MEETING AT KAIKOHRA.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 157, 13 February 1869, Page 4

MEETING AT KAIKOHRA.

(From our Own Correspondent.) In compliance with a not very numerously signed requisition, J,. Ward Esq., met his constituents, on Monday afternoon, the 2oth ult., at the Court-House, Henry A. Ingles, Esq., in the chair. Mr. Ward, in addressing the meeting, said: It was a supject of gratification to attend such a meeting. When he looked back a few years, and recalled to his mind what the Kaikoura then was, he could not, but feel gratified at the changes he now* witnessed. The present meeting contrasted most favorably with what he saw when he first knew the Kaikoura. Then half-a-dozen old whalers and a few Maoris were all the inhabitants; now the country was studded with homesteads —works of improvement were to be seen in every direction. He was well aware that the improvement would have teen much greater had the district received simple justice from Governmenta fair share of its own monies. Before saying more, he would just remark that he had heard that some of the electors or residents wished him to resign his place as their member in the Provincial Council. They

Individually, he had nothing to lose by that; just the reverse. He had never pocketed a sixpence by his position of member, either as one of the Executive, or as Deputy-Superintendent. He certainly had [stated that he would not serve in the Executive without pay, as he considered that he gave up as much of his time as could reasonably be expected by attending to bis duties in the Provincial Council; but that when the time came, finding the Province in difficulty, he had declined to take the money voted for payment of the Executive. In a money point of view, therefore, he had nothing to lose. He was well aware that he had not accomplished all that might have been expected from him; he had not satisfied himself, but he had done what he could. They must remember that their members formed but one-tenth of the whole

Council. He had frequently been reminded of the small number of his constituents, and spoken of as the representative of sheep and cattle. Kaikoura was considered an “ outlying district,” and like all out-lying districts had been neglected. Many held that money should be expended where there was population, and not in what they called outlying districts. Then money had been frequently voted for their district, but not spent. The Council was partly to blame for

that, as again and again it voted away thousands of pounds more than would be received a course which made the expenditure optional with the Superintendent. He had repeatedly opposed such votes in excess of revenue. He had been active in endeavoring to obtain separation, from Nelson ; of course it was necessary to find competent

persons to form a Government; members were not so very plentiful at that time, and he had felt it to be his duty to take his

share of the trouble and expense. At the time of separation from Nelson, Marlborough was in a similar position to that in which they now found themselves; Nelson had received from sales of land hereabouts upwards of £IOO,OOO, if he remembered right it was about £130,000 ; the Nelson Council never voted for what now forms the province of Marlborough, more than £24,000, and of

that sum that* district never received but

£7,000 ! That led to separation, and Marlborough was then an “ outlying district.” The Kaikoura was now with respect to

Marlborpugh, what Marlborough had been with respect to Nelson, and what Marlborough was now with respect to the General

Government. That Government has treated this Province with great injustice by refusing to act in accordance with the law; and Marlborough had lost something like Sixty thousand pounds in consequence ! The evil still continues, and he believed our member in the House of Representatives, W. H. Eyes, Esq. was much to blame. Had Marlborough received its fair share of revenue, the same as other Provinces, it would at this time be in a better position than any other province, free of debt, and money in hand. They could see in the Colonial Treasurer’s Statement how the present system had “ practically beggared Marlborough.” “Marlborough,” says Mr. Hall, “is in the

unfortunate position of supplying revenue both to Nelson and Wellington. The extent to which this injustice operates may be estimated by the fact that whereas duties collected in Wellington averaged during the past financial year, £3 19s 7d. per head of the population, in Marlborough the amount so collected averaged only £1 7s Bd. although

there is no. reason to suppose that its population consumes a less amount of duty-paid goods than that of "Wellington. Yarious proposals have been made for remedying or alleviating the unfairness of the present mode of distributing the Customs Revenue, •which has practically beggared Marlborough-, but no solution of the difficulty has been found which would not interfere to an almost unbearable extent, with the ordinary commercial operations of the country.”

