PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1075, 27 May 1873, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

On the 21st inst Mr Guinness moved: —" That with the view of promoting and securing the prosperity of this Province, and giving Nelson i' s proper place among the Provinces of New Zealand, it is desirable to effect a loan of £300,000, for the following purposes, viz. £150,000 to go towards the construction of the railway connecting the Foxhill and Greymoutk line 3, the remainder of the cost of such railway (estimated at £450,000 in all) being paid in land.—(2.) The remainder towards the construction of such roads as may, with the advice of the Provincial Engineer, be recommended by the Executive Council, and sanctioned by the Provincial Council. —And, (3.) Towards the formation of water-races and reservoirs on the Goldfields.—That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested immediately to communicate with the General Government on the subject to obtain its sanction and co-operation." In a lengthy speech Mr Guinness spoke in favor of opening up the Province by railway communication, and argued that it was far better the work should be undertaken by the Government than by a Company, because, if the former borrowed money for the purpose they would devote a portion of it to constructing roads which should act as feeders to the main- line, and this was hardly to be expected from a company. There was also reasonable ground to suppose that the General Legislature would lend a favorable ear to the proposal, since it was to carry out part of the general scheme of railway communication.

Mr Donno seconded the motion entirely pro forma, as be did nob think there was the slightest chance of the General Assembly agreeing to such a proposition.

Mr Eeid thought Mr Guinness should have waited a few days until the return of the deputation. At present he thought his resolutions were premature.

Mr Guinness then asked and obtained permission to withdraw the resolution for a few dav3.

On the motion of Mr Guinness, it was resolved :— * That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to place the sum of £IOOO on the Estimates for the construction of a dray road from Hatter's Terrace, Nelson Creek, to the main road to the Ahaura."

Mr Ivess moved :—" That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that the name of every person whose tender has been accepted by the Provincial Government for Supplies or Public Works, with tho amount set opposite to tho particular work tendered for, should be published in the Gazette immediately after the acceptance of every such tender." The resolution was amended until it assumed an unintelligible form, and then negatived. Mr Donne moved : " That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to place on the Supplementary Estimates the sum of £7OO for the completion of the dray-road from Charleston to Westport, via Addison's Flat and the Shamrock Lead." Negatived on a division by 10 to 6. On the motion of tho Provincial Solicitor, a Bill to amend the Highways Act, 1872, was introduced and re .id a first time. On the adjourned debate upon the Estimates being resumed, Mr Gibbs brought up the report of the Retrenchment Committee proposing certain reductions. Report read.

Mr Guinness demurred to tho estimate of the revenue for the current year. He thought the capitation allowance would probably he reduced on tho meeting of the General Assembly. The Land Fund was likely to bo less as tho gold yield was falling off, thus rendering capital available for investment in land less. The Gold Duly would probably be reduced by the Assembly, and tho estimate of the returns from from the Brunner coalmino was, ho thought, in excess of what they would prove to bo. On tho whole, the revenue 'would probably fall short by £15,000 of the amount at which it was estimated.

Mr Shcphard thought the Council had fallen into an exceedingly bad habit of voting sums each year in excess o*f the revenue, the result being that the Superintendent and Executive were unfairly blamed for not carrying Out the wishes of the Council, whereas it was impossible that they could do so, and it was left entirely to them to say which of the works approved Of by the Council should be executed. 'He could not agree with the gloomy predictions of Mr Guinness with regard to the revenue. On the whole ha did not think the estimates would prove at all in excess of what the actual revenue was likely to be. Mr O'Conor was afraid Mr Shephard was taking too hopeful a view of the probable revenue, as one item, the gold duty was likely to be reduced, at least, £3OOO. The amount raised by the education rate, he thought, was so small in proportion to the expenditure that it was time that "the 'rate was raised. It was a slur on the province that people in good circumstances, some of them making their thousands a year, -should send their children to the- State schools. The different Boards should be vested with a discretionary power to double the rates upon children attending, unless it could be proved that the parents could not afford to pay more than the present charge. He thought the receipts from the Brunner mine were over-estimated, as the Ngakawhau would come into competition with it, and cut out the trade from Greymouth. The Provincial Secretary having replied, the Council went into Committee on the Estimates, Mr Gibbs in the chair. On the item "Superintendent £600" being put, Mr Ivess moved the addition of the words "including travelling expenses." Mr O'Conor, and Mr Acton Adams support the amendment, which was opposed by the Provincial Secretary, Mr Shepherd and Mr Guiuness. A division was taken as follows: Ayes 6 Messrs Ivess, Wastney, E. Kolling, A. Adams, Baigent, O'Conor. Noes 11—The Provincial Solicitor, Provincial Secretary, Mr Speaker, Messrs Shepherd, Beid, Guinness, C. Kelling, Piukerton, Tarrent, Burn and Donne.

