THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1867.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 173, 21 February 1867, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1867.

Whilst we may cougi'atulate the new members of the Improvement Commits tee on their election,and the inhabitanton .the. very suitable men they have chosen; we Lope that their services, will not lbug be needed in their present capacity, but- that the Committee will use such exertions to fulfil their pledge, that before many weeks have gone the Improvement Committee will be a thing of the past. A. T e vy strong expression of public opmipn has 'been elicited on this subject ; ,it is generally felt ■ that although '..the Improvement Committee has been a very . useful body, uud has accomplishecl agood deal for the town, it is at best a ; muke-shift, aud. as such/

ought to be replaced as speedily as possible by a municipal body endowed with proper legal powers. We do not think there is any desire to go beyond taking advantage of the existing municipal law j to enable the inhabitants in a corporate capacity to administer their own local affairs, in relation to public health and convenience. We don't believe thexe is at present any ambition to receive at once the. full fledged rights and privileges of a corporation such as that of Hokitika. We simply need sufficient power to deal with those necessary subjects which legal responsibility only can confer. When the - community has become rather more settled and numerous, and the town has increased its boundaries, then it will be the proper thing to go in for those powers, rightsand privileges, for which a special ordinance would be necessaiy, At present we take it that no such elaborate measure as the Hokitika Municipal Ordinance is required ; and Mr Whall might have spared himself the unnecessary anxiety of considering his ability to frame a legal Bill, when, as he says, skilled persons had before failed iv a similar task. It is a pity that our local member of Council should have allowed las modesty to blind his pveccption of the simple circumstance that an Act was in. existence, which for all present needs conferred all the power his constituents asked foi\ The flaw which created a difficulty in levying rates at Christchurcli has been remedied ; and the Municipal Ordinance is now sufficient for all the wonts of this community. If the Improvement Committee will only see the .matter in this light, they will find their pledge comparatively easy of accomplishment. The Ordinance provides that on receipt of a petition, signed by 100 householders, in the limits of any town, the Superintendentmay, under certain . circumstances, proclaim such town a Municipality, under the Ordinance. The only .difficulty which we, see in the case of Greymouth is that arising from the greater portion of the town not being officially included within' the boundaries of the Greymouth township. We believe it is in the power of the Superintendent to extend the boundaries of the township by proclamation. If this were done, the obtaining the requisite number of signatures to a memorial will be. a very eisy matter, , His Honor the Superintendent wil probably be here some time this weekIt should be the dut}' of the new Committee at once to tiscertain from his Honor the nature of the obstacles, if any, that exist, in the way of bringing the Ordinance into operation, and to convey to his Honor the urgent wishes of the inhabitants that the Government would remove-a ll present diificul ties, and at once concede to. them the privileges of municipal/ government. The matter would by this means be bro.ught to. a crisis, and, we slio,uld learn whether it is absolutely necessary that a special ordinance should be p^issed. Should the latter pi-bye to be the case, the Imprp.vement Committee will have to set to work at once to prepare a drsift bill, or else make, up their minds to. see another session of the Council. pass by without any thing_ being done.