THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1588, 6 September 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1873.

Since assurance has been given, both in practice and by promise, that the Government take an interest in perfecting the Railway and < Harbor Works at Greymouth, it would make assurance doubly sure regarding that desideratum were some local interest to be also exhibited as to the manner in which the present works are to be prosecuted. There might be impertinence in dictating to the Engineering Department how works which have been carried out so far should be continued, and no one will probably suggest how that should be done, but, interested as the burgesses are to a considerable extent in the expense already incurred, it surely would not be beyond their duty, ; or beyond the prerogative of their representatives, to seek oi the Govern- , ment some ' thoroughly qualified opinion upon the character of the works required for the improvement of the navigation of the river. With such an opinion obtained, temporary works might be made subservient to a general an^lwell-ad vised plan ; municiparand other moneys might be saved ; and the early completion of the grand design to which people are looking forward would be • materially promoted., The works ' at' present in > progress are being done piece-meal, and, sd' far. as public information goes, without regard to any- uniform plan! The permanent protective works are being executed in one style by the Government ; the temporary and lesserworks by the Corporation are being executed in another ; ; and although' the latter are being carried out in compliance with the recommendation of a committee of • engineers , there is no guarantee that the higher engineering' "authorities in the Colony 'might not see reason to make recommendations ultimately in a widely different direction.' :A; step taken in time might save the proverbial nine, and, without hurrying ithe ; Government into hasty measures or out of temper, it seems to be 1 a reasonable suggestion that the plan of improving the river navigation should as. soon as possible be settled upon and made the basis of all. works, whatever 'proportion they may bear to the ultimate design. In this particular there might be utility in a recommendation or a request to the Government through the Corporation, or the member for the district. According to the published statement of the Minister of Public Works, "it is found that to accommodate anything like the amount of trade which, as is now estimated^ will be done at Greymouth, a considerable additional length of wliarf will have to be constructed, and to enable the Government to meet this demand for increased accommodation we shall ask for an additional appropriation, to be spent as it may be found necessary to provide for the increase in the tr ffic in coal, and on the railway." Those who are more intimately acquainted with the locality thaw is, the Minister of Public Works must be aware that an " additional length of wharf" is not the most accurate description of the great local want, however much it may be a part of the 1 same ; ; and it would be well that the exact character and extent of that want should, on the very best authority, be made known to the Government, the House, 1 and the Colony. . j The brevity of our, telegrams, of last night does not indicate lack of incident, and in one particular it indicates the .presence of that of which it is the soulwit. The latter comes in where it is stated that a gentleman at New Plymouth proposes a, public subscription for a testimonial to the Premibr, for raising this Colony from a second to a first- class position. The suggestion would not be a bad one at the proper time, but it is premature. , Mr Vpgel,' since he made the Colony his **home twelve years ago, has deserved , testimonials much more : than many men who have received them, but his mission is not : yet ended, nor his policy proved.' The ; time, however, we hope will come when ,' while here, he will receive a very handsome testimonial, and, as it is inevitable, it is equally to be hoped that, when gone, -he will deserve a monument. The items of present interest in the telegrams are the facts that the Legislative Council have, as was anticipated,'" declined to accept "the : proviso in the Westland Bill that the Grey Coal Reserve'should 1 , be removed from Provincial control, while they also stipulate that there should be • but I one >.-; paid political office — the Superintendent's — in the new Province'. 1 lAs to the Reserve, the proviso ■' may be unimportant, seeing that it is already vested in the Governor, and there 'is at first sight propriety in the restriction regarding a paid' Executive inside the Council. There are. arguments on both sides, but the example of Nelson favors the view of; the ; Council. 'Finally the telegrams tell that the Rangitoto, in her " watery grave," rests — in pieces. . . By the courtesy of Sir. White, M.H.R., we have received a copy of a Bill which has been introduced by him, and the purpose of which' is i both to amend the " The Westland Waste Lands Act, 1870," .arid to become part thereof. The Bill is brief j,butapparently contains some useful ■ provisions in the direction of expediting and regulating the "' work of the ■ Waste Lands jßoard. ; i Commencing by repealing i nine separate sections of the present Act, it continues by providing that what is to be used as an "Application Book" shall be kept at the Land Office, in which applicants ! or'theirJ agents shall record their applications for land to ■ be purchased or leased ; that a -fee of; half-a-crown be paid in connection with such applications ; that applications shall be dealt with in the order in which they are entered; that land concurrently applied for be put upto i auction ; and that a deposit of ten per 'cent, be made in cases where land is s'oughi to be purchased at less 'than a pound per' acre: With reference to Public Reserves it' ; is ! 'proposed that land may be ; temporarily reserved for the preservation or! sale, of timber 'thereon, the Board fixing an upset price 1 for- the' sale of the latter, which is 3 to be removed within a fixed timey ~'- t For pasturage purposes the Board is em-

