THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 624, 18 January 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1870.

In our last we briefly expressed our disapproval of the. Estimates for the current half-year as drawn up and laid before the County Council. After re-examination of that important document, and due con* sideration of it from the stand-point upon which the Press of Westland so strongly argued for the benefits of local selfgovernment, we must again condemn the proposed Estimates as unworthy of a young and newly-settled country, Our present County system was secured to us in order to give us revenue, and to place in our hands the power to carry ont those works, so very necessary for the opening up of a new country,' and the development of its resources. It was argued at the time that if the power were placed in our own hands to administer our revenue, the hitherto neglected district would have everything necessary to its prosperity, roads would be made, tramways' and bridges built, and tracks cut in all directions. But how rudely have these happy dreams been broken in upon. Session after session have the Estimates changed their aspect, until now they are nothing more or less than an official list of Government officers and salaries paid. There is no provision made, because there is no money available, for thfysonstruction of a single mile of new <road or track through^ out the County, all that can be done apparently is to expend a few hundreds every six months for the repair of the roads already constructed — and this out of an estimated revenue for the six months of £37,1(U ! This is a matter which must now be looked fairly in the face, and dealt with in a straightforward and unmistakable manner, If all the County of Westland can do is to raise sufficient revenue to pay its numerous half-employed officials, and run into debt with the bank to pay contractors when such a thing as a contract is let, the sooner the farce is played out the bett er. If no public works are to be carried on, of what Rarthly use are tho majority of the Government Departments whose long lists of officials cumber the Estimates and eat up the whole of our revenue ? We trust that our representatives iv the Council will seriously consider this matter, and, instead of pruning away, in a fit of economy, at the salary of some poor clerk, use the broom judiciously and well, and sweep away entirely those uscles3 and overgrown departments which are eating like a cancer into the vitals of the County, and threaten its very existence. We now turn to what has actually been done by the Council within the past few days, and glance at what may be expected, instead of publishing dreary reports in detail. At the opening it appeared to be anticipated by common consent that this session was to be a stormy one, but we see no signs of the tempest. From occasional remarks, the members seem to think that there is cause for giving Mr Hoos a blowing up, but nobody seems inclined to do it. Some excitement has been got up in Hokitika on the subject of the printing contract. The unsuccessful tenderers issued a sheet under the title of the Inde■pendent) giving the prices sent in by them and those charged by Mr Klein. The excuse given by Mr Hoos is that the lowest tenderers could not possibly have performed the work for the money. This is rather a poor excuse, seeing that good and sufficient sureties for d\ie fulfilment of the contract were offered. It is possible that the contract with Mr Klein will be i knocked on the head by the Council. Th.ere does not appear to be much chance of any public works being undertaken | during the next six. months. The relief I obtained by the overdraft is only tempoi rary, as the amount must be repaid within ' six months. It is, probable that there I may be £3 JO voted for a road between i Marsden and No Name, and the Borough ' Council o.f Greymouth will get the balance of the old :^ISOQ vote, but there we cxi pect tho donations to the Grey district J will stop. It is possible that terms will I bo made fi>v tho c instruction of the longwanted road from (jroynionth to the coal-i

pits on deferred payments. Mr Garven, ] the contractor for tho Stillwater bridge, . bus offered to make the road on very ( liberal ter-ms, and the Council may agree ( to thorn, A question was asked in the ' Cotmcil ihe other day with respeot to the non-payment by Mr Heeves of the tolls he collected on the Ohristcliurch road. The particulars are of a very unsatisfactory character. When the tolls were first imposed, and it was decided to let them, Mr Reeves happened to be the highest tenderer by a few pounds,, and the gate was let to him. He collected some three or four hundred pounds and has paid none of it, although the matter has, been referred for settlement several times to tribunals of Mr lleeves' own choosing. He first asked that it be referred to arbitration, but he refused to submit to the award, and has since absolutely set the County at defiance, and Mr Hbos appears to have assisted him, for of his own authority he condoned the matter by taking Mr Reeves' own unendorsed bills for the amount, thus releasing the original sureties. These bills are overdue. Mr Warden Keogh still holds his office, although Mr Hoos maintains that he has been dismissed. We have seen the sort of dismissal which Mr Hoos 'sent, and it is no dismissal at all, but simply an intimation that it is the " iutention" of the Government to dispense with Mr Keogh's services at the end of the year. Mr Keogh insists that he is entitled now to a whole year's salary, and thinks he is in the right. The notice paper is now quite full, and some very important questions are being taken up. Mr Harrison appeal's to desireto abolish the Pistrict Court as being an unnecessary expense to the County, but he has fallen into the error of supposing that a Petty Sessions Court could exercise the jurisdiction of the District Cimrt. This is not the case ; the Petty Sessions only possess the powers of a Resident Magistrate. If the District Court is abo.lished there must be moi'e frequent sittings of the Supreme Court. We also notice that Mr Lahinan is moving for returns of the expenses of the Departments which are voted and charged by the General Government, and Mr Harrison has t(iven notice of a series of resolutions with the view of encnuraging the permanent settlement of the waste lands ot the County. Altogether, there is now as much business on the notice paper as will take the Council a fortnight to get through at its present slow pace.