PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTION.

Grey River Argus, Issue 72, 28 June 1866, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTION.

ME. -LUSCOMBE'S MEETING. A public meeting of the inhabitants, called by Mr Luscombe, one -of the candidates for the representation of Greymouth in the Provincial Councial, waa held at Kilgour's Union Hotel, on Saturday evening, for the purpose of giving that gentleman ah opportunity of explaining his political' views. Mr Payne was called to the chair. There must, during the proceedings, have been upwards of two hundred persons present, as the large room was densely packed. The Chairman stated the object for which the meeting had been called, and asked for the candidate a patient hearing. Mr Luscombe said : I liad no idea I would have been honored by so large au attendance as I «e'e here to-night. In coining before you as a candidate for the representation of this town, I do so strictly with the intention of serving the peox)le of Greymouth and of this district. I will commence by saying, iirst, that any member you return should, when he reaches the Council Chamber, find out what amount of money has been collected in this district,* and, what amount^ has been spent in it. If he finds that you have not got your fair share of the revenue, he should bring forward a motion for the purpose of procuring justice in this respect to the?&istrict. (Applause.) il do not agree with the proposition to separate this portion of the Province from Canterbury at present, because if you do so you will throw away what is your right, to get a fair share of the money Avhich has already been collected from the district. By-and-bye, when we have secured for you what you are entitled to, it will be jjiM^prwji In ,-pi- for annexation to Nelson. ' '. V 1 i mil should, if elected, (Applause and laugiejKLjjiin'es through advocate the cutting of sun c T*^^H c coast the country, in parallel lines withw^ +^ n j! with lines running at right angles, scWiil^ the prospectors may go through the country without the danger of losing their lives, as many valuable lives have been lost, as I know to my private sorrow. (Hear, hear.) As to the requirements of the town, you are fairly entitled to have the whole of the river embanked from end to end in a proper manner, and with a good wharf. That should be the work of the Government, who should pay for it out of the handsome revenue derived from this port. Surely we are entitled to some consideration. (Hear, hear.) Granting you a Municipal Council will not give you the means of embanking the river, and if you do not have it embanked properly, you will lose all your property. (Applause.) I will advocate, if returned, the cutting of tracks wherever a prospecting claim is granted, so that, the miners may reach the ground readily, and not have to wait until the place is worked out. I will advocate a measure for subsidising such enterprises as the Lake Brunner Water Race Company. (Applause.) It should be the duty of the Government to subsidise such companies, or guarantee a certain amount of interest on the capital subscribed, when it can be shown that there is a large amount of auriferous land lying idle for want of water to work it. I will, if elected, try and find out where and in whose interest the money was spent on this overland track ; and if I find out that it was in favor of the dwellers on the eastern side of the ranges, I will endeavor to make the Government repay you the money they have so unjustly taken from you. (Applause. ) As for as the Maori township is concerned, I will advocate a reduction of the present rates at which the land is leased in the back streets, and I will further advocate that the Government shall by some means purchase the Maoris' right to it, and sell it as freehold. (Applause.) With regard to the tariff, I will also advocate certain alterations to make the duties more equitable. Ido not see why I shouldjpay 4s or 5s duty onmy hat, when a thousand pounds' worth of jewellery can be imported for the same money, and in the same space. (Hear, hear .) I will advocate the redistribution of the duty on articles according to their value. .Ifwe do not obtain that justice to which we are entitled, I will advocate such a measure as was carried out in Otago in the Wakatipu district, where a petition was sent by upwards of 4000 persons to the General Assembly, because they could not obtain from the Provincial Government the consideration they thought they were entitled to. . (Applause. ) Such a petition should be sent for the appointmentof a General Government Conmiission down hereto see that we get a fair share qf the

revenue we contribute to the State. (Applause. ) So far as our immediate wants, you can all see that there must be some scheme : at work "by some of the Government officials to cause this trick to be played on us -I mean the building of all the Government offices at the end of the town beside that confounded wharf. (Laughter, and hear, hear.) To show what an absurdity it was to fix up these Government buildings at the end of the town, the Post-office has had to establish two receiving boxes in the town. If the Government have not a.suitable piece of gioand of their own to put up their buildings on, it is open to them to purchase a piece, the same as a private individual or a company would do. These offices should be in a position where the public. would be benefited by them, and not where two-thirds of the population are compelled to walk a mile or two to get a post-office order. (Hear, hear.) We have splendid coal mines, but the fact of having them will be of no use unless we have some meai'S of getting at them and working them profitably. I should advocate the granting of a subsidy to companies which may be formed for working the mines on this side of the river, so that trade may be brought to the town, and the community enriched. (Applause.) As to the Hospital— in communities such as this an hospital is one of the first wants that should be considered ; but instead of this, the Canterbury Government has thrown'every obstacle in the way of our obtaining good hospitals and good medical men to attend to them on the West Coast. It is only by great pressure that they could be got to do anything at, all for the Hospital. I will advocate a measure for providing a fund "for the Hospital here, and when the general public see that the Government is awake to their interests, they will conic forward and subscribe liberally. (Applause.) As to the number of representatives we should have in the Council — at present we have only one, while Hokitika has two, and the gold fields : districts two. I, should advocate a redistribution of the representation, for we are entitled by our position to send as many members to the Council as Hokitika, or any other town on the West Coast. (Applciuse.) I believe the present •Superintendent to be the right man, and from what I have heard and read of him, I believe he is ready to serve you, to do you justice— (hear, hear)— and it will be my duty to. find out the views of that gentleman, and to see that his promises are duly and carefully carried out. (Applause. ) One thing you suffer from here is the want of a judge who shall be able and have power to decide on cases up to £100. You are entitled to the £100 jurisdiction as much as any other town on the West Coast. (Hear, hear.) As far as my stake in this place ' is concerned, I can only pledge you this, that it is as great as that of any man in the town, for I liave my famiiy here, and, therefore, must reside 'Here for many years. (Applause.)