WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 2490, 12 June 1884, Page 2

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Council met yesterday, at the Chambers, Hokitika; present The Chairman (P. Dnngan, *Esq.) ; Messrs Hirter, Gumming, Grimrnond, Jack, Rose, M‘Goldriok, and M‘Whirter. The business related principally to these parts. We are indebted to the West Coast Times for the following extracts:— CORRESPONDENCE. Letter from Messrs Lyons, Tovell and other residents of Stafford, requesting the Chairman to convene a public meeting at Stafford, to protest against the removal of the Stafford and Goldsborough Courts.—Request granted. Letter from Messrs Gibson, Duff,

Low, and others, of Stafford, agreeing to act as members of the Stafford Cemetery Committee.—Received. Letter from the Minister of Mines, saying he had been informed that the Tiffin borer had been returned to the maker as useless. Received, The Chairman said he had replied this was not so.—Resolved that the Minister be asked the name of his informant. Letter from the Minister of Justice declining to allow Mr Eyes to remain at Stafford.—Received. Letter from the Minister of Mines re sludge-channel regulations, Received. Letter from tho Hon. Secretary Benevolent Society, Kumara, stating that the County Chairman had been elected an ex officio member of the Society.—Received. Letter from Messrs Moran, Paulsen, Jones, Darley, Palmer and parties, asking the Council to construct a branch track at Dillman’s.—Received. Letter from Mr Isaac Chapman, Kumara, calling attention to the dangerous state of Larrikin’s road through its being sluiced away.—Referred to the County Engineer to report. Letter from Mr W. Morris, Hon. Secretary of the Miners Association, asking for the co-operation of the Council in their struggle against the exorbitant charge for water by the Governmen t.—Received, . CLOSING WARDEN’S COURTS. Mr M'Whirter moved, “ That the Chairman communicste with tho Government, protesting against the injustice inflicted on the Goldsborongh and Stafford districts by closing the Resident Magistrate’s and Warden’s Courts at those places, and that-Messrs Seddon and Fitz Gerald be requested to interview the Government for the purpose of endeavoring to prevent the carrying out of such injudicious and unjustifiable instructions.” —The motion was carried unanimously. KUMARA MINERS’ GRIEVANCES. Mr M'Whirter moved, “ That this Council vote a sum of <£3o towards assisting the miners of the Kumara goldfield (who have been prevented from working their claims in consequence of the oppressive nature of the new sludgechannel regulations) to send two representatives of their body to Wellington, to lay their grievances before the Goldfields Committee of the House of Representatives.” Over 100 men were now thrown out of work in consequence of the obnoxious conditions insisted on by the Government. The Government were responsible for these regulations, under which it was impossible to work. Men had been cajoled into signing whose permits had three years to run. Men who had more fall than a particular grade were asked to raise them. Government were doing all they could to drive population from the country.

The Chairman seconded the resolutien at some length, pointing out the grievances under which the miners labored in consequence of the new rules.

Mr Jack did not think £3O would go very far. The Council might make it £SO if some definite object were decided on.

Mr Gumming supported the motion

Mr Eose did not know if this resolution was the unanimous opinion of the Kumara miners.

Mr Grimmond said it was strange that 100 miners did not raise the money. There a was representative in Wellington now. He hoped that the Council would not send these representatives to Wellington to do nothing and keep the miners from going to work.

Mr M'Goldrick supported the motion. He liked to hear that two active miners were going to Wellington. Finally the motion was carried, £4O being substituted for £3O.