PUBLIC MEETING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 299, 20 December 1870, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

I A somewhat thinly attended meeting '. took place at the Provincial Hall last night for the purpose of discussing the desirability of opening up the communication between the towu of Neison and the mining districts of the Upper Buller, Wangapeka, aud Karamea. His Honor the Superintendent opened the proceedings by stating that he was sorry to see so small an attendance on an occasion of this kind, when the subjects to be discussed were of such importance not only to the districts immediately concerned but also to the town of Nelson and j indeed to the whole province. He attributed it, however, not to any want of interest in the matter, but to the arrival of the startling and threatening news from Europe which had naturally unsettled men's minds. Having read the requisition, in compliance with which he had called the meeting, he proceeded to explain what the Government had done, what they were doing, and what they bad in contemplation with regard to the Buller aud other roads in that direction. With reference to the Wangapeka he might say that within the last few months £ 1000 had been spent iv improving the roads. The object of the Government in doing this was, not to make a road by which machinery could be conveyed to its | destination in the easiest and cheapest manner, but merely to open up the tracks so far as to make it possible for machinery to be taken along them. That, they considered, was all that was necessary until the reefs had been thoroughly tested. If the district proved as rich as was hoped and expected, then they would be prepared, seconded by the votes of the Council, as he was sure they would be, to make a thoroughly good road. With reference to the Upper Buller, no large sums were being expended there, but a party of men were at work at the saddle between Ray's and tbe Wai-iti Valleys, another on Kerr's hili, and a third ou the road to the Karamea by way of Flora's Creek. Some works had been carried out in the TJpper Buller, and others were in contemplation, and at present Mr. Lightfoot was there with a view to effecting what repairs might be necessary. With regard to the sum of money (£4800) voted by the General Assembly to the Road Boards of the province, he believed that the object of the Government iv placing it at their disposal was that communication with tbe outlying districts might be opened up, and not that it should be spent in places where roads j already existed. It was left to the SuperI intendent to recommend how this money j should be distributed, and he had thought it more advisable to appropriate it to the developement of comparatively unexplored districts to distributing it in small sums among the various Road Boards iv proportion to the rates raised by them. He therefore proposed to recommend that something over one- half should be placed iv the hands of the Motueka Valley Road Board, the district over which they had control being extended so as to embrace tbe Upper Buller and Wangapeka, another portion to the Pangatotara Board whose district was to comprehend the country

to the Karamea Bend, and the remainder to the Suburban North Board for the opening up the road through the Rai Valley. Care would of course be taken that the money should be laid out in a manner specified by the Provincial Government. Of course a public meetiug could not place money in the hands of the Provincial Treasurer, nor could it authorise the Government to spend money in any particular manner, but it was calculated to create discussion , to enable tbe Government to ascertain the views of the people, and to strengthen their hands in asking the Council for a vote of money. His Honoi's speech was received with loud applause. Mr. Grove having suggested certain improvements that might be made in the Upper Buller roads. Mr. Burnett moved That, in the opinion of this meeting, the immediate and special attention of the Government is urgently required to the state of the roads and tracks on the Upper Buller, now rendered almost impassable for pack-horses and unsafe for travellers. This attention is the more needed, as the Upper Buller district, from its well-known mineral resources and its capabilities for settlement, affords a good outlet for the trade of the town of Nelson, and a good market for the surplus produce of the Waimeas ; and the meeting desires further to express its opinion that portions of the Wangapeka road between Bush End and the township should be improved without delay. Mr. Luckie seconded the resolution. He thought the subject uuder discussion was one in which everyone in the province was interested, and had listened with the greatest pleasure to the statement of the Superintendent with regard to the proposed expenditure of the General Government vote. Already large amounts of money had been spent by tbe various companies interested in the development of the Wangapeka, and, seeing that this money had come out of the pockets of all giades, he considered it but fair that the Government should supplement their efforts. Heavy machinery would be necessary to work the reefs, and at present the conveyance of it to the district was a Herculean task. If additional facilities were afforded, the work could be done much more cheaply aud satisfactorily, and he was convinced that the decision arrived at by the Executive with reference to the expenditure of the General Government vote should meet with very general approbation. Mr. Wakeford related some of the difficulties he had experienced in conveying machinery to the Wangapeka, and stated that he had been compelled to make a portion of the road at his own cost. Mr. John Hayden, a miner, from the Waugapeka, enlarged upon the difficulties that now existed, and said that if the Government would expend money on the road, he was sure the miners would work at it at half wages, rather thau have it remain iv its present state. The resolution was then put to the meeting and carried. Mr. Lightband proposed a vote of thanks to the Superintendent for calliug the meeting, and for his statement with reference to tbe expenditure of the £4*Boo. Mr. Sclanders seconded tbe motion, because he thought the Superintendent had acted most kindly to the requisitiouists in calliug the present meeting. At first he had beeu induced to think that it would have been better for a deputation to wait upon his Honor, but after hearing the very clear aud satisfactory statement made by him, he had changed his mind. He approved most highly of the very excellent proposition made by the Superinteudeut for distributing the money voted by the General Assembly, and thought that if the meeting did no more than show the residents iv the outlying districts how favourably the Government was disposed towards them, the time they had spent there would not be lost. His Honor haviug thanked those present for their good will, and the approbation they had expressed of the course which the Government intended to pursue, the meeting separated.