REPORT OF THE ABOLITION COMMISSIONERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 173, 13 July 1876, Page 2

REPORT OF THE ABOLITION COMMISSIONERS.

The following are extracts from that portion of the report of Messrs Gisborne, Seed, and Kuowles which has reference to Nelson : — Executive.— Mr E. C. Selling is recommended to be retained in charge of the provincial records ; he has acted as clerk to the Superintendent and Executive Council, and has charge of the public records relating to the Provincial Secretary's and Treasurer's departments. The Superintendent and the Speaker of the Provincial Council are ex officio members of the Waste Lands Board, without salary. Two other members of the Board, who are members of the Provincial Council, receive for their services £50 each. We have, therefore, inserted on the Estimates a sum of £200 in case the services of all these gentlemen in this capacity should be continued. Police.— The force at Nelson city and port consists only of the Chief Inspector, one sergeant, and three constables. The Chief Inspector strongly represented the necessity for at least one additional policeman. On the abolition of the provinces, the police duties at Cobden can be performed by the police of Greymouth, and the man now stationed at Cobden transferred to Nelson. We fiud the police duties in most ot the country districts are performed by district constables, who are resident settlers following trades or callings, receiving for police duties salaries varying from £35 to £125 per annum. We think this arrangement should be terminated as soon as possible, and the duties performed by a less number of regular members of the force visiting the various districts from time to time. The total cost need nob thereby be increased. Survey.— The officer acting in the absence on sick leave of the Chief Surveyor informed us that the additional staff now estimated for by the Provincial Government will be sufficient to overtake the arrears of surveys iv about eighteen months if double the amount forjabor is provided, as at present the amount of labor is small in proportion to the staff of surveyors employed. From a return furnished to us, the arrears of surveys for sale, leases, and occupation licenses amount in the aggregate to 489,410 acres. We have framed our estimates accordingly. Waste Lands Board and Goldfields. — The Waste Lands Board consists of five members, viz., the Superintendent (ex officioj, one member appointed by him, the Speaker of the Provincial Council (ex officio), one member appointed by him, and the Commissioner of Crown Lands. We think that the duties now performed n connection with the Goldfields Acts by the Superintendent and Executive Council under delegation from the Governor, should, in the event of the abolition of provinces, devolve on the Waste Lands Board. The Superintendent brought under our notice the necessity for a clerk in the Crown Lands Office, mainly for the preparation of Crown grants. Concurring in that necessity we have added an amount for an additional clerk. We recommend that Mr J. B. Nalder be transferred from the Superintendent's Office to this department.