✨ Superintendent's Address to Provincial Council
A comparative statement of the annual gross returns from traffic, from the 1st October, 1867, to the present date, shows an increase on the Lyttelton line in passenger traffic from £7967 9s 4d in 1867-1868, to £8017 18s 10d in 1871-1872; and on the Southern line from £3687 14s 5d in 1867-1868, to £6158 7s 2d in 1871-1872; and in goods traffic on the Lyttelton line from £15,896 10s 4d in 1867-1868, to £32,748 6s 4d in 1871-1872, and on Southern line from £5539 11s 9d in 1867-1868, to £8837 4s 5d in 1871-1872. These returns speak for themselves and need no comment from me.
An offer to construct a Water Race from the Pareora to Timaru will be laid before you, and you will be recommended to authorise its acceptance. Should the construction of this Water Race prove successful, there is good reason to believe that it would lead to the construction of similar races over portions of the Plains which are now unavailable for general settlement from the want of water. There are large tracts of country on the Plains abutting on the Ashburton River which are of this character, and I would submit for your consideration the advisableness of obtaining the fullest information, by careful survey, as to how far a system of water supply, if not of irrigation, could be initiated in this district. I am of opinion that, sooner or later, this work will be undertaken by private industry, if not by the Government, and that it would be much facilitated by the obtaining the necessary information, and making reserves for the purpose.
An Act was passed during the late Session of the General Assembly which, if adopted by you, will give greater powers of management in respect of Public Domains in this Province. I shall ask you to pass an Ordinance bringing it into operation.
The Museum Buildings authorised by you in a previous Session are now complete, and the general usefulness as well as attractiveness of the institution has been largely increased during the past year.
You will be glad to learn that the General Government has determined to authorise the Endowments made for a School of Technical Science on the conditions prescribed by you.
Gentlemen, I have referred to the principal subjects which will be brought under your consideration by the Government.
Though those subjects do not involve to any great extent what is generally understood by the term “questions of policy,” there has been no occasion during the period that I have held office when you have had greater means at your disposal or greater opportunity of affecting the future welfare of the Province by your deliberations.
While I have indicated generally my own views and those of my Executive Council, it will continue to be my endeavour to carry into effect, to the best of my ability, the decisions at which you may arrive on the questions which I shall submit to you.
I now declare this Council open for the dispatch of business.
W. ROLLESTON,
Superintendent.
CHRISTCHURCH:
Printed under the authority of the Provincial Government of the Province of Canterbury at the “Lyttelton Times” Office, Gloucester street, by Wm. Reeves, Official Printer for the time being to the said Government.
Canterbury Provincial Gazette 1872, No 60
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Superintendent's Address to Provincial Council
(continued from previous page)
🏘️ Provincial & Local GovernmentProvincial Council, Economic Report, Land Sales, Road Boards, Public Buildings, Education
- W. Rolleston, Superintendent