The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1869.

Dunstan Times, Issue 350, 8 January 1869, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1869.

Beneath the Eul e of Men entirely just the pen is mightier than the- sword.

injustice done to' Clyde by taksttbstitudoa o!' Nuseby as the

principal polling-place for the Electoral District of Goldfields for Members of the House of Representatives, Superintendent, and Members of the Provincial Council is a matter likely to be productive of considerable inconvenience to the inhabitants of the Dunstan District. We have no wish to deny the claims of Naseby as an important goldfields township; but, situate as it is at the extreme northeast corner of the goldfields, and by no means easily accessible during the winter months, the Genet al Government, in making the change, have decidedly not studied the convenience of the public We hope, however, that ignorance of the geographical position of Clyde has led them to adopt this course, or that they have been misled by misrepresentations made to them that the interests of 'he goldfields population in respect to elections could be equally well looked after finm an outside position as from the most central—rather than that it arises from any want of attention to the interests of the mining population. One glance at the map is quite sufficient to convince any person possessed of common sense that the town of Clyde is in the very centre of ih<* Otago Goldfields, and the most convenient place as a basis of operations in all branches of the public service having jurisdiction thereon. What members representing goldfields’ interests have een about to allow this spoliation it is difficult to divine. They surely are guilty of neglecting the interests of their constituents. It seems to us an entirely new theory that, when the exigencies of the public ser. vice require the removal of an officer from one district to another, he should carry away on his back, like any other chattel property, every little office of emolument, more especially 1 when such is intimately identified with j the district he has left. We always i had an idea (before we came to reside in New Zealand) that public officers

were required to so adapt themselves

that the public convenience might be best served; hut we have evidently been laboring under a mistake. It is the public business that is required to adapt itself to the convenience of the public officer

The removal of the chief po lingplace to Naseby has, we are pleased to find, not escaped the attention of the worthy Mayor of Clyde, Mr. James Ilazlett, who, ever mindful of the duties of his office, at once opened a correspondence with his Honor the Superintendent upon (he matter. His honor, vve believe, even before the receipt of any communication from Mr. Ilazlett, saw the great injustice done to Clyde, and the inconve .ience that must arise to the mining com munity by the removal of the chief seat of management for goldfields elections to such an out-of-the-way corner as Naseby decidedly is, had anticipated the result, and wrote at once to the Colonial Secretary respecting it. The following is Mr. Stafford‘s reply : “ Colonial Secretary’s Office, . “Wellington, Dec. 15, 1868.

“ Sir, -I Lave to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor’s letter (No. 9,544) of the 24th ult., on the subject of the appointment of Naseby, in the place of Clyde, as the principal polling-place for the district of Goldfields for General and Provincial elections for that district.

In reply I have to state that the cause of transferring the principal polling-place from Clyde to Naseby was the corresponding removal, in accor anco with the wishes of the Provincial Executive of Otago, of the residence of the Returning Officer, Mr. Robinson. As, however, the various pollingplaces {including Clyde) in the district are still retained, I am unable to see that any inconvenience results to the electors from this transfer ; but, if a general wish be expressed for the restoration of the principal polling-place to Clyde the Government will have no objection to make the alteration. “A reduction of £23 per annum has been made for the current financial year from the salary formerly paid to Mr. Robinson as Registration and Returning Officer for the Electoral District of Manuherikia, Goldfields Towns, and Goldfields.

“ I have, &c., “E. W. STAFFORD, “His Honor the Superintendent, Otago.”

The work of rcs oring Clyde to its original position of chief polling-place for goldfields elections thus depends noon tbe people themselves. The an ho.i'.ies at Wellington appear—thanks ! o his Honor the Superintendent—fully alive totho groat injustice

done tho Dunstan district, and are willing to make reparation when requested so to do. The proper course to be adopted is so very apparent that any explanation from us is quite unnecessary