The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1868. THE "WESTPORT WEEKLY TIMES."

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 271, 13 June 1868, Page 4

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1868. THE "WESTPORT WEEKLY TIMES."

This day we publish the first weeklyedition of the. Westport Times, an eight-page paper, containing not only the news of the day, but the whole news of the week republished in this form. For financial reasons, which it is not necessary to enter into at length, we have determined to suspend the publication of the Ledger, for a time at least, and substitute the Weekly Times in its stead. We have found that as the daily edition of this paper is circulated largely both on Addison's, the Caledonian, and in Charleston, and as all the business men and a majority of the miners at these places see the issues regularly, the sale of the Ledger was necessarily restricted as long as it was little more than a reprint of the week. On the other hand, the support we might have expected, even it" a large amount of additional matter was set, would not be sufficient to pay the increased expenses, and therefore we have deemed it advisable to give a weekly edition in the present shape, without increasing the cost to subscribers or the public generally. The weekly will be sold at the same price as the daily issue, and will be found a resume of all that has appeared during the previous week. There are many who are not always able to see the daily paper and it will keep them an courant with the news of the day. As a means of affording information respecting this place to friends at a distance, the weekly edition will be most convenient, and we have every reason to anticipate a large sale for this object alone. The weekly paper WILL BE SOLD AT THE CALEDONIAN", Addison's, Charleston, Brighton, AND MOKIHINUI, AT SIXPENCE PEll copy, and advertisers will have an opportunity of making their wants, wishes or wares made known in a most efFectual manner through the medium i of its advertising columns. We need not dilate on this head, for it must be obvious to every business man that a paper of the size, delivered throughout the district at such a price, must command a largo circulation, and as a natural consequence must be valuable to advertisers. Should the support we expect be accorded, we will endeavour, to the utmost of our power, to merit it, and will enlarge our present dimensions as soon as circumstauces in any degree warrant it. We are desirous of supplying a want long felt, in the

production of a full-sized weekly paper, at a low price. We liavo now maclo our first step in that direction, and it rests with the public to say how far our vonture meets with thoir approbation.

The election of members to fill the vacancies in tho Westport Education Committeo will bo held at tho Courthouse to-day at 12 o'clock, and this'event has created more excitement than its importance by any moans justifies. We do not moan for a moment to underrate tho value of educational bodies or systems, but we do say that the contest of to-day has been invested with a spurious importance solely because certain gentlemen in the town, who have up to the present timo fulfilled the duties of committeemen, are exceedingly sensitive to criticism, and have taken every opportunity of letting tho world know it. Because an appointment that they have made has called forth remark,and because an esteemed correspondent has taken them rather severely to task in connection with it, they deem themselves assailed, and at once commence to explain their reasons for conduct, which up to the present time has never been publicly called in question. Surely they cannot assume that a single writer who disapproves their election, is the mouthpiece of the community they have served, unless they have heard other opinions corroborative of that writer, thathavenot appeared in print, from those with whom thoy daily associate. The whole point at issuo seems to be the appointment ofMr Phillips, and the non-appointment of Mr Eraser as master of the newly created school, and our evening contemporary has labored hard in justification of the Committee, to prove that the existing state of things is correct, and that the selection of Mr Fraser would have been a mistake. This however as it appears to us, is not the real matter at issue at all. No doubt the committee did what they conceived to be their duty in making the choice they did, and whether Mr Phillips was or was not a friend of all or any one of the members, had nothing to do with the matter Letting that question alone we think the correspondent above referred to, in a letter which we published on Thursday, hits the nail on the head far more truly in questioning the legality, not of the committee per se, but of their making an appointment when the term of office of just half the members had all but, if it had not quite, expired Whether they were or were not justified in law, in proceeding with the election we cannot say, but we entirely agree with " An Old Westportian" in conceiving that it would at least have been far more graceful on the part of the committee to have postponed it till the annual election of members had been decided. The chairman, as a member of the legal profession, must certainly have known that three members must retire and be re-elected, or that others must be chosen in their place, and surely it was his duty to point this out to others who were not as well up in legal lore as himself. The other gentlemen, too, composing the committee, must undoubtedly have at least read ! the Act under which the committee of which they were a part, was constituted, and therefore ignorance of their pending re-organization cannot be pleaded. Such being the case, it would appear that the committee, as we think, were hasty in their action, and that is the chief ground for any dissatisfaction. It has been attempted to be shown that any opposition to the late committee is based on the ground of antagonism to alleged cliquism, but there is not the slightest proof or even assertion that could lead to such a conclusion. Whether such does or does not exist we are not aware, but at the same time, without doubt there are a large number of persons who think that Mr Fraser has been hardly dealt with. It is not our intention to offer any opinion on that subject, neither can we say whether he is as highly qualified as the " coming man." AH we know is that he was induced to apply for tho position, as has been publicly stated without contradiction, by a member of the Board who subsequently deserted him, aud that after devoting a lengthened period of time to the education of the young in Westport he has now been pushed aside to give place to a stranger. The expression of opinion as eviuced by one hundred aud thirty names was contemptuously put away becauso " a woman" who did not sign, and " several persons" who did sign stultified themselves after signing it. Who were the " several persons" ? and admitting that there were several, what value is tho opinion of such a weak minded lot of individuals, who oue day signed a document, and the next day run to Mr

Munro or othors of the Committee to tell him they did not moan to do it ? Wo neither approve or take exception to tho selection of the Committee, but avo certainly think after such a memorial from tho inhabitants of Wostport, the proper course would have been to appoint Mr Eraser and give him a trial. If the representations of " a woman" and " several persons" as to his unfitness had beon proved, and it should have beon the first and easy task of tho Committeo to ascertain that point, then let them at once have exercised their power of dismissal, and the public would have been satisfied that justice had been done. Aa it is, without doubt thero is a feeling «>f discontent at the Board's proceedings, which very probably will find vent at this day's meeting, but at the same time it is nothing nearly so serious as our evening contemporary would wish people to imagine. The Committee have not been martyred yet, and it is hardly necessary to put in such sufferers' claims for consideration, till the martyrdom is complete. To sum up all, we consider that the Committee should not have proceeded with the election at the time and under the circumstances, but, that as they did so, they should at least have given Mr Fraser an opportunity of proving his competency or otherwise, instead of sneering his claims down, and casting discredit on the memorial he submitted.

