THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 712, 11 August 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1870.

At last our friends south of the Teremakai have admitted the probability of the Annexation movement being successful, and that, to use Tihe words of our Southern contemporary, "the loss of Greymouth and its adjacent country, combined with capitation, will seriously interfere with the well-being of Westland as a county, it would be simply foolish to deny, but at the same time there is a line of action open to the southern part of the present County that may possibly produce a better condition of things than the present, and will raise rather than depress the political importance of this portion of the West Coast of the island." After due consideration, it was suggested on the following day that " as matters now stand it is only prudent to accept the altered state of things, and be prepared to meet it. The question then comes, what can be done, and what is best for the people to do. Our answer is, petition for annexation, to Otago of the country south of the Teremahtu. . This, at the first blush, may seem a wild and impracticable scheme, but on further consideration we think it will be found that difficulties will vanish." We sincerely hope so, and that the southern portion of the Connly will be accepted by the Province which has just swallowedup Southland, with open arms, notwithstanding the large amount of debt which must a'so be taken over by that ambitious Province. On this subject we ' will say nothing further ; for it would" be outside of our province to throw obstacles in the way of the southern portion of the County being annexed to anywhere, especially when we are ourselves attempting to be annexed to the Province of Nelson ; but we must protest against the arguments which, in view of the approaching severance, are being used to thrust upon this district a larger share of the old Canterbury debts than we are legitimately entitled to take with us, supposing we are annexed. Throughout, we have acted in. all fairness and honesty towards the southern portion of the County on this question. The amount of the debt to be taken over has always been reckoned by us according to figures supplied from the Treasury at Hokitika, which charged us with 26 per cent, of charges, and upon the same basis we were prepared to admit our liability, which was a very equitable arrangement, so much so, that after investigation, the Commission appointed by the Nelson Government specially to enquire into the matter reported in favor of a smaller sum being allocated to this district than the Annexation League, on behalf of the inhabitants, had expressed their willingness to accept. Now, it is attempted to fasten upon us one-half of the debts, but this is such a childish course to adopt, and such a glaring attempt to get rid of just liabilities, that we feel certain it will never weigh with the Legislature at Wellington, even although Mrßonar and Mr Hoos proceed to head-quarters by the Tararua, as proposed, "to watch over Westland's interests," as it is called, but more particularly to endeavor to destroy the Annexation Movement, or saddle this district with an amount of debt which would lessen its chances of obtaining the votes of the Nelson members in the House. But upon this point there is not the least cause for alarm,, as the report of the Nelson Commission, and even the famous balance-sheet which w« made out against this district only lately by a section of the County Council, and forwarded to Wellington, will be sufficient evidence upon which a committee . of unprejudiced men can adjust the statement of accounts between two portions of a small County ; and will go further than anything our illustrious County Chairman could say, whether while giving evidence "at the bar of the House," or before the Select Committee. For this nice little job, perpetrated just at the end of the last session of the County Council, and without its sanction, the County will have to pay traveling expenses and L 3 a-day, in addition to Mr Hoos' regular salary, so'that, during the few remaining months oihia Ohairmanshij), he may correct his manners in the refined society of Wellington, and come back a full-blown candidate, primed with statistics and parliamentary etiquette, for the representation of the Hokitika District in the General Assembly. No doubt his evidence before the Committee will be valuable, especially when it is kuown that the Committee will have reported to the House, and a decision, most probably, arrived at ere he reaches Wellington. It will be valuable in this way, that it will show shrewd men, such as Mr Fox and Mr Yogel, the manner in which the revenues of the County have been squandered, and bring them into contact with a brilliant specimen of the men who have hitherto "conscientiously endeavored to work out the County system." 'When they see him, it is to be hoped they will give such an order as will restrain either himself or his delegated powers, for the remainder of his period of office. Seriously, it is to be

hoped that Mr Hoos may arrive at Wellington in time to give evidence before the Select Committee, as we are so convinced of the justice of the cause of the Annexationists, and the correctness of the figures advanced by them, th it his evidence would give an eclat to the movement it has not yet received. While upon this question, we must protest against the attempt which is being made to saddle this portion of the district — in the event of Annexation — with charges on account of the Overland Road. On this subject our contemporary says : — " We can only think that the Christchurch Road has been aasumed to be one of the Hokitika luxuries that this town is so constantly charged with indulging in ; and the Commission, we suppose, thjjik that the County south of the Teremakau should be saddled with the whole of the charges on that celebrated work, amounting altogether to nearly £70,000. For the information of these worthies, and the Assembly too, we may say that all the use the Christchurch road is, is to afford Canterbury squatters means of sending over their stock, and facilitate mail communication between the east and west coasts of this island. Beyond these ends — both, no doubt, very desirable in their way — the road is utterly and wholly useless, though it is a heavy annual charge on the County funds for maintenance, &c, in addition to a portion of the burden that it has laid on Westland in the shape of .£207,000 debt. By its aid, Westland generally gets cheaper beef and mutton certainly ; but the country north of the Teremakau participates in this advantage equally with that lying to the southward. No doubt more rapid and more regular postal communication takes place between Canterbury, Otago, Southland, and the West Coast by this means ; bat in that not only the County of Westland proper, but the whole valley on both sides of the Grey, as well as Westland North, including Brighton, Charleston, Westport, and all their surrounding gold fields derive equal benefits." Our contemporary shows the fallacy of his argument; for he might as well charge Okarito and Westport with a share of the cost of maintaining the Overland Road as Greymouth, and, to continue the same style of argument, Nelson may as- well charge Hokitika with a share of the cost of the road between Westport and Greymouth, and also of the tracks from the Amuri plains, by which a large quantity of stock is driven overland from Nelson to the Arahura saleyards. We may as well inform our contemporary that it is the intention of the supporters of Annexation to protest most emphatically against having anything whatever to do with the maintenance of the Overland Road to Chriatchu'rch, but they are pre-. pared to contribute their fair share of all postal subsidies, as arranged by the General Government. However, so long as we are separated from Hokitika and the present County system, nothing that is fair or equitable will.be objected to.