THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1874

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1823, 10 June 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1874

By the Nelson papers just to hand we are placed in possession, of reports of the proceedings in the Provincial Council up to Friday last. la announcing the formation of the new-Executive to the Council, Mr O'Conor slated that the policy of the Government would be one of economy and retrenchment, and carried out not by the mere reduction of salaries, but by dispensing with unnecessary officers. At the same time he was forced to admit that Small economies of this kind would not provide money, enough for the public works that were urgently required, as the most that they could expect to save would p9 £2000 a year. Regarding public works the Provincial Secretary said: — "They intended to .carry out the small public Works with current revenue. It would be necessary to obtain a loan to carry ou harbor works and inland communication, and it was the intention, of the Executive to assist his. Honor in obtaining a loan for , the completion of road communication between Nelson, Greymouth, and .Westport.; and also for the. continuation of the Nelson and Foxhill railway. . But they thoaght it unwise to advocate the immediate expenditure of the General Government advance, until it was a matter of certainty that the loan sought for would be obtained, as, if that loan were not obtained, the General Government would be able to claim a refund of the money out of the current revenue, and thus cripple the Province for at least two years. They therefore thought that the advance should be kept ' in hand till the loan was obtained ; but, at the same time they would not go so far as to deprive the expected immigrants of employment when they arrived. It was also the intention of the Executive to supplement and enlarge the Loan Bill brought down by the late Government, so as to enable them to raise a loan of £30,000 for the construction of a wharf and dock at Nelson, giving security over the: works when constructed, and also on the harbor reserves." We glean that amongst the reductions proposed by Mr O'Conor, the salaries of i the Executive are to be reduced from a total of £1950 to £1441 ; the direction of the other savings is not mentioned, the Government having asked the Council for a block vote so as to enable the Executive |to effect reductions according to their discretion, but this the Council would not permit except in regard to a few items. The general business of the Council has not been of particular interest. As already announced by telegraph, Mr Ivess obtained leave to bring in a Bill to repeal tne Gold-fields Local Revenues Act, but with the . distinct understanding that it jwas nqttb be pressed further during the present session, so as to allow the local Boards a further trial. We notice the | following amongst the items of the Estimates passed :— -Wing dam at No Town, ■£100 ; maintenance :of roads, Ahaura, £2000 j Oobden, £460 ; branch roads to

Larry's and Gorge Town, £1000 ; road — Twelve-mile to Red Jack's, £400. On, the motion of Mr Ivess. the siim of JfilOO was placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the purchase of. Dalton's suspension bridge at Reefton ; and on the motion of the same member £300 was placed on the Estimates to meet equivalent subscriptions for a hospital at Lyell. On the motion of Mr Boase, the sum of £500 was placed on the Supplementary.Estimates, for the purpose of constructing a horse-track from the ten-mile bridge, north of Cobden, up the Ten-mile Creek, 4 'For the purpose of enabling diggers to work a large and payable piece of ground." The new Provincial Secretary doe 3 not appear to have much love for the Gold- : fields District Boards, as we find that he ha 3 announced the intention of the Go vernment to fetter the grants of money by conditions as to its expenditure "as it was believed that iv some instances the local Boards would not spend the money in the direction intended by the Government, arid there was great danger of their neglecting the main roads for the construction of mere tracks."