THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 353, 18 April 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1868.

The sooner the affairs of Greymouth are placed under the care of a Municipal Council the better. At present the revenues of the town and the manage merit of its public worksare administered by two individual members of the Road Boai-d, who, in the guise of a Sub-Com-mittee, really act independently of the Board, and apparently just as they choose, Qur readers will not forget the remarkable promptitude with which these gentlemeu entered upon their duties, and the alacrity with which they called for tenders for the supply of material which competent authority, supported by the opinion of their own engineer, has declared to be unnecessary

and the rapid manner in which they made a contract, in which one of them was directly interested. jSiuce that time they appear to have constituted themselves the sole authority with regard to the protection works; and now, it seems, they cpntempfete committing the Board to a further heavy outlay for timber for decking the whole of the protective w^rks, instead of filling up the opening with gravel and fascines. "We do not pi'ofess to say that decking the work may not be the best, but we think that before any steps were taken in the matter, it would be only fair to the public thot the engineer should report on the most effectual means of finishing the work. We do not know if Messrs Whall and Wickes are acting on the advice of the engineer ; but whether or not, it is the duty of the engineer to make his recommendations in a formal manner to the Board, At present there is an absence of all responsibility, and the engineer appears to be actually subject to the opinion of the Sub-Committee, There can be no public satisfaction unr less some oue can be held responsible for the manner in which the works are carried out, With regard to the plan of decking, which we know the Sub? Committee is inclined to favor, we may simply say that if they adopt it, they will clearly admit that the face-plankiug was unnecessary, Of course, it has the advantage of encouraging local industry in the pi emotion of which the members of the Sub-Committee have shown go much interest, But we think the public have a right to demand that be? fore the local revenues are further largely taxed for the protective work, the plaus on whicli it is proposed to complete the bank should be thoroughly ventilated and discussed, and" not disposed of in a hole aud comer way by ! two members who, to say the least of it, have not exhibited an intolerable aversion to jobbery.