MINISTERIAL CHANGE AND WEST COAST INTERESTS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1282, 7 September 1872, Page 4

MINISTERIAL CHANGE AND WEST COAST INTERESTS.

[WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT.]

Tho interests of the West Coast Gold Fields would be still more seriously affected by a change of Ministry, than those of Wellington. No part of the Colony has greater reason to be satisfied with the policy and administration of the present Ministry than " the County of Westland and the Nelson South- West Gold Fields. Indeed the inhabitants of those districts have special grounds for desiring to maintain the existing Government in office. So far as as the actual work of construction is concerned, both Westland and the Nelson South- West Gold Fields have been more fortunate than many other ports of the Colony. The expenditure authorised by Parliament to be spread over four years has, by the action of the Government, been made available for immediate operation, arid the various road works undertaken on the We3t Coast have been pushed on with every possible rapidity. In the County of Westland a main road system bos for the first time been established, and valuable parts of the gold fields placed in excellent communication— a thing which without the action of the Government, would have been impossible for many years to come. Especially have the South-West Gold Fields' reason to be grateful to the Ministry, for it : was only near tho termination of last session that Parliament authorised the expenditure upon roads there, and already a large amount of work has been done. Indeed, but for unprecedented bad weather daring the last two or three months, the rich reefing district of Inangahua would by this time have been placed in easy road communication with Westport and Greymouth. It is remarkable that, with regard to this matter, the. onlyiault found with the Government in their administration of this portion of the public works was by Mr Curtis, who blamed the G,overnment for doing too much and pressing the work on. Additional claims to the sympathy of the West Coast raining population are to be found— first in the system of aid to water supply initiated by the E resent Government, and which is now eing taken advantage of by the miners ; already several large water-race companies have availed themselves of the Government assistance, and other applications are coming forward— it is probable also that two or three large works will be directly undertaken by the Government. Second in the visits paid by members of the Cabinet personally for the purpose of making the Government thoroughly aware of the condition and necessities of the West Coast Gold Fields, the result of which cannot but be beneficial. . . . . The present Government have baen convinced of the necessity of placing the whole of the West Coast Gold Fields under cne form of Government adapted to the present requirements of the population, and to relieve a portion of them from the control of the Nelson Provincial Government which has been so disastrous to their welfare. But what would be the prospects of such a desirable measure being consumated should the existing Ministry be unseated and Mr Stafford assume the reins of Government ? The fact that Mr Curtis, the Superintendent of Nelson, ia to be a member of his Cabinet should be sufficient to combine the whole of the West Coast members in an effort to retain the existing Government in office. Even if Mr Curtis' should not take a seat in the new Ministry, it is certain tha? he is far too prominent a supporter of Mr Stafford, and will possess altogether too much influence with him to allow of any hope that tho unification of the West Coast Gold Fields will be carried ont by Mr Stafford's Ministry. We know that the sympathies of the whole of the West Coast, constituencies are with the present Ministry, and that any West Coast member voting againßt it will bo voting against the best interests of those he has been sent to -represent