The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1869.

Dunstan Times, Issue 366, 30 April 1869, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1869.

Beneath the Rule of Men entirely just the ten is MIGHTIER than the sword

As the Session of the Provincial Council is so dose at hand it behoves

nil of us to take seriously into consideration the business 'which is most likely to engage attention, and more especially those matters which affect the goldfields. In the first place, a determined stand must he made against the proposed expenditure for the Clutha .Railway, a work which will cost at least half a mi lion of money, and which, when completed, will only benefit a select few. It might possibly add additional prosperity and improve the property of ono particular district; but, as a national undertaking, it will be a waste of money. The population is too sparse for such a luxury, while the finances of the province will not afford it. The people of the Lower Clutha, for whose benefit this railway is projected, have trenched largely npon the public purse. They possess both land and water carriage to their highly favored locality, and, notwithstanding that steamers have been subsidised to trade between Dunedin and the Molyneux, as well as to navigate that river some distance up from its source, the traffic was too small to pay, and the steamers were consequently withdrawn. How, we should like to know how in the name of commonsense a railway can be expected to pay where steam navigation will not .1 It may be all very well for the promoters of the scheme to attempt to throw dust in our eyes by idling us that the railway will be extended to the goldfields. So it might, and so might a not over cleanly animal fly. Both are equally unlikely ; at least there is no probabi'ity of either being accomplished in our time, and circumstanced as we are, we require that any benelits that we may receive should not be indefinitely deferred. Before commencing to run it is first requisite to walk, and, being badly off for necessaries, luxuries are quite out of the question. No greater act of folly could possibly be contemplated than the making of a railway to the Clutha while the centres of the miniii" population—the back-bono and sinew

of the country—are almost unapproachable for heavy traffic, and, during the winter season, liable to be completely isolated, and reduced to the extremities of famine. In the management of oven a common highway the Government have shown thorough incapacity. After expending thousands of pounds in making a road to connect the goldfields by way of the valley of the Molyneux, they have actually let the crossing-places of the rivers pass unconditionally out of their hands, and the public are mulcted in such exhorhitant sums by the owners of punts that, unless the business be urgent in the extreme, few people will travel. Our voices must be raised unanimously against any expenditure on account of railways until such time as we possess a main trunk line of road easily to be travelled over, and connecting all the various centres of mining . industry with Dunedin. Cheap and easy transit is indispensable to the prosperity of the goldfields. It must he plainly apparent to every practical mind that the development of our mineral resources is in exact proportion to the cheapening of stores and materials. The municipalities must look well after their interests. The subsidy of 21 to 1 1, on the amount of rates collected ceased at the end of February last. It is only 1 1, for II now, and that, after a short time, will cease also unless we make some effort for its continuance, ■when, as a natural consequence, unless the population of our townships increases, there will be an end of municipal government altogether, as in most cases the income derived from rates will not cover the expenses of management. Of the advantages of country municipalities there can be no question. Local selfgovernment in this shape lias effected many improvements which otherwise would not have been made, while it has also relieved the executive of very many technical difficulties. Public works have been executed under municipal supervision at far less cost than had the same been done by the usual orthodox process, and there is a positive and apparent evidence to prove that the reluctantly dolcd-out

small pittance—understood as subsidy —lias in all cases been laid out to the best advantage. Wherever a town has been incorporated there prevails ono unanimous opinion that the benefits conferred have been manifold, and could the operations of the munici polities bo extended into the country so much riiore would they be appreciated. Every effort must be made to secure the 2 1, to \l. subsidy. It isan insignificant amount when compared with the enormous sums which have from time to time been appropriated to Dunedin. The question now resolves itself into this, that the money paid to us in the form of subsidy having been so well and judiciously laid out, and so many improvements made under the municipal regimen, its continuance becomes nothing more than an act of merited justice. As a preparatory school for local legislation our municipal councils will bring forth much fruit. The process of self government is by no means an easy matter, as many of our town councillors could testify. Few are born legislators ; but from small beginnings

we may aspire to greater achievements, and when the onward progress of the country renders it necessary that government by ourselves shall be upon a more extended scale, we shall be able to find men every way fitted to fulfil the responsible and exalted positions which may be required of them.

A re distribution of the electoral boundaries is of urgent necessity. Under existing arrangements the northern goldfields are practically unrepresented. Tuapeka can swamp any election, and return their own men at the head of the poll. The goldfields require to be divided into districts, each returning its own member. A collective repre sentation has become an injustice. We should return one member say for Tuapeka, one for the Upper Manuherikia, and one for the Dunstan and

Lakes. Each of these divisions are totally independant of one another. Their charact eristics are entirely cl if fercnt. They require special legislation for each, and what.is sauce for

the goose in one case is not sauce for the gander in the other. The Tuapeka goose has had all the sauce

us yet Large sums of money have been lavished upon that district; even its very wishes have been anticipated, while the most insignificant sums have

been begrudgingly expended elsewhere Without political influence we shall always be laid upon the shelf. We have many times advocated the necessity of securing local representatives, and, until we possess such, we must content ourselves with the crumbs which fall from other people’s tables. The power to remedy this evil is now in our hands, and we have only to raise our voices in order to do so, We have long passively [submitted to unmerited neglect and injustice, but we must now gird up our loins for the fight, and do battle with the enemy for dear life’s sake.