WARDEN'S REPORT Of THE GREY DISTRICT.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 857, 5 September 1871, Page 3

WARDEN'S REPORT Of THE GREY DISTRICT.

The half-yearly report of the Warden of the above district' i furbishes the following particulars of the estimated population the actual revenue, and the educational condition of the •people : The population of the district is estimated at 4500, and are located as "follows-: —'Greymouth, 2250; Paroa Md South Beach, 420; Rutherglen, 130; Teremakau, 66; Clifton and Maori Creek, 300 ; New River, 150; Mosquito and Cookabulla, 200 ; Marsten and Nemona, 170; Maori Gully, -250; German Gully, 250; Italian 'Gully and Rielly's, 120; Liverpool, 30; Waiaea and Stillwater, 180; total, 451b. The revenue for tho six months from -all sources is as follows:—Warden's Department, £1997 8s 6d; Resident Magistrate's Department, £68916s 9d; publican's licenses paid County Treasurer, £900; gold duty, £2055 Is 3d; 'customs revenue, £18,937 14s 4d.

The number of cases heard in the Warden's and Resident Magistrate's 'Courts in the district are: —Greytnoutb, 486 civil, 225 criminal, 30 Warden ; Clifton, 65 civil, 14 criminal, -22 Warden ; Arnold, 23 civil, 21 criminal, 7S Warden ; total of cases, 902. The following number of rights, licenses, registrations,' arid leases have been issued or applied for and forwarded for consideration:—6l2miner's tights, 27 business license.", 49 halfyearly do, 22 quarterly do, 107 5s registrations, 455 2s 6d do, 296 Is do, 3 leases, 2 special claims, 3 extended ■claims, 21 agricultural leases, 8 retail licenses, II conditional licenses, 16 'half-yearly do, 7 wholesale do, 3 bottle •do.

Immorality has got to such a state that it is unsafe for parents to permit their children to go to service* and the streets are full of the " larrakin " tribe all of which may be traced in a great measure/ to the defective Litensing Acts, the almost indiscrimmate granting of licenses, want of reformatories, and I regret to add, the 'encouragement given by respectable citkens letting their premises, to be converted into brothels. The first and principal duty of the authorities should be a- careful and vigilant exercise of its powers in granting or withdrawing licenses, instead of being looked upon merely as a source of revenue. It is imperative that steps should be taken at once to amend the Licensing Acts, and grant licenses only to .persons of more respectability, for a great number of the present licenses £re ; only low pot-houses, frequented by the lowest characters. where the vilest liquors are sold. Young girls, enticed from their homes to fill the bars and dancing and immorality in all its phases, is permitted and encouraged, until many finally become hiinates of the hospital, lunatic asylum, and gaol, or the lowest outcasts of society. ' The number of children throughout the district, a large percentage of whom never go to -school, demands that ■ some provision should be made for establishing good schools in the centre of population.