Correspondence. THE WEST COAST COAL.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXI, Issue 1, 1 January 1862, Page 2

Correspondence. THE WEST COAST COAL.

To the Editoh ok the ' Nelson Examhteb.* Sir— Your paper of the 25th December contains s letter from Air. Blackett, written with a view to attempt a contradiction of what he styles uiy "misstatements" in n.y letter of the 21st instant. Permit me to remind Mr. Blackett that, during the tolerably long conversation to which he has referred, and which 1 think he will admit originated in my complaining that the Provincinl Government had not asked tor any report upon my triiils of the West Coast coal, I said, " Well, if the Government does not ask me for any report, I shall certainly publish one in the papers." Mr. Blaekett cannot but be fully aware * that before my making this reference to the Government, he had not in the most dit-tant manner referred to the Grey coal ; much less, therefore, could he have said that his object was then to see the co Is tried. I also, however much I may regret it, must entirely deny that Mr. Blackett ever suggested or alluded to anything in the shape of a joint report from himself and me, or that he ever told me he should send any report to the Superintendent. Does Mr. Blackett for one moment suppose that I should have been so very anxious to give him every information about coal, that I was tiding, in order that he might report upon my words; and that at a time when 1 had heard not one single syllable about the coal from the Government from whom they had been purchased for trial ? Surely Mr. Hlackett'a good sense must tell him that the fact of his being on board of the Tasmtmian Maid or any other steamer gives him no authority to pry into her internal management. He should have had some letter or message from the Superintendent, or from our Company, requesting me to allow him to insiiiute any practical inquiries as to the burning of the coal. This he knows he had not. I, therefore,, could but look upon Mr. Blackett simply as on ordinary passenger, and to him, simply as a pas*scnger, I gave certain information; that information, he lias attempted to put into a report, and now denies, my word. I am, &c, Joseph Nancaebow, Engineer Tasmanian Maid. Nelson, December 30, 1861. To the Editor of the ' Nelson Examinee. Sib— Captain Duldy is right; we are a dreamy lot. In the midst of a general election we cannot get out of our usual crawl ; there is no stir, no requisitions, no nothing! The contest for Ihe Superintendency is over, and Mr. Robinson has been reelected by a very large majority ; but we have yet to learn the number who declined to vote, because they did not approve of either candidate. 111 1 now behoves us to look out for proper men to send to the Provincial Council ; and as the Superintendent does not, in future, dare to spend any money not voted by the Council, a greater responsibility will now'rest w ith that body. What has the late Council done to claim our continued support ? Has it not studied eionomy; and did not honourable members succeed one 3 ear in reducing the estimates by the amount of £6, put down for '* newspapers in the Superintendent's depart- »• ent ?" did not they, on a late occasion, practice retrenchment, and strike off £50 from the salary of the Chief Surveyor? although, like the man whohad pass-ed a public house, they "treated their resolution," and tacked the money on again. The expenses of the Provincial Council Department, last session,, were £777, including salaries, £385, and payment to^ members, £292; and what has been done for the inouei ? Why, they called for a host of returns ;. they filled their volume of proceedings with resolutions, not a few of which were nonsensical and un"vnmiiiatual; and they accepted a history of the province (which, though a mere record of facts, was the only history extant, and was compiled at trouble, and published at no small amount of pecuniniy loss), and they never even said "thank j?e;" they threw out a scheme for water supply, which would! have added five per cent, to the value of all town property ; they approved of the choice of a cemetery mo#t inconveniently situated, and refused an offered! site that everybody now admits would have been most convenient and appropriate ; and they passed an arbitrary Act for the prevention ot Gorse hedges, when a measure tor their proper trimming was only required. But honourable members (at least the country ones) were "all theie" at the scramble with the estimates. Let the following instance suffice: — When the estimates were first sent down, the sum of £600 was put down for the Waimea Road Board, in addition to £3,000 for the bridge over the VVairoa, only £«0O whs also put down for the town roads. The country members endeavoured, during the passing of the estimates, to get the £600 raised to £900, but this was rejected by eight to six. They then tried to get it raised to £800, but this was rejected by nine to seven. The eatimatOß were passed, and two of the town mem- f f .

bers had gone to the General A* ,umbl\ <>t Auckl n.I, when, on tlu« llth of June, and ilun.ii/ the absence of] four town members, the est unites were rs-oomnntu-d, ■ and the £600 raised to £L,OJO, but no corresponding addition was made to the vote for the town or other | districts. j Is it not necessary, therefore, that the town should send representatives who will look after its interests < and its share of the public money ; or t»hnll we let the country folks sh-ms tho monny a-iiongst them, while wo tai ourselves for the ft'i.iporfc of our roads? Truly wo want a littlo "fresh blood" in tho Council. I am, &0., Quidnunc. P.B. — Since writing the nbovo, which I find wis ! sent too lute for insertion in your Saturday's paper, the nomination has taken plico, and ten candidates have been proposed ; six of whom, having pledged themselves as thick-and-thin supporters of Ins present Honour; his Honour's out-door Executive are u^ins: their utmost endeavours to return. Even Simkill must strut abrmt in the front of the gallery nnd fiivo hit opinion as to the merits of various candidates. And a uon-elcctor hud also the assurance to interfere with his long-winded and unintelligible questions. But Monday will let us know who are the bust men, unless wo let our judgment be swayed by assertions, and not arguments.