GREY VALLEY ITEMS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1331, 4 November 1872, Page 2

GREY VALLEY ITEMS.

[from our own correspondent.] Ahaura, Nov. 2., removal of warden's clerks. The resignation of Mr Percy Wakefield, the Warden's Clerk, at Reefton, is much regretted by the mm ; ng community here and at the Inangahua. The causes which are said ; to have led to the Joss to the publio serviceof such an efficient officer, . have been discussed in a manner very uncomplimentary to the Provincial Government. Whatever argaments there may be used in favor of shifting the Wardens periodically, and very few of these arguments will bear ventilation, thei'e are none which show the necessity of these arbitrary removals of the Wardan's Clerks. These officers occupy precisely the same, position in the relations between the Warden's Court* and the miners that the Registrars ofthe Supreme Court do between the superior Courts aud the' general public. They are the responsible custodians of the official records of the Court, and from the very defective and unsystematic nature of the rules regulating the procedure of the mining Courts, it requires the exercise of intimate personal knowledge of the proceedings of these Courts, as well as a general knowledge of the several parts of the district in which he resides, to enable a Warden's Clerk to properly perform tho . duties which are expected of him outside the bounds of mere official redtapeism. The public complain that as soon as an officer o£ this class has mastered the details of his office, and perfected himself in his work, he is unceremoniously removed to another place, when he has to unlearn all he knew before and make a fresh beginning. It may be said that the work to be done is the same in every Warden's Office, and that the routine of each is identical, but it is nothing of the sort. In consequence of the virtually unlimited discretionary power vested in the Wardens, the interpretation of the mining laws is entirely a matter of choice or personal opinion with these officers, and the fact that mistakes are so seldom made by them is to be attributed' entirely to the knowledge and ability gained by practice and experience. Therefore, as the practice and decisions of the several Warden's Courts differ by reason of the nature of the authority with which Warden's are invested, it requires a permanent secretary to the department in each district, and this office should be conferred on the Clerk to the Warden's Court, to be held. by him " during good, behaviour." Irrespective of the total disregard of the public convenience, which is implied by these frequent changes of the Wardens' Clerks, a great injustice is inflicted on the clerks themselves. They, are the Receivers of Revenue and Clerks to the Resident Magistrates' Courts, besides performing their duties at the Wardens' offices, and holding appointments of such great responsibility they are of course, supposed to uphold a good position in society. How can a man be reasonably expected to do this if, out of a miserably inadequate salary, he has to deduct the expense of these frequent removals, as well as the ruinous sacrifices he is compelled to make of any property his provident habits may have enabled him to acquire? The result of this state of things will be, that every efficient officer will be driven out of the public service, and the management of tha subordinate offices on the gold fields will devolve on the.shouldera of a swarm of young " whippersnappers," whose only recommendation will be, that they are the fortunate possessors of influential " friends at Court. FALSE SWE.AJ«Na. The local authorities have determined to make an effort to put a stop ta the frightful amount of false swearing which is so scandalously prevalent in the Resident Magistrates' Courts. At a recent sitting of the Court here the police received instructions at the conclusion of a case to make inquiries with a view to bring a charge of perjury against the defendant in a small debts action. It is a wonder some steps have not been taken in respect to this subject before. Not long ago a female witness in this Court, during the hearing of a case, swore positively to a certain circumstance, but her testimony was contradicted point blank by half a dozen other witnesses, and although it was admitted by all concerned that the evidence given by her could not be true, yet the matter was looked over. The legal quibble that the wilfully false evidence given is not material to theissae is the excuse for allowing these glaring instances of positive perjury to slip by, but public morality and decency are outraged and scandalised nevertheless. AHAURA RACE MEETING. The preparations for holding a racemeeting this season appear to be entirely suspended. The matter seems to have been forgotten altogether, but it will be a disgrace to J;he disirictifa meeting of some description is not got up. The failure so far appears to be caused by a difference of opinion as to the best time of holding tb,e meeting. Spme wish the meeting to come off at Christmas, or they will withhold t'.ieir subscriptions, and others think the middle of February is the best time. A compromise might be effected if those who have a special interest in the succceßs of the gathering would interest themselves a little more energetically. Those who have had the honp# conferred upon them of bein,g appointed stewards and officers should perform the duties they have accepted, or else at once resign their appointments and let others take the places and responsibilities they seem either unable or unwilling to fulfil. 6 HARVEST PROSPECTS. The farmers* are having splendid weather for the growth of their cjrops, Everything in the agricultural line ap-_ pears to have thriven wonderfully for the last few years, and this season does not promise to be an exception. The grain crops are all sown and above ground and the planting of potatoes is all. but finished. The high price, of the latter description of produce — Ll6 or LlB per ton, makes it a fancy crop this season, and a^much more extensive area is occupied with it than was the case in any previous year. The quantity of land laid down with English grasses is also increasing, and the clearing and breaking-up of new land keeps pace with the increase of i the pastures, or rather makes up for the 1 land withdrawn for grazing purposes. < The farmers need not suffer any anxiety ( about a market for their produce next i season. With a return rush setting in i from Australia, the^real and rapid pro* J

gress the reefing districts are making, and the long promised opening up of the : country by means of roads, they will have plenty of outlet for the products of the: • industry. STOCK MARKET. Praiseworthy efforts are being made to establish a s*ock market in the Grey Valley, but up to this with only indif- S ferent success. The cause of the failure so far of this laudable object is the want of a regular and reliable u supply* and; .-yet if stockowners would give the matter an " impartial consideration they would see that this place possesses great advantages over any other place on the West Coast, as a market for live stock. It is in the centre of a large consuming community, , . there is sufficient secure accommodation for yarding any ordinary supply of cattle,^ and their is unlimited free grass on which, stock can be kept in condition if not sold--on arrival. The opening of the Amuriroad it is said would ensure a regular supply, especially of- paddock fattened cattle, which cannot travel through the v rough shingle river beaches along the only route now available. The retail butchers are not all monied men and, before they" break up" their present arrangements, they want to be certain that their wants will be provided for in the local market. They cannot afford to suffer disappoint- • ment if they come to an advertised cattle sale, and if they find they are not able to : suit themselves after attending once or twice, they arenofeasily induced to come again. -.'.'.". .'■■