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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 327, 18 August 1868, Page 2

To-night a public meeting will be held at the Theatre Royal, for the purpose of considering the advisability of electing a Progress Committee for Westport, and to take steps to do so, if public opinion is favorable. That such a body could not fail to be of material service, there can scarcely be two opinions about, and though in fact it would possess no legal, it would actual status, and its suggestions would be listened to whenever they were made. There is an abundance of work before them at once, the formation of streets, the apportiontment of track money, the disposition of tracks, the conduct of many public offices, the necessity for a harbour boat, the need for procuring the calling of large steamers off the port, wharf protection, development of coal resources, the abatement of nuisances of different kinds, and a dozen other subjects will fill their ha .ds fully and profitably for some time to come. The great bugbear of taxation need not be dreaded, as they can have no power to levy rates, but they can, and with effect intervene between the public aud the Government, can arrange for the formation of streets at the request of their inhabitants, can interpose with advantage in a host of ways, and can be a vast benefit and protection to the community they represent. Of course their powers are limited, and their sphere of usefulness is by no means as extensive as that enjoyed by a municipality, but at the same time their election would be the first step towards self-government and when the public saw what vast good their could effect even with limited powers, they would not, we are sure be afraid to trust them with the extended authority of a municipality. The experiment has been repeatedly tried, and everywhere with success. In Otago its usefulness was acknowledged years ago, in Hokitika it effected signal service, everywhere that it has been carried out, the best results have flowed from it. Why • then should not the same be here, for Heaven knows, a community more wantiug somebody to appeal to, never existed. Even the Commissioner is about to leave us, and we shall be handed over to the tender mercies of the heads of departments. Let us then take our own affairs into our own hands as far as possible, and by electing a committee of the kind without loss of time, show that we are willing to bear our own burdens, and . help ourselves as is far as in our power.