THE Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5238, 5 June 1874, Page 2

THE Daily Southern Cross.

LUORO, NON URO. H I have been extln^'ilied, yet thor« rto« A thouiand boatoiiH i'k.ki the 1 bor*.

FRIDAY, JUNK T>, 1874

In the Provinoi.il Council vfsterday : Mr. Kocn> moved, "That a roapectfu address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to take the necessary staps to aecuro the settlement of a number of lmniitrrants iu tho district of Whata Whata, Waikato, by giving them grants of land on the ilefened payment system, with a view to the settlement of that distuct. " — Agreed to. Mr. Caki.K'ion moved, " That an address bo presented to his Honor the Superintendent, reques'iug that a sufheient eum be placed on the Estimates for the better connecting; of the Okaihau settlement, by way of road, with Floki m^a." — /Vgroed to. Mr. Dakuavillk moved, " That in the opinion of tins Council it is not desiiablo that the control of tho poliou should be transferrd from the Gem ral Government to the Provincial Government. That this resolution of the (-'mincl be transmitted by a respectful address to his Honor the Superintendent." Tne debate wjs adjourned till Tuesday next. Mr. Carle ton moved, "That a Fiuanco Committee bo appointed, with an instruction to ronsider and leport upon the estimates of revenue and expenditure. Committee to consist of the Provincial Treasurer, Mr. Hurst, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Wood, Mr. Dign&n, Mr Daigaville, Mr. Boylaii, Mr Bagnall, .ind the mover." Tho d( bate on tho question was adjourned till Tuesday next. The following 1 estimates were passed viz — Public \\ orks, £.") OG'2 9d 4d ; Police, 10,5)28 2s Gd ; Kohef ot Sick and Destitute, £3,305 ; Hospitals, £3,80.") Gs Sd ; 1 uuatic Asylum, £3,700 ; Gaols £3,483 13a 4d. The chairman at this stage reported progroan and obtained leave to sit again. The Private Burials Regulation aud Preventtnu Bill was read a second time, commntted, read a third tune, and passed. The Council adjourned at 10 muuutes to 12 o'clock.

Thehe can be little doubt that the now Municipal Council at the Thames will have a hard task to give any degree of satisfaction to the citizens of the borough, and yet make both ends meet. The revenue derival from taxing dogs and cabs, together with a few other minor sourceB of supply which may be made available, will do but little to meet the very serioua wants of the community of Grraharnstown. Under ordinary circumstances these wants would be Bure to prove considerable. The experience of past years points to a very large annual coat as necessarily incident to the maintenance of the most ordinary communication between one part of the town and another, and any slightly exceptional circumstance would render this cost fur in excess of the means likely to be ut the disposal of the Town Council. The bursting of a sower, the overflow of a creek, the accident of a severo gale, — any of these would raise exigencies such ag the ordinary revenue of the Council would be wholly swallowed up in the ineffectual to attempt to do necessary work with inadequate means. At this moment wo believe that the state of things at the Thames is such as to demand an expenditure far beyond the means of the Borough Council. The gale which visited Auckland so saverely on Sunday last was much moftJ destructive at the Thames. There it has swept away the wharves, and absolutely interrupted regular communication with Auckland for the time being. It is needless to say that such a state of things is most injurious to commerce, and is a very serious drawback to the mining interests which have of late been showing such gratifying signs of revival. Of course we are aware that, properly speaking, it is no part of the duty of the Town Council 1 to repair the wharfs, or indeed to exercise jurisdiction over the harbour. At the same time wo are of opinion that this is a mistake. The request made by the Corporation to have the duties and powers of a Harbour Board conferred on them, although it apparently did not meet the views of the Superintendent, was, after all, a very reasonable request. We cannot see the use of multiplying Boards without cause, and we feel assured that for years to come the harbour of Grahnnistown and Us endowments might well have been committed to the care of the town councillors. Under their management, wo do not doubt very mucli more would be made of tho foreshore— the natural harbour endowment of Grabamstown — than is likely to be made for some time by the Provincial Government ; and the necessities springing from a casualty such aB that of Sunday's gale would have been met not less promptly than they are now likely to be. It is unfortunately true that no amount of representation will ever place persons at a distance in tho same position as to facts ai a very little actual observation will do. And, therefore, we do not hope that the wants of tho Thames harbour, however urgent, j are likely to meet with such a response from the Provincial Executive as they would command at once from a local body. But from what we hear of tho state of matters this question is taken for the time out of the region of theory into that of somewhat stern and practical reality. If it be true that the wharves are useless, and ordinary communication almost if not quite stopped between Auckland and (jraluunstown, it is clear that something must be done to remedy tho evil at \ resent, and, if possible, some steps taken towards preventing a similar state of tilings arising m future. The business relations of tho gold fit Id and Auckland are too intimate and important to bo interrupted without causing loss to both communities, and us a remedy must be applied it were certainly well that it should bo applied quickly. Tho Provincial Government, as we understand, arc not disposed to trust the Thames Municipality with the management of their

own harbour works and harbour endowment*, it will be the more necessary for the Executive to bIiow themselves oqu.nl to dealing with the interests which they desire thus to foster themselves. We confess we were surprised that in the fanciful, but brilliant, phantasmagoria exhibited by the Treasury, under the title of Public Works Kstiraates, there was so very little for the Thames. "Wlnht redundant thousands were scattered in a glittering shower over all parts of the province, {he goldfields had very little provision made for them in the estimates. If the oxpected revenue from goll duties and goldfielda revenue are realised, and the share of the gold fields in the provincial revenue is added the anticipated revenue will certainly equal the expenditure. What, then, of the share in the land revenue? What of the £10,000; to some of which surely our fellow settlers at the Thames are entitled 1 The matter is at least worthy of consideration, and we commend it specially to the attention of the Thames members. The wharves should bo repaired, and should be so at once. But even this is not enough. The whole question of accommodation and shelter at the port of Thames should be dealt with, and something more than the vague platitudes of a reply to a too importunate deputation should be evolved by the Government. The Thames interests are not more those of Grahamatown than of Auckland, because the property of the goldfield is the property of the capital and of the province to a large extent. The interests involved at the Thames are now very large, and are growing larger year by year, and something more definite — something on a larger and moi'e permanent scale in reference to harbour works at the Thames will be necessary than a mere patching up of the damaged w harf.

Since the foresjomu article was written and in typo, we have learned that it la the intention of the Provincial Government to re-erect the m harf at 1'araru, so as to allow of the ' Golden Crown' resuming her traffic. So far this is well, but it is not suificient for the requirements of a place of such importance as the harbour of the Thames.