PROVINCIAL EXPENDITURE ON THE GOLDFIELDS.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 632, 15 March 1870, Page 2

PROVINCIAL EXPENDITURE ON THE GOLDFIELDS.

As already reported, a numerous deputation, consisting of the entire Committee appointed at a recent public meeting, waited upon the Provincial Secretary, Mr Greenfield, and the Provincial Engineer, Mr Biackett, at the Court-house, on Friday evening last.

Mr W. Pitt introduced the deputation, and stated that their object was to bring under the notice of' the Provincial Government the present exigencies of Westport, in reference both to the encroachments of the river and the encroachments of the sea. The inhabitants of Westport, he said, while willing to condone the past, were desirous of knowing what the Executive ueint to do in the future. The feeling was that money had been voted on a speculative estimate of revenue, and that, in proportioning the expenditure to the revenue, a preference had been gived to works in the Nelson part of the Province, to the disadvantage of the "West Coast. The deputation desired to have explanations with regard to that matter and to others kindred, but the particular question which they wished to be answered was—What did the Nelson Government intend to do in the way of endeavoriug to save the town of Westport ? Mr GitEENFiEi/D said ho would gladly ans-wer any questions, so far as he could. The statement with regard to past expenditure ho thought he could prove to be incorrroct. In the first place, the revenue, he thought, would not exceed £BO,OOO for the current year, instead of £IOO,OOO, as originally estimated, and it was doubtful if it

would even roach that amount. The total expenditure on public works on the South-West Goldtields during tho present financial year, including liabilities, had boon £12,400. Of this sum £6097 had been expended in tho Buller district, and £7lO on tho Coast road between Westport and Charleston, and he did not think the deputation would dispute that, to some extent, Westport was interested in that road. There were also existing contracts on that road to the amount of £675, and at Westport an expenditure of about £3OO was being incurred in connection with tho cemeteries. This made a total of £7,789 13s 4d for the district. In the settled districts of the eastern part of the Province only £9OOO had been expended on public work. It would thus be seen that there had been as great reduction in the expenditure in the settled districts as there had been in this part of the Province. And in some of these works the Coast had an interest, such as the hospital, the lunatic asylum, and the Upper Buller Valley road. In the hospital a number of patients were received from the Coast, and the Coast furnished more than half the number of the intnates of tho asylum ; at the present time there were over thirty. In the Grey Valley only £2,700 had been expended during this year, yet the revenue from the Grey was nearly equal to that of the three districts of VV'estport, Charleston, and Brighton. He could not help thinking that, under the circumstances, the Buller had very little cause to complain. The total departmental appropriations for the SouthWest Goldtields amounted to £20,350. Assuming that the expenditure had been at that rate, and adopting twothirds, or £13,600, as representing the proportion for Westport, Charleston, and Brighton, the figures would be as

follows :—■ Departmental £13,600 0 0 Public Works, Buller District G097 0 0 Coast Road—Wcstport to Charleston, 710 0 0 Charleston to Brighton 35-1 0 0 Public Works, Charleston ... 711 0 0 £21,508 0 0 Liabilities : —Westport cemeteries ,£3OO, »Coast Road £075 ... 975 0 0 Total £22,483 0 0 The expenditure in the Buller district alone had been : Culler road, completion and repairs .£3701 7 S Road to Deadman's Creek, and branch road to Giles Terrace 500 0 0 Repairs of same roads, and Caledonian road 27a 0 0 Westpobt : beach 200 n a Protective works, Buller river, and wharf accommodation 213 15 2 Ditches and culverts, now ... 90 0 0 Clearing- ditches, and removing logs 100 0 0 Dray road to Addison's 33 15 0 Harbor signal station & snags 120 0 0 Fire engine 100 0 0 New Cemeteries 100 0 0 Buildings : —Gaol additions, ■£356; stable, £10; repairs, fittings, &c, Government buildings £23-1; 600 0 0 £0097 17 10 Coast road between Westport and Charleston 716 15 6 <£GSI-1 13 4 Liabilities : Removal of cemetery, say £300; coast road between Westport & Charleston, £075 975 0 0 £7789 13 4 When the Government saw that the revenue was not likely- to reach to anything like the amount estimated, they considered what would bo best for the district as a whole, without reference to any particular part of it, and they determined to construct the Deadman's creek track, and to open up the Buller road. It was considered that the best way to favor the advancement of the district would be to open up the country for the miners, and to endeavor to increase the trade of Westport. They believed that the people of AVestport would prefer to have the trade increased, than that all the funds should be expended on the protection of the town itself. As to Mr Pitt's remarks about condoning the past, he hardly understood the reference. He did not know exactly what there was to condone.

Mr Pitt said the reference to condonation involved the question of Government neglect of Westport and the South-West Goldfields generally. Mr Greekpield said the Government did not admit that there had been any neglect. There had been a largo expenditure not so large as when Mr Kyunersley was here, but the revenue was then in a more flourishing state than it was now.

Mr Pitt 1 said that, leaving the past out of sight, the population were particularly desirous of knowing what the Government intended to do with regard to the security of the town and river.

Mr Greenfield, in reply to this question and numerous others which followed, gave tho reply which we reported on Saturday, agreeing to expend £IOOO or £ISOO, subject to Mr Blaekett's report.

The conversation on that and other subjects we shall report, in sections, in future numbers. We give now only the Provincial Secretary's statement of expenditure, because it is a matter of interest per se, aud we prefer to distribute over several issues a report which would occupy columns, to the exclusion of all other reading matter.