PUBLIC MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 690, 1 July 1867, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

. Pursuant to announcement, a meeting of Electors of the Waihopai District was held in the Theatre Boyal, on Saturday afternoon last. The want of punctuality, so often observable on similar occasions, was once more the cause of loss of time, and instead of the business of the meeting being commenced at 1 p.m., as -advertised, it was merging on two o'clock before a chairrd%n§was nominated. The attendance was very limited. On the motion of Mr Beaven, Mr P. Dalrymple was called to the chair. The CTTATTtivfATf, in his introductory remarks, stated that as a dissolution of the Provincial Council was expected to take place shortly— to be of course followed by a general election — it had been thought proper to call that meeting in order to give the members for Waihopai — their representatives, Messrs Wilson; and Clerke — an opportunity of giving an I account of their stewardship, and at the same time to allow of any electors stating their views on the most important questions of the day. The Waihopai District was a large and important one, comprising the Buburban townships north of Puni Creek, Clifton, Kew, and Appleby, thence northwards "to Sylvan Bank, Chatsworth, and Gladstone. This, howfiver, wim tla© first/ meeting u£ Llio peuplo of the district — a sort of maiden attempt — and things were consequently not so well organised as they were in the Eastern District. They were comparatively strangersto each other, and ifc would be a great thing for them to become acquainted, and talk over matters.' The privilege of holding public meetings — when not abused — was one of great value to the people, who by the interchange of opinions became better versed in the topics of the day, than they could possibly be through the newspapers alone — which however he had no wish to disparage. There was in the warmth of discussion a power and vitality that no written language could approach, and a greater likelihood of their . being able to comprehend and advance their mutual interests. Before going further, he might mention that he had received a letter from Mr. T. M. Clerke, apologising for his absence that day, on account of an Executive meeting, (letter read.) He (Mr. Dalrymple) should make no further comment than to say it was of great importance that members should meet their constituents at the present time. Mr. .Wilson he was glad to say had very kindly accepted the invitation to attend. Before calling on the latter gentleman to address the meeting, he (the Chairman) wished to say a few words respecting the debt of the Province. He knew the subject was not popular, but it was a good principle to begin by inquiring what one owed. They had not yet been definitely told how much it amounted to, but to use Dr. Knight's words, as far as he could gather it was over £400,000. That debt had been their greatest difficulty all along. At the time the land was lowered in price, from 40s. to 20s. per acre, it was thought the Province would then be extricated from its financial embarrassment. Since then they had sold 230,000 acres; yet their debt — which prior to the sale of land at the reduced rate was £500,000 — had been diminished by only about £65,000. That appeared rather surprising, but then he might remind them that for one debt alone — that to the Bank of New South Wales — they were paying annually for interest no less that £20,800. That, in some slight degree, might account for the result he had stated. There were people who said " why trouble about the debt, where is the use?" He had always found in his private experience that if he wanted to get out of debt the way was to sell some property. And that was the course for the Province to adopt, let them give six months' notice in neighboring colonies that the land would be put for auction at 10s an acre, and depend upon it that those capitalists who had been watching to pick up land at 14s 6d per acre, would be there. Let them only know that on a certain day, say 400,000 acres of land were to be put up at an upset price of 10s, and they would see that the land would be sold even higher than £1 per acre. Mr Dalrymple cited the example of Otago, where the Government had lately put up for sale by auction a large block of land, long in the market, swampy, and inferior, but which had realised 16s per acre. Knowing the good quality of the land of this Province — that it was well watered, and in every way desirable, as well as being the best opportunity for investment in the colony that would ever occur — they would see such a gathering of capitalists as they had never seen here before. Next, there was the railway question. What was there to say about it ? Six months ago, in the Eastern District, they had meetings about it, with the result of an opinion in favor of roads being expressed by an overwhelming majority. On the show of hands there was one or two only in favor of a railway, and four or five only in favor of a tramway. The minority wero not satisfied—they said the opinion of the bulk of the poeple were not represented, and said, "come to Invercargill." They did so, and Mr Kinross — who stood up for roads before — as:ain triumphantly carried the day . in defiance of the opinion of Messrs Lumsden, Boss,, and other?. Tet these latter, when the Council sat, and 150,000 acres were' asked for the Mataura line, were not quite so sure. When they came to examine the cost of the Oreti and Bluff Bail ways, when they looked at His Honor's letter to Mr Stafford, wherein it that, exclusive of the Bluff and Mokomoko jetties, the railways had cost £430,000, they paused to reflect. They calculated, he supposed, the distance from the Bluft to Inrorcargill seventeen miles and thirty chains, thence to Winton, eighteen miles, or a total of thirty-five wttes, They awertain^d that

to the Long Eord, Mataura, was thirtyfive to thirty-six miles, and th^y were naturally induced to ask "if the works already in hand (not completed) have cost L 430,000, how do you expect to construct a line for a similar distance, for the 150,000 acres?" They said "will you guarantee a railway to the Long Ford ?" The reply was, " No." They asked, "how far will you guarantee it, then?". Still no reply. Then they declined to vote the land, and wanted an appeal to the country to be made, pending surveys, &c. And a very proper course too. So far as yet appeared, they might take the line as far as the racecourse, and . leave off there, leaving the Province in, greater embarrassment than ever. Then, there was the question of retrenchment. In the Eastern District they, had been reduced ito such a state for want of roads that ' they hardly knew what to do. They went His Honor ; he said, "no money." 1 Then they began to pry into accounts, and make a noise about salaries. Then a Retrenchment Committee, a' kind of mongrel Government, was got up to effect savings, and apply the money to fill up the mud holes. Their proposals were carried by the Council, with the consent of thepeople. His Honor wrote quietly to Wellington to have the recommendation disallowed. (Mr Kingsland: " perfectly rigkfctoo.") This w-ao, oak oaid, quietly done, but it -was not a general disallowance. It was to apply only to a few pets. (" Gk> on — who were they ?") Mr Pearson was one, Mr Howard was another, and two others — (a voice: " useful servants — most efficient.") He knew Mr Pearson long ago — fetched him out when he (Mr D.) was supercargo. He (Mr P.) tried squatting, but did not succeed ; was the delay about the Crown Grants a proof of efficiency ? Next there was his clerk, who did not succeed — and his was a rare exception — as a milkman. There was another, who drove bullocks— (a voice : " he was none the worse ") — no, of course not, but he did not see -that they should be pets while others as efficient were reduced in salary. (Mr Kingsland: "Go on." Mr D. — " I can settle with you any time.") {Laughter and applause.) [Mr Wilsok then addressed the meeting, but owing to the length to which his remarks extended, we are compelled to hold over our report. He expressed^ himself in favor of railway extension, and received an unanimous vote of confidence.]