Page 2 Advertisements Column 4

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 3044, 18 May 1878, Page 2

JElection Notice. TO THE ELECTORS OF THE GREY VALLEY DISTRICT.

GENTLEMEN, la offering myself as your representative - for the Grey Valley District in the General Assembly, I -will, as shortly as possible lay my views before you on the principal important measures which are likely to be -brought before Parliament daring the coming session. EXTENSION OF FRANCHISE AND ELECTORAL DISTRICTS. I am in accord with Sir George Grey, and his party on this most important subject. I believe that every man who : contributes to . the revenue of the, Golbny should have *' voice in its distribution, and therefore would • support Sir George Grey in hia proposal for Manhood Suffrage. The present Electoral .District" of the Grey Valley should have three members. One for Greymouth and south to the Teremakau ; one for. the Grey Valley proper ; ana one for the Inangahu* District. This would be a fair 'distnbdtio^ and one that the importance of the districts deserves. , /, . ' •- PUBLIC WORKS AND FURTHER tiOßßOWiiffifc It is impossible at this stage that New Zealand can standstill in the proßecutioPGf its great Public Works." I would beßtrongly in favor of large borrowing powers being given .to 1 - the Government for this purpose, Several'liikes of railway on the other side of the island want completing in order to make them a financial success j and, niore import tant even than that, lei the construction ot»*.^ railvajr line to connect the East with the \yest Coast of the Middle Island.; This matter requires constant and unremitting energy on the part of your representatives; ■■■'». That this work would be a paying one there ca^n be ho doubt. The construction of the line from Greymouth to connect with the ' Uanterbury : line offers |no engineering diffiv culties whatever. Surveys have already : been made which prove that if this great work was completed there would be anew era of prosperity in store for this" 'part ■of Hew Zealand, "i'our coal mines conld supply the whole of the Middle Island railways, as well as the Urge centres of population. A magnificent country for settlement wonld be opened up j our splendid forests would become a mine of wealth ; settlement would rapidly spread, and, in JEact, we should soon, become a part of NewZaalaud^^tiich we can. hardly; call at present. .But, whilst urging on this . great work, the ' port of Greymouth., must as well be attended to. We are aware that all that ia required to make Greymouth one of the most flourishing towns in New Zealand is an outlet for its produce, and that can be attained by the railway and harbor improvements. I wonld advocate that the Government either subsidise a tug boat, or have one of their ownfor the purpose of towing in arid out free of charge, j T look upon it as a Colonial work. County Councils I thick should be subsidised to the full amount of maintenance of main roads in addition to ordinary subsidy, and. I would go in for ail rivers on main lines being bridged. In this matter I have already taken an active part. ' ",".■■ . .. ; ;. : FISCAL, -v-.r ,\'..; _ o I would support a land and property tax and considerably reduced duties on the necessaries of life, so as to relieve the bur* den -at present on the working clam in the Colony. This, I believe, can be done if land and property are made contribute their fair share, and nothing more, to the revenue of the Colony, It is absurd to say that at present it does so. The vast expenditure for public works, to which the working man bo largely contributes, has had the effect of raising the value of properties in the neigh- r borhood where the expenditure has taken place to fourfold and in many cases to ten times its original value, and yet we find that men with incomes of from five to twenty thousand pounds per annum actually contribute less to the State than the working man. Such a state of things is unheard of in any part of the world. Agun I say property should pay a fair share of taxation, and must do so in order that the present prosperity of the Colony should continue. '. GOLD DUTY; : The miner of New Zealand . at present is undoubtedly, the heaviest taxpayer under 'the British Crown, and if an alteration is made in the fiscal policy so as to enable local bodies to be subsidised in some other way, 1 would be in favor of the total abolition of this -most obnoxious tax, not by a I sliding scale, but at once. : ■ r- : HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. I would be in favor of these institutions ' being much more liberally subsidised by the General Government, than at present but still under local control. LAND BOARDS. I would have one or two Local Land Offices for the Nelson South: West Gold-fields, so as to enable applicants to have their wants promptly attended, to ; the present system is simply disgraceful. I know - instances where men have be^n waiting for nearly two years i'to ge,t,a title to i their ground.' -i" . SEPARATION OF THE TWO ISL.AIJD'g.. I would strongly oppose this. ... MINING AND MINING ACT. ..The present Mining Act of New Zealand wants considerable alteration. "I would 'at onoe have an Inspector: of Mines appointed for the district ( - , : W.-.- \ : •■■- • THE COUNTIES ACT' ij ..i^requires alterations and amendment in various respects, so asi for instance, to enable County Councils to fulfill the duties in towns within their boundaries as would otherwise devolve on Municipalities, . for the introduction of which institutions ; those towns are not. at present fitted, or where the two institutions would clash, one with the other, CHINESE IMMrQRATiaSf. This a matter that must sooner or later be legislated on. We have, before us the examples af California and Queensland, where the "yellow agony," as it is called, is becoming .a very serious matter, and there seema to.be a feeling amongst certain people in New Zealand to induce Chinese immigration for selfish ends. I hope to see the Legislature introduce a strong measure to check the introduction of the "yellow agony " into New Zealand. EDUCATION. This is a most important subject for the future of thiß young Colony. I may at once state that I am, and always have been, in favor of denominational education and opposed to the present system and would endeavor by all means in my power to, introduce the system which worked so well and fqr a length of time in the Province of Nelson, giving universal satisfaction, and feel quite satisfied that this ■ system would if adopted be generally approved of, IMMIGRATION. For the present at all events I would fo opposed to any further free immigration, \ In conclusion I may state that I very much fear I will be unable, through prior • business engagements, to address you personally, but if poosible will do so. ,if elected I will . use every exertion to forward the interests ot your district, as well as that of the Colony. My motto will be Progress,' I remain, Gentlemen, Yours respectfully, BICH, EEEVESI •