COUNTY SEPARATION.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 466, 16 February 1869, Page 2

COUNTY SEPARATION.

(To the Editor of the Westport Times.) Sir, —In your issue of the 4th inst. I find a very sensible letter from one who, I trust, erroneously signs himself " Minority," and from another letter in the same issue I find that the samb subject, Separation, has already attracted notice in Nelson. Now, Sir, it is to be most earnestly hoped that the Nelson Government will not accept the opinion of a self-elected Progress Committee as being the wish of the entire district, but I fear that unless the public can be roused from their present political apathy, they will awake some morning and find that the mischief has been done, and that the future of the district has been committed to those who, while they are very ready to point out imaginary faults and short-comings in the existing Government, have not as yet been able to show in what way any improvement can be effected upon it. Supposing we get Separation, what guarantee have we that, on the discovery of new fields, or the exhaustion of our own, the revenue will have been so judiciously managed as to enable the few who would be obliged to remain to support the necessary expenditure to continue the government of the " County." Would Nelson take us back, or should we have to throw ourselves upon the tender mercies of the inhabitants of Westland, who are already so auspiciously commencing their career by anticipating their revenue, an evil which we undoubtedly escape at present ? What, may I ask, would have been the position of ColKngwood at the present time with her nearly deserted goldfields, empty warehouses and streets, had they " gone in " for Separation, and what surety have we that ours may not be a parallel case ? Beyond the goldfields we have absolutely no re-productive industry to fall back upon. In justice to the Nelson Government it should be known that, five years ago, when there was little or no inducement, and certainh no pressure brought to bear, the Nelson Government voluntarily expended upwards of =£20,000 in roads from Westport through the heart of the present diggings to Nelson and also on the coast road via the Heaphy, without mentioning the baring and explorations in connection with the coalfields. If the members of the Progress Committee' instead of raising aery for " repale," would endeavour to bring our coalfields under the notice of capitalists, they would be doing a real service to the district, and might, perhaps, be the means of establishing our prosperity upon a much more secure basis than the goldfields alone can ever furnish. The Nelson G-overnmenr,ifpetitioned might, perhaps, be induced to hold the

next sitting of the Provincial Council in Westport, which would be, in my opinion, the best possible means of securing a thorough enquiry into our i wants. —lam, Sir, Yours Ac. "Westport. Majobitt-

(to the Editor of the WartpoH Tim*.) Sib, —Whatever else may be ex* pected of politics, it seems they will persist in resolving themselves into a question of pounds,shilling3, audpeuce, A. political favor analysed is nothing more than a business transaction—a \ quid pro quo being at the base of it. There is manifestly a feeling abroad, that aconsidefable amount of magnanimity has been displayed by Nelson in the management of this dependecy, and that instead of wishing for a dissolution of partnership, We ought to be thankful for past, and content with present mercies nor should We be at all alarmed as to future contingencies. The Progress Committee are told that they are meddling with things they know very little about; that they are like children; and that separation to them would be but a toy, of which they would soon tire, having recourse again to the old regime. One can fancy * these rash youths in a quandary, and, ' with their bonnets in their hands, apI proaching Father Curtis, confessing ■ their naughtiness, and asking the favor * of being reinstated in the family—to be allowed, as heretofore, to nibble humble pie-crust, with the additional I relish of bought experience. One can fancy this, but one can fancy just as j easily something else. The Com* * mittee are collecting information, and > putting things in such train as will, sooner or later, effect the welfare of 3 the district. They are men who have ' considerable stake in the place, as we 3 in Westport look upon stakee, and it * will be difficult to convince them that Nelson will sacrifice willingly a single " shilling of what it considers its own revenue for the good of the Coast. * They are convinced that the goldfields 8 must stand on their own merits, and, " accepting this as a starting point, they wish Nelson to recognise this in ■ its own case, and they are regulating e their own conduct accordingly. There * must be no sponging on either side. ™ If any of them happen to have a tender e shoulder, and feel the collar pinch a n little, a short time in harness and a e little tincture of myrrh, or Borne a kindred appliauce, will soon make 7 make matters right. If it is to be conY sidered that our revenue is insufficient £ to maintain the small expenses of a ie County, in what position ought Nelson n to stand, and other provinces, whose ° revenues are less? lt Little faith is placed in the idea of n increased representation, as it is with difficulty that we can get men to fill the few seats we have in the Council. There is a wide gulf between Nelson men and usin occupations, associations, and instincts, which would be difficulty to bridge over. t. It is the out-lying districts more e particularly that require attention, as If prison labor, properly applied, would )r be sufficient of itself "to overtake what lb might be defined as strictly municipal t_ works; but the Progress Committee j s are powerless in such matters. Steam ie has been generated and blown off in ,t New Zealand waters.at great loss topriJS vato companies, and to the Government. e This experience may result in having , a more attention bestowed on internal ; P resources. The circumstance that a II prize has been offered for an essay on e the best means of settling our popula. e tion, though only a straw, may serve a . to show how the wind blows. It is • e possible that the country's energies y and money may take a turn in an in- ;. ward, instead of an outward direction , n for a little, and in such circumstances 3. anauthon'tative local body could not but } . prove of far more service to our comr. munity than anything ultramontane, j in directing attention to, and assisting lr in advancing the prospects of what, i 0 some day, may prove to be the Lane casbire or Lanarkshire of New Zealand. n We must have more light and opportu•e nity, if we are to develope further, for e at present we are just in the tad-polo l 3 stage, having a large, dull head, and a .. restless tail.—Yours &c, e R. W. U Westport.