Mr "Wastney proposed that the figures £SOO be substituted for £6OO. Ayes 7 : Messrs Macmahon, O'Conor, Baigent; "Wastney, E. Kelling, A. Adams, and Ivess. Noes 11: The Provincial Solicitor, the Provincial Secretary, the Speaker, Messrs Pinkerton, Donne, Tarrant, C. Kelling, Keid, Guinness, Shepherd, and Burn.

On the item " Provincial Secretary and Treasurer £500" being put, Mr O'Conor moved that the figures "£150" be substituted. Ayes 7: Messrs lieid, O'Conor, Macmahon, Baigent, "Wastney, Guinness, and Ivess. Noes 8: The Prcviucial Solicitor, the Speaker, Messrs Burn, C. Kelling, Donne, Tarrent, A. Adams, and Piukerton. Several other items were then agreed to, and the Council resumed and adjourned.

Report of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the report upon the subject of the resolution of May, 1573,' viz : " That the falling-off in revenue, and the urgent necessity that exists for the formation of roads in several districts imposed upon the Council the duty of exercising strict economy in the departmental and miscellaneous expenditure."

The following digest is made from the published report of the Committee.

1. In considering the items " Executive," and " Executive Establishment," having in view the fact that several salaries are to bo increased, the Committee recommend that no travelling expenses whateverbeallowed to officers of those departments. 2. With respect to the remainder of the Government officials (except the Provincial Engineer and the Police) the Committee strongly recommend that the travelling allowances be confined to the actual expenses incurred for horse and coach hire, steamboat fare, and items of a like nature, exclusive of any allowances for personal hotel expenses. S. '■ Land and Public Works," the Committee recommend that the salary of the Superintendent of Works shall include his travelling expenses. 4. That the services of the Clerk of tho Works, S. W. Goldfields be dispensed with, the Committee believing that if the Works are let by contract according to resolul ion of the Couucil, the Engineer and Survey Staff can easily perform the duties. 5. That the salary of Assistant Surveyor shall be the same as last year, viz., £2OO, instead of £225 as proposed. A similar remark applies to the salary of Assistant Surveyor, AVestport, to" be £225 instead of £250 as proposed. That the item, Engineer's contingencies, £l5O, be struck out, and the voto for "Travelling expenses" and " stationery" be combined. That with respect to tho Nelson Land Office, the Committee regret that the information at their disposal does not enable them to recommend any immediate reductions; nevertheless they desire to point out that neither the amount of work performed in that office, or tho revenue received through it, seem to warrant its maintenance at the present cost. In the department " Justice," the Committee recommended that the Government mako arrangements to dispense with one of the Wardens at

the Coast, and that the item £ISOO, bo reduced to £1250, the Committee believing that the increased facilities for travelling now existing will enable one Warden to do all the inlaud work. That as the Clerk at Westport receives £4O as Clerk to the District Court, and also the'use of a house, his salary be reduced to £250, exclusive of these advantages. that the duties of inspector of jjeases at Reefton be dispensed with, and that the items, Clerk's at Reefton, stand at £3OO, the Committee being of opinion that one officer can be dispensed with, and that the other with a salary of £250, and additional clerical assistance to the exteut of £SO, can perform the diminished work of the Reefton office. That the contingencies be reduced from £BOO to £4OO. With reference to the departments of " Gaols," "Police," and "Harbors," the Committee do not propose any reductions with the trifling exception of adding to the duties of Inspector of Police that of collecting the " Dog Tax." Under the item " Scab Act," a reduction of £IOO is proposed. With reference to the expenditure of the Provincial Council, the Committee recommend that the Speaker's salary, including honorarium, be reduced from £2OO to £l5O. That following the course generally adopted by other legislative bodies, the system of calculating the honorarium at per diem be discontinued, and that payment at per session be substituted, according to the following scale, viz.:— 30 miles from Kelson ... £25 15 do. do. ... £2O 4 do. do. ... £2O With the addition of travelling allowance of Is per mile one way. The salary of the Clerk to be reduced from £l5O to £IOO. Under the item " Charitable," the Committee recommend that a list of persons receiving permanent relief be published in some paper generally circulated in the province, with the monthly amount paid them. The item " IS"elson Museum " £SO, to be disallowed. Hire of rooms for Magistrates £33, to be struck out. The committes of country libraries, in consideration of the votes granted to them, to give the use of their rooms for the Magistrates Courts gratis, and that the duty of cleaning the same be included in those of the district constables. That reductions in the item, Printing and Advertising, are desirable, but can only effected by the exercise of strict economy in the expenditure. That the item " General Contingencies" be reduced from £2500 to £ISOO, and that full and detailed accounts of its expenditure be furnished annually, and that the words, " for items not herein specified," be added. The agregate amount of proposed reductions is £3OSI 14s Gd.