed to be benefitted thereby, to all the annoyances it is possible to conceive. If the Nelson Government are too niggardly or too timid to incur the expense of constructing a road for the public benefit, let them do so, and make it a source of profit by placing a tollbar on it, and in a very little while it would pay for itself; and if we are rightly informed, a road could be made to it from the Buller river at a very trifling expense. The track to Waite's was a blunder, and a mistake, and the tracks to the Caledonian are equally mistakes. It is time that something should be done to alter this, and the miners and residents should at once take action and ask for better means of approach. The necessity is so apparent that we think there cannot be much doubt about something been required to remedy this state of things. It is not of much use memoralising the Commissioner, as he has got no means at his disposal, but let the complaint be carried to headquarters at once, and it is not probable that redress would be long withheld.