Never was more wretched weather seen even on the West Coast than that we have been afflicted with now for some days. Squalls of wind and rain have been the order of the day, and mining operations through this cause are completely put a stop to. As a matter of course business suffers, and a much more miserable collection of human beings could not well be gathered together than those of Westport at the time of writing. At times delusive breaks have appeared in the sky, but they have been quickly overshadowed by clouds brought up by the northeaster that has blown for some days. At Addison's Flat we regret to state the mining interest has felt it severely, and just as the prospects of that place were opening out so brightly this drawback takes place. The rain is no doubt general along the coast, and our southern neighbours are in no better plight than ourselves, though that is poor consolation. It is rumoured that the Hokitika bar is sealed up again, though whether the sand has closed the channel or th" weather has raised such a surf as to prevent the ingress or egress of vessel* we cannot tell, or indeed whether the information is correct or otherwise. The Addison's Flat reading-room is going ahead. On a canvass being made a day or two ago by Messrs G-lennon and O'Donovan, the sum of £l6 10s was collected in free sifts, a list of which we will gladly publish in Monday's issue. We have received a letter from " Old Westportian," but are sorry to be obliged to content him with extracting from it. He complains, and very justly of the perversion of his last letter, and states what is very obvious, viz., either that Mr Munro is utterly ignorant of the effect of punctuation in the English language, or that he has intentionally mis-punctuated the quotations he has used, in order to make the letter bear a ridiculous reading. " Westportian" adds—" Had Mr Munro's acquaintance with Lindley Murray beer, of a more intimate character, he would not have fallen into the lamentable grammatical quagmire that his letter displays. Just as Artemus Ward found out that his forte was not fitiu," when " the ground Rew up and struck his head," so to those who will compare the two letters, it must be obvious that Mr Munro's forte is not " ritin " or literary effort of any kind whatsoever." We must say we agree with him. As soon as the weather breaks, surely the attention of the G-overn-ment will be directed to the unimproved streets of Westport,for recently some of them have become absolutely impassable, and females resident in these parts, who can not plunge through mud and water, varying in depth from three inches to one foot, and interspersed with logs, roots, and stumps, must stay at home. There are several streets in which every section is taken up, that, up to the present time in wet weather or fine, a dray cannot traverse, and yet for each of these £5 per annum ground rent, or as it is termed business license, is extorted. There is prison labor at the command of the authorities, and has beeu for a year past, but nothing has been attempted in the way of improvement, and yet each street has contributed somo hundreds in the above shape. The sum of £7OO has been voted for the improvement of Westport streets, and even if prison labor

has beon occupied with wood-cutting and other important public works, tho above is now available, and in common justice something should be done without loss of time. Any delay that has taken place is in a gr.at degree attributable to tho want of energy on tho part of the inhabitants, for if they had laid their complaint before the Commissioner, it is probable that something or other would beforo this have been done. In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday thero was no business whatovor. In the District Court yesterday the water-right appeal that occupied the Court nearly all Thursday, was brought to a conclusion, and tho result was that tho decision of tho Warden was upset. Some applications were made which are reported elsewhere, and the cases of Messrs Campbell and G-odfrey were postponed. In reference to insolvency cases, that on a former occasion his Honor would not proceed with, Mr Pitt made an application, but he was directed to apply again to-day. An application by Mr Tyler, at the suit of Smythe and Co., to permit execution to issue against T. W. Melville, was postponed till this morning. We may caution those concerned that the Court will sit at 10, instead of 11 o'clock, as heretofore. The residents at tho Shamrock lead aud thoso who have business there, complain and with great justice, of the vile state of the track from Addison's to that place. It is said to be even worse than that at the Six Mile, which up to tho present time has borne the unenviable reputation of being the worst on the Coast. The track is one long swamp with ccasioual mud holes with manukau stumps sticking up in their midst, on which horses every now and then impale themselves. In some places the horses sink up to their bellies, and in others it is utterly impossible for them to carry any load whatever through it, so the goods have to be handed along the edges in tho best way that the packers can. The distance is about a mile aud a-half and we arc told that a track can easily be made at slight expense. There are nearly 400 diggers on the Shamrock, besides stores there are six whims, two whips, aud eight wheels, and such a population have an undoubted right to bo regarded in this matter. A memorial was presented about a week ago to Mr Kynnersley,and thereps littledoubt that ho will take such steps as are necessary on his return. An erroneous idea is abroad amongst some oer.sons and we hasten to correct it, that only those who vote to-day at the Education Committee's election will be called on to pay the Education rate. We may inform those persons that all householders, whatever the value of the tenements they occupy, are liable to berated, and whether thoy vote or not, will have to pay twenty shillings a year payable next month, and five shillings pet head for all children between the ages of five aud fifteen years. Since this is the case we hope that a large muster will take place, and that some expression of public opinion on school matters general ly may be evolved.