THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 940, 1 August 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1871.

The question of local Government for the Gold Fields, to which public attention was invited in Saturday's issue, is one that very greatly affects the interests of every resident on the West Coast Gold Fields. Unless the affairs of this part of the Colony are better administered, the most disastrous consequences will ensue. We are experiencing them every day in the departure of population, the prostration of trade, and the loss of money and life. Miners are leaving, traders are becoming bankrupt, and every week adds to the catalogue of lives lost through the shameful and crimina) neglect of the authorities. Something must be dove to bring about a better state of things, and it must he done promptly. The population must have greater control over their immediate affairs by means of some simple system of local government. The plan sketched out in our last issue could be applied with great advantage to the whole of the West Coast Gold Fields. With municipal institutions for the principal towns, and local Boards of Works for the "various divisions of the Gold Fields, little more would be required except, perhaps, some central body to regulate matters which could hardly come fairly under the local Boards. This Central Board — or County Council, if the name sounds better — should have its functions and revenues as clearly defined as those of the minor bodies. It should be composed of representatives elected from amongst their own number by the members of the several local Boards. Under this arrangement, not only would each district enjoy fair representation, but each local body would be sure of having its interests attended to in the Central Board. The absence of any means for securing the representation of the Road Boards in the County Council of Westland, is a serious flaw in the constitution of the County. The electoral districts are also the Road Board districts, but so far from_thft in--ii«.viiig uuyn aiU-veU by this arrangement, the contrary has been the case. Persons outside the districts have managed to be returned for the County Council, although they never could have succeeded in obtaining a seat in the Koad Board. Had the County Council been composed of members elected by the Municipal Councils and Road Boards from their own number, we are convinced that local self-government would have pioved more successful than it has done in Westland. The proposal to place the local Boards under the presidency of the Warden of the district, appears to meet, perhaps, the greatest difficulty in the working of popular institutions amongst a goldmining community. The career of the Road Boards in the County of Westland, leads to the opinion that their greatest faults have arisen from inexperience in public affairs, and the want of some control and guidauce. The presence of an experienced officer of the General Government in these local bodies, would supply the desideratum which experience has shown to be the most needed. The Government ought to be represented, and by utilising the Wardens for this purpose a proper amount of supervision would be obtained at a very' small cost, and withont, in any way, impeding the freedom of the local Boards. This plan would be very similar to that embraced in the Local Government Bill proposed to be applied to the administration of the Counties in England. The ratepayers elect the small parish bodies, these bodies again elect members for the County Board, and the Government is represented by two magistrates nominated by i the Crown. We are satisfied that it is possible to apply successfully very large powers of local government to the West Coast Gold Fields at a small cost. But the system must be differently arranged to the machinery in Westland. The District Boards must supply the real practical every day government of the people in all matters relating to local public works. The General Government should administer the Courts of Justice, the Police, Gaols, Harbors, and Waste Lands, leaving a fixed share of the Gold Fields revenue to be divided amongst the District Boards. The Central Board should simply meet for the decision of matters in which the District Boards are mutually interested — such as the proportion of the cost of maintenance of main roads to be charged to each district, the division of the cost of bridges over streams dividing the districts ; and other matters of general concern. The Municipal Councils in towns might be allotted a share of the license fees. The Central Board would also act a medium of communication with the General Government, and its services might be utilised in various ways. But the District Boards should be the main feature of the scheme. If we had leisure at this moment we could very easily show that if the General Government would assume the responsibility of the Police, Wardens' Courts, Gaols, Harbors, pay the interest on the Provincial loans and the cost of General Government officers, the West Coast Gold Fields could afford to iv.rt w'ph nil share in the consolidated rov-7vi<>, jukl with the receipts from the sal« u£ lands. They would have left a good round revenue from special Gold Fields' taxation with which to administer their own affairs and provide their most urgent wants. The whole of the West Coast, from the boundary of Otago to the

West Wanganui, could be well and cheaply governed by half-a-dozen local Boards and Municipalities.