Under the Surplus Revenues Act, a remedyhad been provided, but the Government refused to attempt to apply it. The Act saysi—“ If any portion of the Ordinary Revenue shall be received, or any part of the cost of the departments and services specified in the schedule except as therein is

excepted shall be paid in respect of more than one Province, such an equitable apportionment thereof shall be made between the several Provinces interested as the Governor shall from time to time direct.” At the session before last this Act was repealed; we obtained a remission of debt of £12,000; a small part only of which was due, and were then left in a worse position than before. During last session two schemes were brought before the House, one by the Government, the other by Mr. Fox. That of the Ministry was most unjust, as by it Provinces but little in debt, like our own, . would have had td pay a portion of the debts of Provinces whose debts are very great. By Mr. Fox’s scheme each Province had to pay its own debts, while the division of revenue was to, be on .the basis of population. Marlborough, after paying interest

and sinking-fund on her paltry debt, would have had an addition to her income of £5,000, which would have increased with our population. At a public meeting held in Blenheim on the 24th September, resolutions were passed by which our member was requested to support Mr. Fox. That he did not do, and week after week has he put off meeting his constituents, so that we do not know his reasons. I am sure that when we do know them they will be found to be very bad ones. The Government, as a “ sop” to obtain support for their scheme, offered Nelson £90,000, and Wellington. £ISOOO. I suppose the support of our member was secured, as Marlborough, though beggared, as Mr. Hall says, by the present scheme, was to receive nothing. An advance of £3OOO was, after the above scheme was given up, proposed for Marlborough for departments which must under any form of Government be maintained. This £3OOO was only lent, and was to be repaid out of our land fund; so that our present means are absolutely nothing for supervision and clerical assistance ;he believid £125 a quarter was allowed, and he supposed, as the Superintendent did the supervision, and, as far as he knew, the clerk’s work too, he got the money. We are in fact under the General Government. Provincial Governments may be said to be at an end, and unless a change be made • very soon we should find the General Government worse than the Provincial. He entirely sympathised with those who wished to get an alleviation of the present system—who wished to obtain for Kaikoura Local Self-Government and would do all he could to help them in obtaining their object. He did not think the Westland County Act would be at all suitable. It had not given satisfaction to those who had got it. Various amendments had been asked for, and the Government spoke of it as a temporary measure —an experiment and admitted that it required alterations. He thought there would be little difficulty in obtaining a suitable Act if they could get the money. An Act by which they could tax themselves could very easily be obtained, but he thought few would desire that in addition to their present taxes of £4 12s. a head. Before agreeing to tax themselves any more, he thought every means should be used to obtain an alteration of the present system by which money paid by the inhabitants of this Province was given to Wellington and Nelson. He had no wish to see continued the present form of Provincial Government; he would much prefer a system of Road Boards and our money. If, by giving up Provincial Governments, he could see a chance of getting the just share of revenue, he would give up to-morrow. There is nothing to be gained by saying we give up in reality ; in fact, the General Government is now ruling the Province, and nothing more can be done before the next session. He thought it desirable that the Provincial Council should meet and endeavour to form a plan for selves. Picton wished, with very little* reason, to be separated; you wish it,_ and with very good reason. He had no wish to prevent either. He had as far backus when in the Nelson Council, voted with Dr. Monro in endeavoring to fix, that of monies raised in any district, a certain portion should be expended where raised. He concluded by stating that he should willingly answer any questions that might be put to him.

~M>- Gibson addressed the meeting. He repeatedly asked Mr. Ward to pledge himself to vote against any further Appropriation Act. That Mr. Waed refused to-do. Mr. Gibson said Mr. Ward had always opposed education Mr. Ward denied that also, and said he was not opposed to education ; that he was opposed to the household rate, and hoped to see it altered.

Mr. Gibson proposed a resolution asking Mr. Ward to resign his seat, but found no seconder.

Mr. Waed, in answer to questions from Mr. Gray, said that in the event of things remaining in their present unsatisfactory state, he would vote against any future salary for Superintendents, or for any other office not absolutely necessary. That the debts of this province were about £5,000 to the Bank of New Zealand; £7,500, share of Nelson debentures; and share of halfmillion loan, which was divided between Nelson and Marlborough, in proportion to the annual revenue of each, and therefore varied each year. Our revenue being very small, last year’s debt should be the same. In any settlement, considering how Marlborough had been beggared, the very least we could expect would be to be freed from debt.

Clinton H. S. Paslet, Esq., proposed a resolutTotTffimTkiiTglSli\"Ward for his attendance, and requesting him to continue their representative, which was carried unanimously.