THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, AUGUSTS 19, 1881.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 19 August 1881, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, AUGUSTS 19, 1881.

Nothing could more* plainly show that tbe County Councils on the West Coast have ceased to represent public feeling than the position which those bodies have taken up in regard'to the proposed abolition of the Gold Duty. The whole of the public representatives of the West Coast — indeed of every mining constituency in the Colony— are unanimous upon tbe flagitious exactioa, and at this point we see tbe County Councils standing stubbornly in the road in an endeavour to resist this Bet of justice to the mining community. There can be no question whatever as to which side — tbe advocates of abolition or its opponets— have tbe sanction and support of popular feeling, for it h admitted on all sides that the tax is bad in principle, and is indefensible upon any ground save that^of expediency or necessity. The question may then be well asked by what color of right do these locaNgoverning bodies presume to stapd in between the people and their representatives in Parliament in or/Jer to defeat the will of the community ? Have the local bodies taken any accessible means of ascertaining how far they are supported in their action by popular desire, or whether they are supported at all ? No : they dared not trust tbe ver* diet to the public, knowing full well what that verdict would be. Upon the narrow and arbitrary ground of " ex« pediency " they take their stand, and it is a matter of the most perfect indifference to them whether the tax is a just or unjust one, or whether they are with or against tbe set of public opinion, sq that they are able to maintain their con* vulsive grip upon the proceed. This is really the meaning of this doctrine of 1 expedjpney ' which has been so opportunely conjured up in defence of the abolition. A short (iaje ago the only stock objection agsin.st the repeal of the duty was that its removal would benefit the banks alone and not the miners, and so long as this peg remained upon which to hang an adverse argument, no mention was made of the question of expediency. This latter • argument ' was kept ingenuously in the back ground. Bat since Mr Weston at his Reefton meeting showed clenrly that was perfectly prac ticable to abolish the duty, and at tb* same time confer the full benefit upon the ownnrs. We have heard no more of this pet stalking-horse, and the friends of plunder and class taxation are driven to confess that they are destitute of the smallest argument in Rupport of their position. We trust then that this un» warrnnfed intermecllinc of the County Councils will l>e apprised by tbe Governmerit and friends of the abolition at its proper value, and will not be allowed to vrei«h in I lie slightest ngainst the great preponderance of public feeling.

Intt'lligcnce was brought to town last night that the reef had been struck sonth'of the winze in the Ju«t«in»Time. Tb s is an unexpected but valuable discovery, as tire reef was only supposed to exist nor'h at this level where jt hns been followed for about 60 foot with a food show of permanency. The newfind will further enhance the ralue o! the already advancing shares.