THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY CONFERENCE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2504, 15 January 1877, Page 2

THE BOROUGH AND COUNTY CONFERENCE.

(To the Editor of the Evening? Star.) Sib.—The word has gone forth —Mr Whitaker has said it —the Borough and County Councils must be amalgamated, and their united funds raised by taxing within the boundaries of tke same, must be used to drain and prospect the various companies' mines within and around Tookey's Flat. For has not he (Mr Whitaker) large interests in the working of the same ? And must not the united councils work in order to bring grisj; to his mill, in order to prospect the country for the Golden God for his use and worship? Were not the past elections controlled from Wellington? Were not their instruments —at least in the majority—duly elected and proclaimed P And must not this also take place ? It may, but not if I can help it; but not with my vote and consent. Mr Editor, give me leave to speak my mind, criticise as you may, but let me say what I think. Sir, I do not believe in the or County Councils embarking in the business of goldmininc companies or prospectors under any conditions whatever, far less for the benefit of private companies. Ido not believe their duties should extend below daylight, beyond the means of easy locomotion, and the drainage of the surface of the earth, not the centre. Ido not believe it is right— if Mr Whitaker has the power—to divert the tax raised on the industry of gold finding to any other purpose than that for^ which it was intended, viz.. the making" of roads and bridges for the easy conveyance of quartz, &o. Far less do I believe that be (Whitaker) should have the right to hand over the said revenue to a council outside theborouuh to be used 'and expended ns the county directs. And I believe the Mayor and Borough Councillors will be wanting in their duty to | those who placed them in that position if they neglect to protest against such an appropriation of the revenue of the Borough ; in fact they will be wanting in their duty if they do not at once demand (I say demand advisedly, for I do not believe in beggary; they might be taken up under the Vagrant Act) that the Goldfields Revenue be handed over to the Borough to be expended as other rates, as they (the councillors) tniuk proper, and thus put to shame our M. H.B's. who so far neglected their duty, and also td carry out local self-government the Ministry has so well kept before our nose, as the turnip before the donkey's. Ido not believe in the merging of the Borough into the County. It seems to me like selling our birth-right for a mess of potage—like taking upon ourselves a load we will hardly be able to bear. I think charity should begin at home. We want roads and footpaths nearer home than beyond Ohinemuri. This may be selfish, but why is the County so anxious to fold the Borough within itself. It is because of the riches it contains which the County does not possess to near the same extent; this also is selfishness; and Ido not believe in the .County because of the native lands. let the Government first acquire all native lands within the County, or give them Crown rights for the same, 1 and place them on the same footing' as Europeans, so that they can be rated and buy and sell their lands—in short, let them have the same privileges and responsibilities as you and I. It is evident the Ministry mean to force the Borough into the County; was there

not undue influence at the late County elections used by the Ministry through some of the local magnates to obtain the election of men who would do as they were told, some of them place seekers—so rumor goesP One has already obtained his place ; another will soon, or it is no fault of his. I have no faith in the Councillors lately elected; there is but one man of education and talent in the lot, and he is a more-pork, late of Trig station. Chairman Brodie urges that if the Big Pump is allowed to stop there will be a general collapse. My opinion is, if the mines said to be drained are not benefited : to such an extent as to enable them with- ! out loss to continue the operations of said pump, or if not sufficient prospects in obj taining payable gold in the future to overbalance the risk of the Outlay, then I say let it stop; but I fear not a general collapse through the stoppage. I fancy Howe and Brodie make a white elephant of it. But when the stoppage does take place, then possibly our paternal Government would see the necessity of fostering, instead of taxing, an industry that this place so much depends upon. Mr Rowe says the Borough will not get one shilling subsidy next year. He evidently speaks with authority—that of the Ministry. Has he got a mind of his own P Did we elect him to back the Ministry in their actions only, and not represent our interests in Parliament ? It is evident to any superficial observer that MtfMovre stands in the same position to Whitaker, ■ or the Ministry, as the moon does to the planet on which we live. I would suggest, Mr Editor, that this constituency request both Grey and Kowe to resign their positions as our representatives, for at present we are virtually disfranchised'; we have no voice in the Parliament owing to the one being totally opposed to the other. And then let each stand again for re-election, each with one of the lame views as himself, two against twoscheming against principle; and if scheming prevails, I'll cave in. In conclusion, sir, I would ask Mayor Macdonald through your columns, if the promise of the Borough debt being wiped off was on con :ition that the Borough and County be merged into one? I ask this because of the above statement of Mr Howe.-— I am, yours, &c,

Obsbbtbb. Shortland, Julylsth, 1877.