PUBLIC MEETING.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 816, 23 May 1871, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting was held at the Masonic Hotel on Friday evening, to consider the advisability of forming a municipality in Westport, Mr Home in the chair. Mr Munro rose to move the first resolution. He pointed out the necessity of their taking the necessary steps to gain the control of local affairs. He believed that it would be evident to all present that the time had arrived for organising some public body who would watch the interests of the town, who would see that the revenues were disbursed in a manner that would satisfy the public from whom it was collected, and who would use their endeavours to promote the social and political status of the people. He held a very strong opinion upon the matter. He thought it absurd that they, should be satisfied year after year to pay a large sum annually in the shape of business licenses, &c, while many of those who paid the money were left without any approach to their dwellings. The resolution he had to propose was simply affirming the desirability of organising some body to look after the interests of the place. It was as follows: " That this meeting, taking into consideration the importance of this township, the general moral and political decay manifested in the place, and the utter want of somebody to represent the inhabitants and watch their interests, expresses its opinion that it is desirable that action be taken by the inhabitants for securing better management of their local interests and affairs." Since it had been proposed to initiate a movement, bringing Westport under the Municipal Act, he had heard much adverse opinion expresed, those holding it evidently being impressed with the belief that the taxes would be greatly increased and the proceeds wasted in departmental and useless expenditure. It was very difficult to remove this prejudice, and to make some very obstinate persons understand that a much larger amount of money would be spent in inproving the town and rendering it habitable, than had been done while the expenditure rested entirely with the Nelson authorities. They might turn in any direction, and the eye would rest upon general decay; the streets were falling into disrepair ; culverts were broken down, and rotting away, the river bank was gradually but surely crumbling away, until very shortly no portion of Wharf-street would be available as a thoroughfare. In addition to this, the majority of the streets were left very nearly in the same condition as when first reclaimed from the bush. The people grumbled, but beyond that they were utterly helpless, and when any attempt was made to rectify the abuses from which they suffered, they objected to the movemeutou various frivolous grounds. Home few looked at it solely from a £ s. d. point of view. The fear, that to empower a body to levy rates for the general public benefit would result in their being called upon for an annual payment slightly in excess of the business license fee, sufficed to arouse their disapproval. Others

again, perhaps less selfish, but equally unreasonable, disparaged the proposal, alleging as a reason, that nearly the entire funds would be absorbed in the maintenance of a staff of highly salaried officials. With respect to the first objection, he might say that there would be a certain proportion, and that a very small one, who would be called upon to pay an increased amount annually, and he trusted that they would not allow such a consideration to stand in the way of the public good. In respect to the matter of official expenditure he was prepared to state that the promoters of the movement contemplated the smallest expenditure possible in connection with the payment of any officer. It was idle to suppose that any Council or other body, to whom might be entrusted the management of affairs, would be so utterly wanting in business capacity as to allow any undue share of the receipts to be absorbed in salaries. As business men, endowed with common sense, they could not be guilty of such an absurdity. He believed that one officer would do all that was necessary, and that the salarj need not exceed £IOO to £l5O a year. It was very certain that if they desired to alter the present state of things, and effect an improvement, they must have some recognised bodv to look after the local interests and affairs. Mr J. Hughes briefly seconded the resolution, expressing himself a warm supporter of any movement likely to give them the benefits of local, selfgovernment. The Chairman, after a pause, put the resolution to the meeting, and, having called for a show of hands pro and con, expressed a difficulty in deciding whether the ayes or noes had it, the numbers being so nearly equal. He again called for a show of hands, and still was unable to arrive at a .decision ; but ultimately the numbers were counted, and it was decided that the resolution was carried. A scene of some confusion followed, the opponents of the resolution objecting to the ruling of the Chair, one of whom, Mr C. Brown, ventured to affirm that the Chairman was a "jolly muff." What the Chairman replied to Mr Brown could not be heard in the body of the Hall, bnt Mr Brown subsided. Order having been restored, Mr T. Bailie moved the following resolution : " That having in view the great benefits accrued to other towns in .New Zealand by their being brought under the influence of the Municipal Corporations Act, this meeting is of opinion that steps should be immediately taken to secure the benefit of the Municipal Corporations Act to Westport."

Mr Bickerton Fisher seconded the resolution, and pointed out the advantages that would be gained by the establishing of a municipality. He assured the meeting that the working expenses need not exceed a very moderate sum, and that the matter of expenditure rested entirely with the Councillors, •who were elected by the ratepayers. He was satisfied that Westport possessed every necessary element to the formation of a municipality, and that Timaru and other towns in New Zealand were in an infinitely inferior position to Westport in point of revenue when they first acquired the institution. He was himself aware how beneficial this governing body had been to the small town of Timaru, as they had not alone kept excellent roads within the inhabited portions of the municipality but had kept the main lines to the extreme boundary in first-class repair. Nothing would so strongly impress a person with the ill-conditioned state of Westport as a visit to some well-kept municipal borough. Here, everything was in a state of collapse. The streets were filthy and impassable, the majority of them unformed; the footpaths and culverts broken down, and the state of Wharf-street was absolutely dangerous to any foot passengers after night-fall. He believed that a municipal body would also exercise a very beneficial influence with the Government of the Province. They would be able to advise the government in many matters with a weight and authority which would be productive of much good. Mr Sheahan could not concur with the proposer and seconder of the resolution, and should, therefore, propose an amendment. He did not generally disapprove of municipal institutions to which civilization and freedom owed a mighty debt of gratitude, corporations having formed the only bulwark against the oppression of a past age. He could not,"however, bring himself to think that it was desirable to have a municipal institution in Westport, on the grounds that the place was inevitably decaying and that the expense of maintaining the body would, he feared, be utterly disproportioned to their income. He could only compare Westport to a sickly enfeebled old man ; there was no symptom of vigour or healthy growth about the place. The reason was obvious—they had not the mining population to support the town as in past years. The Northern Terraces, formerly numbering a couple of thousand busy miners, at the outside did not now exceed four hundred; Addison's with a population, three years ago, of upwards of two thousand miners, now scarcely numbered as many hundreds ; Charleston, with a population, some time back, of four thousand men could now bo computed at two thousand only. All theso sources of support to Westport were declining, and in two years, without further discoveries, the

place would be deserted. He objected to the Coal Quay Reserve being given over except to a powerful Eany winch would work the mines, t had been stated that the Provincial Government derived £I2OO a year in business licenses from the Reserve. If that were the case he was very glad to hear it. Had the day been fine, he purposed counting every house and ratable property in the place to estimate the probable receipts of a municipality. As to the official expenditure he could only say that in Hokitika it exceeded £BOO per annum and at Greymouth was as much as £6OO ; while in the latter borough he was authoritatively informed that £3OO had been, paid in one year for legal advice. The following was the resolution : " That in view of the fast decreasing mining population of this district, consequent upon the exhaustion of our known goldfields ; that in consequence of the serious depression, almost total prostration of our trade, and of the enormous depreciation which has taken place in the value of property within the last two years in the town of Westport ; resolved, that this meeting is of opinion that the time has not arrived for the establishment of a Corporation or of a munincipality, or of any other corporate body, in this town; and that the further consideration of this subject be postponed sine die." Mr Brown seconded the resolution. He thought that New Zealand generally, and Westport in particular, were already sufficiently taxed. Mr Munro supported the resolution, affirming the necessity of some local body to guard their interests. Mr Whyte expressed himself in favour of it, as giving the people a constituted body to whom they could state their grievances, and whose endeavour it would be to redress them. The Chairman then put the amendment to the meeting, and declared the resolution negatived, and the amendment carried. The meeting then terminated.