MR FOX'S .VISIT .TO THE WEST COAST.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1282, 7 September 1872, Page 2

MR FOX'S .VISIT .TO THE WEST COAST.

.-;*? -, [w^l,j^GTOK P r(TDBi;ENDBNI^] \ Mr Fox, judgingfrom' fchV Mniirks'of the Opposition papers, is , considered the chief offender/ He^as been accused! of employing himself simply' Sn a pleasure tour upon the West Co «t of the; Middle Island— sketclurig I 'glaciers and"sb' : on: But we venture to gay that no more prag.; tioally useful work was ever performed by a Minister /of (OtfeW Zealand < $an tna? undertaken by the Premier. Before Mr Eoxwelitto ; se-e"witK"Kiri3wn'eyeTine Jl conditipnrof; itho- Welt Goaatigbld fields",^* .the most absolute want of knbWleacei^H and; the most ufter ignorance pfevoiledfl^^H the Government regarding this 'raosjy^^^H . portant portion of the Colony. Me^^^^^H -affecting the welfare of the West^^^^^H mining population had,, session afte^^^^^H sion, been met witH^hfe ai^cully tr^(H^H one but tiie tjiree or fourireprWeht^iA* "" ~ : flf that part of the polonyknew anything aboutthe subject. It was the same whea Mr (Stafford was in -power; Ministers' professed to feel interested in the affairs of these, gold fields, but they could do little niore than give a tacit consent to he efforts made by the local representatives. 3 to direct greater attention to the p. 9*, their .constituents. But the ..V*™ 1 ???** Knew nothing; and consequently could not approach with any degree of in elligence the ir.any subjectwhich, sassion after session, propped v affeoting the West Coast gold fields. Th want of knowledge was riot only an em

as he has— for he- took alarm at the' anj paarance of the Premier within his terri^ ry, and hurriedly rushed down t0..d0 that which he ought to have done long before. The result of the Hon.Mr. Fox's tisifc was most beiieficial; It was the means ot enlightening the Government and of creating a sense .of satisfaction amongst the gold fields poput lation, who had — not without good grounds— entertained tbo idea that they and their interests were wilfully ignored by tho Government and determinedly misunderstood by the Legislature. Whatj . evar grounds of disapproval of Mr Fox's West Coast tour Mr Stafford or otheri may advance, we are certain that tbi verdict of the twenty thousand people who appreciated his visit in its proper significance is, and has been, one of unqualified approval and satisfaction. \