(To the Editor of the Westport Times) Sir. —I had much pleasure in reading your able leader on the goldfieldfl only having five members out of twenty-six in the Provincial Council, although the goldfields contain rather more than half the entire populatien of the province. A similar comparison might have been made financially. Taking the Appropriation Act for the financial year of 1868 and 1869, the estimated revenue was, for the goldfields, £92,400, and for Nelson, £40,000. The £12,000 in the bank was brought forward from the year 1865. The clerical error was made by the Provincial Executive, and not by the G-eneral G-overument, as you seem to suppose, and to play their own little game. In reply to your correspondent "Minority," I may aak, What confidence can the go'ldfields have in an Executive as it is at present constituted? His Honor the Superintendent is the only responsible head. Tbe two other gentlemen in the Executive are the Provincial Secretary and the Provincial Solicitor, and are merely mouth-pieces to his Honor. Other provinces make their Executive responsible to the Council and country, but it is not so in Nelson. In fact, the present constitution of the Provincial

Council is a violation of the representation of the people. Take for an examnle a cursory glance of the proceeding in the Council in allocating the revenue of the West Coast, and then the way in which I the money is spent on any of the public | works the Westport wharf, the | Buller Valley road, the Grey and I Charleston roads, &c. Eead the ProI vincial blue-books, the records of pro- | ceedings, and you will find that it is as I I assert. The only thing that Nelson I really does is to allocate our funds and I to help herself to a fair portion, a« per I statement copied from the figures rep lating to session 18, of 1868 and 1869: I Goldfields estimated revenue, I £92,400; allocated ibr Goldfields— I Departmental expenditure, £28.879; I "West Coast public works, £25,500 — I £54,379; balance, £38,021, approI priated to Nelson for taking charge of I our affairs. What confidence can the people have in a government that enI trust the public works to such men as I they do ? For example, the Westport wharves were being made without any I engineer or plan—all left to chance, and the money spent in the most apI proved prodigal manner. Again, in the case of the Buller Valley road, two mere road-men were entrusted with a I cheque-book, carte blanche, until some I £IO,OOO was spent on what should only have cost half that amount. And what is this road worth to the district ? Absolutely nothing until it is finished, although some £30,000 from first to last has been spent upon it. In short, is there one road or horse-track at this moment on the West Coast that you can say is a credit to the Provincial i : Government ? The simple view of the question is this—Can you, whose in- I terest and living are on the spot, judi- f -ciously form yourselves into a Coun- i cil and appropriate between £70,000 i and £BO,OOO, which, I estimate, will be I the revenue, in paying departmental i •expenses and in constructing such J public roads and other reproductive i works as will develope the resources 1 ' of the district and give it permanent i prosperity. Von can surely do so 1 better than an Executive in Nelson, i whose interest simply lies in taking as \ much of your revenue as they possibly s ■can. As to any good you will get out 1 of Nelson, I firmly believe they are too i poor in purse and intellect for that. * l Tou must do as Jupiter told the t waggoner —put your own shoulder to i the wheel. " Heaven helps them who i felp themselves."—Tours, &c, s Sceuimtob. * Nelson, Feb. 8. !