Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1872.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 136, 18 June 1872, Page 4

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1872.

The session of the Provincial Council! | lately concluded was not prolific in either! good or bad results so far as Cromwell is j concerned. Indirect connection with obe ! j town itself, the only transaction of moment! i was the Municipal Revenues Ordinance, I j whereby, as is well known already to ou ! | readers, the Corporation is to receive, in I (common with all others in the Province the fce: : ; from certain classes of license : j granted in the district. This may be! looked upon simply as in lieu of the yearly ! subsidy previously given by the Govern- j ! ment; although when the cost of the main- | tenance of the main road, and that of the collection of the license-fees, are taken into account, the Cromwell Municipality, at any rate, will lose rather than gain under : the new order of things. Beyond the i usual yearly grants for the maintenance of j roads throughout the district, the only j sums placed to our credit on the Estimates were: £7OO for the Quart/, lleef Point 1 track; £l>oo for the road between Cromwell and Wanaka ; some smaller sums for I other roads in that direction; and the I miserably inadequate sum of £-1-0 (.') fori the improvement of the road between ' Clyde and Cromwell. We write from , memory; but believe we are right in statin,' . that, further than these matters. Cromwell ' will gain nothing from the last assembly of our Provincial magnates. We are no nearer becoming the centre of official business in the Duustan district, than we were before they sat. And there can be no question that Cromwell, from its situation, its business, and its revenue contributions, ought to be the seat of officialdom : the Warden ought to reside here ; here should be the head-quarters of the police district ; and .Mr Wilson Cray's Court, to suit the convenience of all parts of the Dunstan : district equably, should be held here. A\ r e do not intend at this time to reiterate the j many and unanswerable arguments we have before advanced for this change in ; the state of things. There is no need that | we should do so : to every calmly-reasoning mind, Cromwell's increasing Court busiI ness, the high amount of its Escort, an ! the undoubted fertility of its gold resources, prove that our affirmation is correct. And. ! further, there can be as little question that had Cromwell been fitly represented in the Council, this change would ere now j have been effected. A little urging on I Mr Mickey's part would, we believe, have secured to us the decree that when Air | Warden Simpson's leave of absence exI pi res, he should take up his residence in ! Cromwell. But while the electors send to I represent them a man of so little influence and honesty of purpose as Air Mickey. they cannot expect that the district will ; receive its due consideration from either ; the Provincial Council or Executive. Air j Mickey did move in the matter of the necessity of the District Court being held j at Cromwell; but when his motion came hi fore the Mouse, our member was absent; and those who know him will be best able ! to judge of the reason of his absence. Me

also made an insane and meaningless at-! tempt to have £IOOO placed on the Sup.: plementaiy Estimates for the purpose of affording Cromwell a commonage ; —insane because he was previously told by the Government and other members that alii applications for further sums would be op. posed ; more money than the estimated revenue could supply had already been voted. He had to be content with the assurance that the question of Cromwell's commonage would be considered by the Government during the recess, and possibly attended (o in some form or other. When Mr Hickey becomes courageous enough to address his constituents, he will doubtless lament to them that his strenuous endeavours forcommonage were unsuccessful; but pr<bably will not tell them that after his futile attempt for the £IOOO, Mr Hallex. steix was successful in applications for a Sub-Wardenship for the Arrow, and for several sums for roads and tracks in the Wakatip district. He will not tell them of this. His constituents might be led to reason it out why one should succeed, and the other not ; and might discover the reason in the fact that the Government could believe that Mr Hallexsteix was actuated by a pure desire for the benefit of his district, and not, is Mr Hickey, by a vague wish to do something to sound well witli his constituents, and to quiet their j doubts as to whether he even earns his honorarium. Mr Hickey's only success was in his motion to have the gold duty [reduced; and this only a partial success Quite as much on this question has been effected in former sessions ; with no further result, however. Some, time since, wewtie shown a requisition to Mr Hickey to resign his seat. But nothing beyond the writing of it has been done ; no signatures ! to our knowledge at least, lutye been aske-'. ; We would uru'e upon those who took this matter in hand to cany it through at once • so that there in iy he a chancy (possibly a j remote one; we think Air Hickey values the loaves an i fishes,) ere next session, of Cromwell having a representative in whom 'some trust may bo placed that he will ai- . tend to its interests. The district has been I misrepresented quite long enough. _Yir Hickey his had a chance give.) him ly his fellow-miners to play his part on the political stage; he has misused that chance ; and it is high time he should njturn, with barren honour, to the nameless obscurity from whence he sprang.