powered to lay off runs which are noi required for commonage, to give the right to depasture for five years, to piit the same up for sale, at option, the licenseholders having a pre-emptive right to five per cent, of the land at the price for rural lands and within the first two years of, the currency of the licerse ; a reasonable right of way being preserved for the public, with the right cf entry to miners to search and mine for gold. The next clause of the Bill, "while excepting miners who may use timber for mining operations > or domestic U3e, provides for penalties up \ to £20 for the unlicensed cutting or removal of timber ; the next empowers the Board to lease,' as special settlements, blocks of rural land of from 25 to 250 acres, for seven years, and at a rental of 3s per aero, the rental so paid to become part of the purchase-money ; and the concluding clauses provide for the diversion or closing of thoroughfares, for the issue of Crown grants for land taken in exchange, and tor the repurchase by the Provincial Council of rural lands purchased at any price, and proving to be auriferous within seven years of the time of original purchase ; the price to be at the rate of 100 per cent, increase upon the purchase, with valuation for improvements. One short schedule only ia attached to the Bill, being the form of license to depasture stock. . . By questions put by Mr Donald Reid in the first place, and by Mr Tribe in the second place, answers which must be considered so far satisfactory were recently elicited from, the Government on subjects in which some interest has been taken in this locality— the truck system and the conditions under which payment of wages must be made to laborers employed on the public works. To Mr Reid's question, the Hon. Mr Richardson's answer was : — "In all contracts made by the Government, with the exception of a few for works in outlying districts, a very stringent clause wa3 inserted to prohibit this obnoxious, truck system. The attention of the Government had only been called to one contract in connection with which the truck system was introduced, and steps were immediately taken to stop it. A circular was sent to the district engineers in charge of public works iu various parts of the Colony, Calling their special attention to the clause referred to." Further, Mr Richardson alluded, to the fact that no Act on the subject existed in New Zealand, to the difficulty of dealing with the subject thoroughly, and to the desire of the Government to have the assistance' of hon. members in an endeavor to do so. By Mr. Tribe specific reference was made to the circumstances which, lately arose in connection with the construction of the Greymouth and Brunner Railway, and the Minister of Public Works more specifically explained the condition inserted in the contracts with Messrs Brogden, which he read as follows, adding that it was a condition which . the Government would see carried out in its integrity in all contracts : — "The workmen, tradesmen, and laborers of every class employed on the works to which these conditions refer, shall be paid their wages in full in money current coin of the Colony at least once iv every fortnight, and no ticket or other system of payment by. provisions, liquors, or goods will on any pretence be allowed, nor shall the contractor or any person or persons employed by him, or in any way connected with him, establish any shop for the supply of liquors, provisions, or goods, nor shall the contractor oblige his workmen to take provisions, liquors, or goods of any kind from any person in particular. The workmen of every class : shall be paid on the works if it be possible, or in some building adjoining, and in no ' case shall they be paid at a public house, or other place where liquors or refreshments are sold;" The Promissory Oaths Bill is a measure now before Parliament the title of which has puzzled those who have only been able to acquaint themselves with its nature by: a perusal T of telegrams. The problem is explained by Mr O'Rorke's brief explanation of the objects of the Bill, that explanation being that the Bill j simply seeks to assimilate the law of New Zealand to that of Britain with regard to certain oaths, such as the oath of allegi- I ance, official oath, and judicial oath. The propriety of this assimilation will recommend itself to all who prefer to express themselves in modern English, instead of ancient legal Saxon, Norman French, or other languages of which their knowledge is equally limited. Expectant Justices of the Peace will especially appreciate the change when they learu that the following is the simple formula in •which they will have to take the oath :— "I do swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria in the office of , and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this Colony, without fear : or favor, affection or ill will. So help me God." Whereas upon their predecessors the following quaint specimen of Queen's English was inflicted : — "I do swear that as a Justice of the Peace in the Colony of New Zealand, in all articles in the Queen's Commission to me directed, I will do equal . right to the poor and to the rich after my cunning wit and power, and after the laws and 'customs of the Colony and Sbatutes there in force. And I will not be counsel of any quarrel hanging before me: And I will hold my session after the form of the Statutes thereof made : the issues, fines, and amerciaments that shall happen to be made, 1 and all forfeitures which shall fall before me, I will cause to be entered without any concealment or embezzling, and truly send them to the Public Treasury of the Colony. I will rot let. for gift or other cause, but well and truly I 1 will do my office of Justice of the Peace in that behalf. And I will iake nothing for my office of Justice of the Peace to be done, but of the Queen, and fees accustomed, and costs, limited by Statute. And I will not direct or cause ;to be' directed : any warrant by me to be made to the! parties, .but I will direct them to the bailiff, constable, or other the Queen's officers or Ministers or other indifferent persons to dp execution thereof. So help me God." With the prayer with which a Justice of the Peace and of the past thus ended his oath no one could surely help sympathising.