The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 145, 19 June 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1874.

M-JwO'Conok's mission to tbe district of the^prey Valley appears to be anything bin a pleasant one, the news having preceded him that the object of his visit was to do away with cne of the two wardens by whom the Inangahua and Grey districts are worked. At Ahaura and No Town public meetings had been held lin anticipation of his arrival, at whfqh resolutions were passed protesting n_bst strongly against the proposed alteration. At the former of these two places a depu<ation waited upon the Provincial Secretary, the Chairman of whioh urged that to dispense with the Grey Valley Warden and Resident Magistrate would be to inflict a serious injury on a large, populous, and important district. "If the members of the Executive had made up their minds to go in for retrenchment, they could .ng. doubt eflect a considerable saving in other directions, but surely after hearing the unanimous expression of opinion in the Grey Valley, tho Government would not adhere to the intention of depriving the Grey Valley of the services of the Warden, especially when those services were so much required. An examination of the records would show that the time of the Warden wa3 fully occupied, and it waa preposterous to suppose that one officer could take charge of and do justice..to two exteosive districts like the Inangahua and the Grey Valley^" To this Mr O'Conor replied " that tbe Executive were pledged to carry out a policy of retrenchment, and they were determined to do so. Matters were coming to a climax, and it was now a question whether the revenue should be all paid away in departmental expenses, or whether alterations Bbould beam ad a so as to save the province from* total obliteration. The Provincial Council left the Executive no option; the Estimates were cut down in obedience to the wish of the-**representatives of the people. The Government was directed to make retrenchment in the expenditure, and the moment it was attempted an outcry was made because thia or that public officer was interfered with. The Government expected this outcry, but, nevertheless, the publio interest roust be looked to, even though individuals should be hardly dealt with. A saving of £2,000 had already been effected, and a way could be Been to further retrenchments, and while this was the case the pruning knife would be used. He would assure the deputation that whatever changes might be made, the interests of the Grey Valley would not bo ignored, but he was of opinion that one Warden could efficiently perform the duties required in the Inangahua and Grey Valley, and he believed that if Mr Warden Whitefoord were present he would admit as much. Money .nyjst be found for public works; lives were being lost for want of bridges, travelling about was becoming , dangerous for want of repairs to roads, freights were rising and provisions becoming dear from similar causes, and still objections were made when it was proposed to devote a portion of the current revenue to meet these requirements." The G. _.. Argus takes up the cudgels on behalf of the residents in tho districts, and thus belabours the Provincial Secretary : — "lt is no use shrinking the matter. No one knows better than Mr O'Conor that tbelfaangahua and Grey Valley districts cannot be properly worked by one Warden and Resident Magistrate, and at the same 'time he has tbe cO-race to proceed through these districts and talk loudly of " retrenchment," although he dared not play such a card as that when he was stumping the province against Mr Curtis, with whom he is now associated. Tt is impossible tba.Jrhe Grey Valley

district can for a Bingle day be without a Warden. Occasional visits of a Warden from the other Bide of the range will not either meet or satisfy the requirements of the inhabitants. It is the most important mining and agricultural district iu the Nelson Province, and instead of beiDg abandoned, ought to be nursed into prosperity under the beneficent reign of Mr O'Conor. But there are serious doubts abroad that tlie results of she recent election for Superintendent of Nelson has something to do with the proposal to remove the Grey Valley Warden. Mr O'Conor ie nbw Provincial Secretary. If he has the true interests of the province at heart he will certainly never endeavor to deprive its most important district, namely, the Grey Valley, of its Warden Resident Magistrate. Certainly, in answer to the Ahaura deputation, when the question was put to him as to the intention to remove tbe Warden, his reply was that the matter was not settled; but in such a manner, and in such^-f-ih\, as to inferentially lead the deputation to the belief that tbe •' re/u*enchment" openly stated was to be effected by the removal of the Warden of the Grey Valley. Such a thing may be done, aud done with impunity in the face of facts koown to those who do it; but the agitation which is already on foot throughout the whole district, the meetings which have already been held and to day reported, ought to be sufficient evidence that the attempted removal of the Warden of the Grey Valley would not only be an act of supreme folly on the part of the Government, but one to which the inhabitants would not quietly Bubn.it." From the above extracts from the Grey "mouth papers it will be seen that Mr O'Conor has undertaken a very unpleasant task, nevertheless he appears to be determined to effect tbe saving of a Warden's salary if it be possible to do so. " The duty of fioding by personal examination," he told the Abaura deputation, " the best means of effecting reduotions without inflicting injustice on any' district, was imposed upon him by his colleagues, and he would perform the duty impartially and to the best of his ability." Tbe question is one on which we cannot venture to express an opinion, not being sufficiently acquainted with tbe . country over which the Warden, in the event of an amalgamation of the Inangahua and Grey Valley offices, would be required to travel, or of the duties he would have to perform. We have, however, frequently heard it stated by those who should know that the proposed alteration might be made without injury to the public service, but on tbe other band the unanimous remonstrance that it bas called forth from those whom it would principally affect, cannot be overlooked. If the Executive should be fully convinced, after carefully the matter, that such a change as that contemplated may be safely made, it will certainly be their duty to carry i. out in spite of the odium they will bring upon themselves by so doing, but if they are at all doubtful it will be scarcely fair or judicious, for the sake of saving £500 a year, to cause to the residents of the Grey Valley so great an inconvenience as they predict will arise from the removal of their local Warden.