THE The Drey River Argus. SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 692, 25 June 1870, Page 2

THE The Drey River Argus. SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1870.

By order of the County Council, the Westland Government has caused a statementtobe published, whichpurports to be a correct return of the revenue and expenditure m the Grey District for the fifteen months from the Ist January 1869 to the 31st March 1870. The ostensible object for which this document is made public id to prove that more money has been spent m this district during that period than was received from it by the County Treasury ; and the argument is inferred, that should the compilers of the return be able to prove this, all causes of dissatisfaction m the Grey District with the Westland Government were swept away. This is a very plausible but highly erronious argument, as the causes which have had to the present dissatisfaction and the consequent movement for Annexation to Nelson, are numerous, apart from the manner m which our revenue has been manipulated at Hokitika; still, as the position has been m a manner forced upon us, we are prepared to show that the Grey district has not been justly treated by the County Council, and that a fair share of its revenue has not been spent upon it. At the same time, we repeat, it must not for a moment be ,ad- \ mitted that this is a question of accounts between the north and south portions 1 of the County. If it were, we would; call upon the author of the return tos go into details and prove his figures, and a full statement would be demanded since the formation of : the County, and not for the last fifteen months, which have been exceptional, so far as the expenditure m this district is concerned ; and nothing is said jof the period m 1868 when there was]no expenditure whatever m this district, when all the money that could be scraped together was spent by Mr Rochfort m his efforts to keep back the sea from washing away Hokitika, and m turning the course of the river by means of dams, groins, -« — : —^ — -""•••'} «*»«» »uav, tttTnfjßTannetime, every farthing that has, since the creation of the County* been spent m the work of protecting the banks of the Grey River, his' been debited to 'our accofknt during the last fifteen months. We may :say the* same thing of the whole if ; the items debited to us for public works m this district, because they represent all the expenditure on that account, which has taken place here since the County came into existence— therefore, we say, that selecting, the period chosen as most favorable to the Hokitika District is not just to us. Notwithstanding all this, 'we are satisfied that the return, as printed, shows a balance m our favor of several thousands of pounds. The Grey District is credited with £18,263 19s 2d of County Revenue, and £6200 7s 6d of Consolidated SvqsWrba 8«, but" as we are debited with every imaginary incidental and contingency that could be raked up, to swell the expenditure account. We claim to be credited with a fair amount of the revenue arising from incidentals, *?%L i drries > * c > *<> the amount of £1950 ; also, as the of deficiency bills are taken credit for m the total revenue of the County, we claim our share, amounting to Although it was stated >m the- Council that we received credit m the returns for the Greenstone gold, we take the liberty ©f questioning the statement. No separate account has ever been kept of the gold from the Greenstone ; m the official returns it has always been set down as Hokitika gold, and we believe is all taken credit for to the district south of tbJe Teremakau. We therefore make an additional claim on this item for £3596 6s Id, which we consider would be a fair proportion of the revenue derived from the Greenstone during the fifteen months* as it was during that period that the rush took place. The addition of these items brings our revenue up to m round figures. Now, without cavilling about minor items, we turn to the table of expenditure, where we find an attempt made to muddle up two Very large items, so as seriously to swell the charges against us. The Grey District is said to contribute to the Consolidated Fund, 0s 7d, from which £H 7s 9d per cent.— or £11,209 13sldare deducted as interest and General Government charges, leaving only £6200 7b 6d as our apparent contribution under this head to the County revenue. This large item for General Government charges, interest, &c., ought to have been split m two, as is done m thr Estimates of revenue and expenditure of the Cbunty for the six months. Of the General Government charges we have to pay m an equal, proportion to our revenue with the Hokitika District ; but on the item interest and sinking fund on loans, which is a County charge, although deducted from the revenue and paid by the General Government, because it could not trust the County to do it, we ought only to pay £25 19a Id per cent., m the same manner as we have to pay that proportion of the cost of keeping the overland road m repair. Both are fixed charges, and ought to be dealt with m the same manner. This would increase the sum to our credit by an additional £2740, making for the fifteen months £34-000, instead of £24,464 as shown by the returns. With regard to the item '< Police," .£3955 appears to be m excess of the requirements .of the small force m this district by about £1000 ; and until we see the details of the expenditure upon public buildings, £1912, we must take exception ,to it by another £1000. Indeed every item appears, to be .strained to its utmost to show a balance against the district, but as that was the object for which the return was prepared, we are not surprised at it. For instance, what can "Miscellaneous Salaries" mean, when all the Government departments are otherwise provided for, and which must surely have been voted under some class when the Estimates were passed, otherwise, we imagine, the Auditor could not certify for them.

Ihen again, what can the item " General Contingencies, L240J," represent, when fuel, light, printing, postage, carriage, charitable aid, dog collars^ insurance, interest, telegraph communication, and even special pleading, are otherwise provided for, unless it b^trftvellingjexpenses . foT the Chairman, %r a grant to the Hokifcika Literary Society or for compensation to the Westland Saw-mill Company, with which we have as much right- to be charged, aawl w the HbkitikK District has with a proportion of the grants-in-aid for protecting the , Grey River. Of course, if we obtain credit^ for the itemß we have pointed but, it 'would proportionately increase the changes * against us ; still we maintain that instead of there having been an expenditure over revenue 1 m the district, ad attempted to be shown by the returns, there still stands to our credit over iSOOO, which ought to have been expended on public works m the Grey District. Of the returns themselves we must say that they are grossly exaggerated, and not fit to be trusted, whentheßimple additionsjare wrong, when the title 6f the most important table is misdated by six months, and they are riot signed by a Government official. But apart from these questions of figures, the returns furnish the most ample evidence that some change is desirable m the Government of this district, when out of a Consolidated Revenue collected of £34,820, £17,410 goes to Nelson, and an equal amount to the County, but this latter sum is reduced by charges to the insignificant stim of J-6200! A stronger argument than this could not be adduced m favor of the removal of the present boundary-line, which is the real object aimed at by the League. We are glad that they resolved at the meeting held last night to continue their eftorts unremittingly until the petition is presented to the Assembly. It is being unanimously signed m the district, and will be one of the most formidable documents ever presented to the House. It is sure to command attention, and is likely to play an important part m the approaching contest between Centralism and Provincialism. Whether m the shape of Annexation to Nelson, or any other form, it is to be hoped it will bring this district relief from the grievances under which it has so long labored. „ .: .-.'..