WESTLAND COUNTY

Kumara Times, Issue 2634, 14 February 1885, Page 2

WESTLAND COUNTY

There was much that is of general interest to the public, as well as to our distinguished visitors, in the County Chairman’s address to the Premier and Minister of Mines, delivered at the County Council Chambers, on Wednesday evening last. It is a kind of summary of the extent of the county and its resources, as well as embodying the most urgent requirements of its inhabitants. After addressing a few words of welcome to the Ministers Mr Grimmond said—

I thought it might be useful if I placed before you a few particulars and figures, with regard to the County of Westland.

This County is the largest in New Zealand, containing nearly three millions of acres ; its length is 157 miles, its breadth averages 30 miles. The population is about 11,000. There are three Boroughs in the County—Hokitika with a population of 2721, and Kumara and Ross, with populations of 1200 each. There are 202 miles of main mads in the County, and 187 miles of by-roads and tracks; and 62 bridges—spanning from 20 to 900 feet—are maintained by the Council, together with 25 ferries across dangerous rivers, which are subsidised at an annual cost of £7OO.

The revenue of the County Council averages £IB,OOO a year, and I may mention that from the year 1877 up to date the Council have invariably endeavored, and generally succeeded in paying their contractors and laborers regularly every month. We have also made it a rule to avoid getting into debt, and to keep our liabilities well within our assets. The maintenance of existing roads, tracks, bridges, and ferries absorbs nearly one half of the whole revenue. Since the beginning of the year 1879, £12,189 has been spent on the repair of roads and bridges damaged, or swept away, by floods. The majority of the male population of the County are occupied in mining pursuits but there are considerable agricultural settlements in parts of the County and some thousands of acres of the finest agricultural land in the southern part of Westland are unoccupied, owing to want of roads and bridges and other facilities for settlement. Gold mining, however, has hitherto been, and will continue for some years to be our chief industry. From 1865 to 1883 inclusive, gold to the value of eight million of pounds sterling has been exported from this County. The yield does not vary much of late years, and it could be greatly increased were the necessary water supply for sluicing purposes, available. While on this subject I desire to paint out that the County Council have always been of opinion that the price charged by the Government for water on the Kumara goldfield has been too high. This matter has been a long-standing complaint, and a source of great trouble for many years. I trust that the inquiries you will make, and the information you will' obtain on this subject, at Kumara, will enable you to see your way to make a reduction in the rate at present charged. Recently, extensive quartz lodes have been discovered, in the vicinity of Ross, and some thirty mining leases are in partial abeyance waiting for the construction of a dray road to the reefs, which are believed to be both valuable and permanent. Large companies have been formed for obtaining gold, by means of ground sluicing. During the last three years the Humphreys Gully Company have expended £59,000 in the construction of waterraces, which are not yet sufficiently completed, to enable the company to commence operations. During the same period, the Ross United Company have expended £60,000 in developing their lease of 200 acres. The Prince of Wales Company at Ross have spent £25,000 in developing their property. The two first named companies have a capital of £150,000 each, and very large returns are expected from them when their gigantic works are in full working order. The three companies I have just mentioned have therefore spent altogether the sum of £144,000 in mining operations during the last three years, so that you will see the people here have faith in their auriferous resources. The Council have, for many years, pressed on the Government the necessity of erecting a bridge over the Taipo river, on the Christchurch road, and now hope to see the contract for the work, put in hand immediately. We desire to urge on your attention an alteration in the policy pursued in the construction of the HokitikaGrey month railway. Some £24,000 of work ah eady constructed is going to decay ; and the vote token last session for resuming the woik is being ex-

pended in laying rails a few miles beyond Hokitika. It has always been the opinion of this Council, that it would be far wiser to proceed with the erection of a railway and road bridge across the Arahura river, and to bridge the Teremakau river. If these bridges were completed, the whole line could be finished in a year; instead of which a great part of the work done at intervals during several years is valueless, and will now have to be done over again, while the real difficulty of the line—the bridges—aie not yet touched. This railway, if completed, would be a thoroughly remunerative work. The cost of its construction has been over estimated. The Council are anxious to thank the Government for their earnest efforts to get the East and West Coast railway, via Arthur’s Pass, constructed ; and hope these efforts will prove successful, The completion of this line would vastly assist the development of our resources, and would confer great benefit on the whole of New Zealand. If the line is made via Arthur’s Pass, we estimate the traffic receipts at .8169,000 per annum, giving a net annual profit of £42,000. An East and West Coast railway via Cannibal Gorge would not be of the smallest utility to this part of the Coast, nor would it be of the slightest advantage to Greyraonth, for the increased length of the line would be of a prohibitive cost on the carriage of coal.