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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1110, 17 February 1872, Page 2

About an hour later, a deputation of the citizens, numbering, over. one hundred representatives of all classes of the community, waited upon Mr Fox in the large Hall of Cfilmer's Hotel. . ■ „: > ; The Mayor introduced Mr. Newton, who read the following address :— The Hon. William Fox, Premier of New • Zealand. ' ■'■ : 'iSir— The inhabitants of Greymouth beg to express through us their pleasure and gratification at your safe arrival. Confident that the object of your journey is to make yourself acquainted with the prospects, the resources, aridthe wants of the West Coast settlements, which by owing their origin to gold discoveries are liable to leave a doubt as to their permanency, and by reason of their distance from the ueat of Government have not often enjoyed the advantages of visits from bur ablest and most influential political and administrative leaders, we infer that, your visit can only lie productive of good to the Grey District, as you will progressively verify that it possesses elements of prosperity and advancement which will compare 'to' adyantage with 7 any. part of the colony. i By extending your visit to the Gray galley you "will see that the! extent of auriferous and agricultural country is sufficient : to warrant, the future progress pf this, settlement ;• but, beyond this, you will aver with us that here exists a source of wealth in the coal seams, by the > proper development of ' which jthe benefit will be conferred on the wliple' gqlp'ny of a large increase in the indigenous produce, rendered doubly, advantageous by the suppression of a large item of imports. . Eminent geologists have admitted the extent and importance of the Bruuner coal seams, and eminent engineers have asserted that an outlay, numerically small if compared to the : vast benefits. <Je.riyable,\ would improve and facilitate the navigation of this Bar Harbor, so as to enable the whole colony to be supplied with superior coal as cheaply as by imports, economising thereby a yearly export of cash of from one hundred to one hundred and twenty thousand pounds, an economy which might have been effected since some years. Wants and grievances we need not dwelf upon : they have already formed the subject of discussion in the Legislature, and we are sure that our necessities- will be discovered by the clover- and practised eye of the honored chief of our present reforming administrators. Anticipating therefore from your visit to this district reasons for cbni»ratulation, we, in the name of the inhabitants, beg to thank you for your presence amongst us ; we hope that the quietness and simplicity t of our, re-, ception, due to the late calamitous /visitation, will.be excused ; and, with the assertion that our wishes for your welfare, although not demonstrative, are not less hearty and sincere, we have the honor to bid you welcome, honorable sir, to the banks of the fertile and rich valley of the Grey. Heber Newton, • For the Inhabitants of Greymouth. He said he had been requested to direct the attention of the Premier to several subjects of much importance to the residents here. The first was the absolute necessity, of bringing the whole of tlie Vest Goast Gold Fields under one form of Gfovpriiment. That subject had only recently bean so much discussed., and was so well understood by thehon, gentiernan that he would not make any 'remarks upon it. The people of the district wished that in the adoption of a route for the main road to Keefion, the newlydiscovered track should be selected, because it was a shorter line and was likely to be permanent, whereas : the old line was very much longer and was liable to be washed away. He might mention that there were, two gentlemen in the room, Messrs KUgour and Levy, who had gone over the new route on horseback, and sjo any, ions were the citizens about it that they sen tout a suryeypr to Buryey the new route, and he would call lipon Mr Johnston to read his report and show the plan he had made. . " ; Mr Johnston, Town Surveyor, then read the following report : — • Town Surveyor's Office, Greymouth, February 16th", 1572. ' To the Chairman of the Inangahua Roads Committee. : Sir— l have the honor to report that I have completed the reconnoissance survey of tlie Inangahua" road via \" Slab Hut Creek," the plan of which I now lay before you. The following is a general description of the line;-T-Froin the point where the road leaves the ■J.*Old Man Plain 11 to the .foot of the saddle shown on the plan tlie ground is level, heavily timbered, and gravel at the surface all the way. The Saddle then rises 180 ft gradually on the west side, and falls suddeuly to a depth of 208 ft on the east side. Gravel can also be obtained on the Saddle for road making. From the eastern base of the Saddle toKeeftown the ground is flat, heavily timbered, with gravel at the surface. I returned from Reef ton by the Saddle, at the head waters of the Little* Grey, and ,took some barometer readings in order to gompare the relative advantages of the two routes. , . : The Grey Saddle is 570 ft above the level of the Inangahua; and 'the road that way from a starting point common to both routes would be 16 miles in length. On the other hand," the "Slab Hut" road is only 6 *> miles in length, with an elevation of 180 ft, leaving a clear advantage of 9A miles in lines and

