THE LYELL.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1083, 24 June 1873, Page 2

THE LYELL.

(from a correspondent.)

Mr O'Conor met his constituents at the Lyell on Friday, the 19th inst. The meeting assembled was a large one. Mr Niven was voted to the cbair, and opened the proceedings in the usual manner by complimenting the member Mr O'Conor, and as is the custom on such occasions by tolling the meoting that the gentleman present w r as everything he should be and deserved the thanks of the community. Mr O'Conor then rose and in a very business-like manner, informed tho meeting 'of what he had done and also of what he had attempted or endeavored Ito get done ; he said that he was sorry ho had neglected to visit the Lyell before, but that when he was last here it was such a small place that it wag hardly worth his while to trouble about it, but he said that he took every care to find out the wants and requirements of the district, and had done hi 3 best to help us on. It would have been as well perhaps had Mr O'Conor added that his reason for coming to see us now was a similar 'one to that which procured us the pleasure of a visit from his Honor the Superintendent. It is rather a good joke to watch the movements of some of our aspiring politicians —they tell the poor simpleminded public that they have their interests deeply at heart, and all that kind of twaddle, but it would be far better to out with it at once and say, look here boys, I am on for the Superintendents chair, and I shall use you and yours, as the means or instruments to obtain the said chair. It would be more manly to acknowledge the thiug at once, and would look far better than the underhand little game they usually play. Mr O'Conor complimented Mr Ivess (who was present) and stated that he was much indebted to that gentleman for useful information concerning the Lyell district. I may here state that not to my knowledge have either gentlemen contributed one single measure or shown any forethought regarding measures likely to enhance the welfare of the district. They have certainly endeavored to carry out suggestions or ideas contributed by other people, but they have not contributed one single " original " idea or suggestion (not to my knowledge at all events) likely to promote the welfare of tho district. Of course they deserve the thanks of tho community for doing what they were asked to do, and in fact paid for doing, but a member of the Council and one who confesses that he aspires to the chair, should in my humble opinion be able to do more than that, in fact ho should be able to do "without the being told part of the business." It is all very well for Mr O'Conor to say that he got two thousand pounds put on the estimates for a track from the Mokinui to the Lyell, he said he considered the construction of such a track would greatly benefit the district, but couldn't the said track be opened up from the Lyell end of the line as well as from the Mokinui end ? Had Mr O'Conor thought of this he would have deserved the thanks of the people of tho Lyell, at all events. Also regarding the water supply for the township, fifty pounds is certainly a large sum of money, a large sum to carry in copper coins, but what the water consuming—Sunday meeting—-self-elected, members of"' the Water Supply Committee will do with it I am at a loss to understand. Spend it in teetotal tracts, I should propose, to bo read on Sundays instead of holding business meetings on that day. On the Education System of the Province I must do Mr O'Conor the credit of saying that his ideas are sound—but I ask why Mr O'Conor does not act up to those ideas ? I have heard it said before that it is almost useless for the County members to contend against the old fogies in Nelson, now I maintain that the country members, one of them alone, if his brain pan contained a proper quota of brains could fight the lot of them and not only fight them, but conquer and eventually lead them like a flock of sheep to the shambles. If men like Mr O'Conor and Mr Ivess show in Nelson no more ability than what was plainly visible at Mr O'Conor's meeting it cannot be any matter of surprise when ono hears

them quietly confess that the Old Identities are too tilany for them. Had Mr o'Conor sk\& my friend Mr Ivess and myself haye agreed oh a quiet little game together, We have obtained a member for Central Buller, that's my friend, I support him and he supports me in my struggle for the Superintendent's chair, we will get along together first rate if you do as we tell you; I should have believed him, but at the same time I should internally have decided that as far as I could help it they should ridt be left quietly alone, till they .had giveti evidence of more ability, than so far, has been shown by either in the management of State affairs. -For what Mr Ivess has done the people of the Lyell give him every thanks, and will perhaps not, as is usually the case, forget it, hut a member of the Council should, like every other public man, take his chalice of rising in the world by fearlessly doing his duty—not by the depending on a clique—because cliques are liable to accidents and often prove (as perchance in this instance) ignominious failures. A deputation of the business men in the town waited upon Mr Dobson a few evenings ago regarding local matters of importance and with the object of having some necessary improvements started at once. Mr Dobson has shown in the matters alluded to great promptness, and has started a very necessary improvement in the shape of a dray-road through the town. He has also altered the proposed plan of the township in a manner more suitable to the requirements of the section holders.

At the reefs everything is quiet. The Alpine Company have. just completed their crushing, but I have not heard the result. Scarcity of money is a complaint that many of the companies in this district complain of, and not unfrequently it happens that the shareholders may thank their own want of business-like knowledge for the misfortunes under which they labor.