THE Drey River Argus. SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 701, 16 July 1870, Page 2

THE Drey River Argus. SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1870.

The financial schemes of the present Government appear to be receiving more support from the large towns of the Colony than was at first anticipated, and there is now some reason to believe that should they be adopted, even with many modifications, Westland will be the largest sufferer, and will be compelled to go to the wall. As we have previously shown; should even one point be carried, that of the adoption of the capitation allowance in lieu of one-half of the consolidated fund, it will be impossible for the present system of Government in Westland to be continued, because of its inability to meet its engagements and pay the cost of its administration. Although the scheme for the Annexation of this portion of Westland to Nelson looks brighter at the present time than it has ever previously done, it is quite as well for the people to understand clearly what this financial -position will bej if a continued connection with the County is forced upon them, and in the event of the capitation scheme of Mr Yogel being given effect to. At a public meeting held the other evening in Hokitika, a petition was adopted, for transmission to the Governor and both Houses of Assembly, condemning the increase of duties on the principal articles consumed by a digging community, and expressing the opinion that the capitation allowance, as proposed, is inadequate to compensate the County in proportion to the contributions levied from the same. This is very mildly put, and we are glad to see that the Mayor and Council' of Greymouth bave been asked, and last night agreed, to co 1 - Doerate in forwarding the petition. But to return to the Houitika meeting, at which the County Chairman, while supporting the resolution, quoted a number of figures, as illustrating the financial position of the County ; but which, as they are perfectly inexplicable, we charitably hope have been misreported. By the aid of the financial statement of the Hon. the Colouial Treasuret, audi the elaborate tables thereto appended, we will attempt to make plain what the financial position of the : , County really will be uiider the capitation scheme.

The population of W estland is estimated by Mr Yogel at 13,500, and the capitation allowance, at £2 per head for the first year, would produce £27,000. A sum of ,£50,000 is to be voted to Road Bnads, and of this £2,700 is to be given to Westland, iv addition to a special allowance, on account of its population, of £3,375 — making the total revenue coming to the County from the General Government for the year of £33,075. But it must be borne in mi»d that the capitation grant is ; to decrease at the rate of 2s per head every year, until it comes clown to 30s a head, and next year the allowance to Road' Boards and the special allowance cannot be expected ; so. that, whatever may be our position this year, the next one will be infinitely worse. However, let us look at the most favorable side of the question. Take this year, and find out the charges made by the General Government against this consolidated revenue, which we must pay, because they are simply deducted. They are as follows :— Supreme Court £480 0 0 District Court .. ... 940 0 0 Resident Magistrates' Courts 1,596 0 0 Criminal Prosecutions , ... ; 400 0 0 Departments of Land and Deeds ... ... . . 450 0 0 Postal ... 5,015 0 0 Telegraphs (including maintenance) ... 2,000 .0 0 Customs Department . . 4, 167 15 .0 Volunteers ... 1,023 15 0 Electoral (revising and registration) . . ... ... • 100 0 0 Stamps . . .. .. 150 0 0 Receiver of Revenue at Hokitika ... 400 0 0 £16,722 10 0 The i' debts have been reduced, ' ; by the application of £7;SS4 9s 3d of sinking funds, and are now £193,9G1 13s lOcl, the annual charge upon which is ... ... ... ... £12,477 16. 10 Making a total charge against the consolidated revenue •' 0f... ... ... ...£29,200 6,10 . -This leases- a balance on tne first yeav, under the new By stem, in favor of the

Count}', of £3,874 13s 2d, from which must be deducted a sum of, say £700, as no allowance has been made for our proportion of coroners' fees, medical witnesses' fees under the " Lunatic Act," and distilleries department, which are not specally charged provincially, but wflicli must be provided for. This leaves only 43,174 13s 2d, which will all be swamped, and more, by the charges for maintenance of the overland road, which, under ordinary circumstances, amount to £4,493 9s lOd ; leaving a debit balance against the County of £1,318 16s Bd, without .making; the smallest provision to meet the deficiency bills, which are now falling due, the liabilities on account of the Arahura Road and other contracts.

It may be said that, so far, we have overlooked the County revenue arising from the gold, duty, miners' rights, licenses, tolls, &c., but we. have carefully calculated that, and we believe we are overstating it, when we say that for the ensuing year it will not amount to more than £50,000, in consequence of the immense falling off which has taken place in the revenue at Hokitika, although, by the Estimates received late last night, we see that for the halt-year it is estimated at nearly £38,000 for the half-year. This amount will not. nearly meet the cost of maintaining the County Government Departments, because it is .£14,489 under what they cost during the year ended 30th June last, and this does not include the . maintenance of the overland road. We scarcely think it is possible to knock £10,000 or more off the County Departments, but it will have to be done if the present system of Government is to go on, and even then nothing whatever will be provided for public works. We will not pursue this part of the subject further until we consider the County Estimates for the current half-year. In the meantime we think we have said enough to show that if Mr' Vogel's scheme is carried out Westland must be handed over to the General Government, because ; under present circumstances the County system is too dear to be continued to be administered in this County.