390 ft .ii|i 'levels in favor of the " Slab Hut!' route. ;;-'- . : ; V £am, &c. * " ■'. ''/£/ R. J. Johnston, .: , l Town Surveyor, GreymoutE Mr Fox said : I assure you it is with much satisfaction that I receive your cordial greeting upon this occasion. The General Government -is sensible that ! itc would have, been, beiter if one of their members had visited the West Coast Gold Fields at an earlier period. Various circumstances and the pressure of business prevented i; ariy of us, withthe exception of Mr Sewell, who is not now a member of the Government, from visiting you, and becoming personally acquainted with the interests in .this part of the. country. I have come down now for the purpose of making myself acquainted with "your circumstances physically and socially. I am 'not' "here "to discuss political questions,; .«or.;to endeavor to convey to you ideas of my own. I am here to learn, not to teach} and I wish to obtain every possible -information regarding you, 'your wants, and the resources of this part of the 'country. The Government has. the greatest amount of confidence (and always although they were deficient in , personal knowledge) in the ultimate importance . of this part of the eouatry. I believe that as yet we * have barely touched the resources of this. West Coast, and that these districts 1 have a great fature before them. All that is wanted is the development of the, resources of the country. It would certainly be much to the advantage of the country if it was self-supporting as regards the supply -, of . food; The disposal of .the. .lands' so as to induce permanent -settlemerit'has pot hitherto been /^conducted in a satisfactory manner, and is .open to serious- amendment;? .1 hope the various local governments ,will do all they can. to induce' settlement, so that the large : number, of people .who now .leave -the country whenever they have made a lifctlj© money may be retained in it as a permanent and industrious population^ I notice that in this, matter the Nelson^ Provincial Government' has taken step 3 recently to indnce ; small farmers to settle on the land, ; which is a .step in the right direction, ."and I ;hppe?it; may jprove 1 ; successful; / The whole of the General Government's:" schemes turn upohlthe cardinal point of attaching the population to the soil of the Colony. 'With 1 regard to the public works, which are being or are about to be carried on in this County and in the adjacent Province, it must be remembered, jthat the money at the disposal ..of /the Govern-ment-is iimited. : " We have borrowed certain s^m^ol" money' for the purpose of carrying ; out extensive public works ? bqt it is limited, and after it is. expended by the. General Government it'will ; not be capable of a: second. apßiicatipni -..- • Therefore, a very large amount of the -.public works in the Colony must be made out of current revenues or the sale of thefwaste lands of the Grown. But with regard to the borrowed money whi^h the general Government has to administer, we have taken this principle that it must be expended, riot on B^ll local works without permanence, but; on", large permanent .public works which have the character of • reproductiyeness, so as to be able .to pay. the large interest due on the' loan.f If we frittered it away in, forming 'small lines of road here and' there without executing large public: works lire-' know we not be expending it in the manner intended by the. Assembly, The two i^am w^rks intended 'tq be. undertaken by the Government in this district are qf the character I haye stated. We propose to do what nature mdjcates, to connect the waters of the Grey an,d "If idler Rivers, frpm. the point where"; navigation > peases, by majin ;roadg. T-hese roads will run through, rich agricultural land, of which Mr- Dobson informed me th.c.re were some 40,000 agres available for settlement,- and also 1 through a rich mining district. In coming along I have resisted several applications for the expenditure of a portion of this .yqtg. in various parts, because I believe it would be foreign to the intention of Parliament, and would be equivalent to throwing the money into the sea. . On this side we Jwill endeavor by one. large work to connect Greymouth; with Hokitika.. The only trafficnpw is along the beaches, but we intend by a large interior road to open up the country, and. be as it; were a base., line from which small roads ; can- be run to connect the whole district. This, work when completed will be a credit to the country, and L believe it will be in accordance with the general opinions -of the people that the Government should confine itself to the execution of- these two large works, and carry them on tp completion. Our money will not allow' us to do more. As regards the particular piece of road referred to on the line to JEleefton,' if ia for" the mept. engineers. and not for me to »ay which line should be adopted. The department of Public Works is not in my hands, but in afew days Mr Beeves will be here, and it will be his duty to make himself familiar with the whole -work, and take the advice.of the Government Engineer. , I have been in communication with Mr Dobson on the subject, and I have also had an interview with Mr Johnston, who lias just read his report, and I must confess that there appears to -be overwhelming evidence in favor of the line Mr Johnston suggests, I purpose, proceeding to the Inangahua by one or other qf thbse routes, and I will bebetter able to advise Mr R«eves when I return ; but there is very little doubt that the road will' be taken by the newly-discovered route. With regard to the first matter Mr Newton drew my attention to — namely, the absolute necessity of bringing the whole of the West Coast 1 Gold Fields under one. form of Government, I could not possibly myself to any expression of opinion. lam here to examine into this subject^ in i order, .to enable me to make up my mind as to the best form of Government for the district. But the decigion will not rest wijih:pi.e>or wjtlx my colleagues j ■ Jho whole giigsiion will haye to be discussed in tho Parliament of the- country. 1 throw out the suggestion to you that on this matter .you should not give an opening for misunderstanding what you really do want. You should thoroughly instruct your representatives in tlie House, so that when Parliament meets it may understand what really are the feelings of the colonists on the subject. It has happened in the Assembly that the representatives of the Gpld Fields havp differed in their opiniona, and haye taken opposite views on this question j but on.a broad question of this kind, I have no doubt that there is to' be found even in your own community, a variety of opinions. • . = .- The ' Government, you may r^st assured, will: give its par-

ticular'attention to this question, which now; engageWjthe greater portion of my time and attention. I will not express my owtfnppinion upon it until I have ascertained what the opinions of the inhabitants of these districts are, what is beat to meet the necessities of the case, and what. would .be* the best tor.aM^t^in developing the resources i of the^tiitriist. With regard to the necessity for immediately carrying through a line of telegraph to R^ef con, and establishing mail comnttinication between Greymouth and Reefton, these are departmental questions which I shall bring under the notice of the several " gentlemen who have the control of these departments. '.With regard to the main line of road from Greymouth to Hokitika stopping at Marsden, I am not aware whether the funds at the disposal' pf jjjhe Government will be equal to finishing!, it at present. ■'■■■ 'But now you have accert^to . Marsden by a good tram way/ !> over'whifeh I-had the pleasure^ of driving : yesterday, and 1 should think it will not be a yery difficult matter to bring the road ,to town. : But like all these questions, I asaure^ou it will be the. desire of the Government to make the wpfE'as, complete and extensive asppssible, : but Imust h>aye 4 thfe^rmtter in the hands of Mr Reeves. ' fieforoTeavingypu, I wish to say that every subject -you may. bring under my. notice wM ;be considered.by the Government wit&^he most.careful attention. I have again^to thank you for your address, and to assure yoirthat I heartily reciprocate the sentiments therein contained for your welfare and prosperity; ■• .'..:- -^it The deputation then withdrew.