MR. STEWARD AND COUNTRY REPRESENTATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1043, 23 August 1879, Page 2

MR. STEWARD AND COUNTRY REPRESENTATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE OAMARU MAIL. Sir, —A letter signed " A Countrj Elector" appears in your issue of yesterday, the gist of which is a complaint that while a member of the House of Representatives in the Parliament of 1871 tc 1575, I sacrificed the interests of the country to those of the town and thai but for me the country might have had i separate member at the last redistribution of seats. These assertions were verj cleverly so timed that they should, i: possible, affect the action of the meeting of country settlers called for last evening at Otepopo, and so that it should not be possible for their refutation to appeal before the meeting had taken place. Bm as I am happily in a position completely to disprove them, and as the election does not take place for nearly a fortnight your correspondent's intention wil scarcely, I think, be achieved. As to tin first allegation, the Bill brought in by m< for the construction of the Waiareks Branch Railway, and the North Otagc L 70,000 Loan Bill, would alone suffice foi answer. Under the Letter, L 26,000 was allocated for the construction of the Awa moko (Oamaru-Duntroon) Branch Railway—for some two years past in operation— LIO,OOO for roads in the electoral district, LSOOO for Kakanui harbor, L3OOO for Moeraki harbor, besides L3OOC for Otepopo bridge—or a total, so fai only, of L 46,000 for country works, ir addition to L 24,000 set aside for the Oamaru harbor works, themselves as mucl: a matter of country as of town interest. Then the securing of 4000 acres endowment for the Oamaru Hospital can scarcely be called anything but a boon, as well to country as to town. Add to this the Moeraki Lighthouse and the Otepopc Post and Telegraph Office, both of which I claim to have been instrumental in obtaining, and I think I have adduced a sufficiently long list to prove that " A Country Elector" is either writing in ignorance or in malice. It is true that besides these matters I had the honor to carry successfully through the House a L 60,000 Waterworks, and LIO.OOO Gasworks, Loan Bill, and it is also true that I introduced and carried The Registration Act Amendment Bill of 1875, under which a voter, without the trouble of registering himself, was secured to every ratepayer, whether in town or country, but these are facts which scarcely can be said to go to prove your correspondent's indictment. It is a fact that the number of registered electors in 1875 was 716, and it is also a fact that the number on the roll for 1879 is 1723, these figures proving that even allowing for the increase of population during the last four years, the Act which I had the honor to getfincorporated in the Statute Book has of itself nearly doubled the number of the electorate ; this extension of the franchise being probably greater in respect to the country than in respect to the town, where the facility of registration is greater. As regards the obtainment of an additional member, I admit that I did my utmost to secure two members for Waitaki, instead of one as previously to 1875, and also that I succeeded, although there were only 716 registered electors on the roll of the district at the time ; but I believed then, and I believe now that had I not accepted the proposal as brought down by the Government, and suffered an amendment proposed to be carried, I should have run the risk of losing the additional member altogether. The amendment was suggested iD this form, viz., "to strike out the words ' Waitaki one (addi-,

tional) member,'" with a view to inserting certain other words giving a member to the country. As the Thames and Auckland were fighting for more representation the risk was that if the words proposed to be omitted, " Waitaki one member," were struck out, the words proposed to be substituted might not be carried, and the effect might have been to give another seat to another part of the Colony. J therefore preferred, in the interests of my constituency, to stand by the text of the Bill, and thus secure the additional representation proposed, and which was accordingly secured. If "A Country Elector" has ever been a member of the House, he will quite understand the wisdom of the course I took. I may, however, be permitted to add that I think it desirable at the first opportunity to obtain the allocation of one member to the town and one to the County, and this, if once more elected to the House, I shall endeavor to secure. As I am on my way to the most distant portions of the electorate, I shall be unable to reply to any more letters for some days, no matter how erroneous the statements which they may contain, but will take a note of them with a view to dealing -vith them at the first convenient opportunity.— I am, &c., William J. Steward. TO THE EDITOR OF THE OAMARU MAIL. Sib., —While fully endorsing your remarks in reference to the disgraceful state of Coquet and Severn-streets, may Ibo permitted, through the columns of your valuable newspaper, to call attention to the equally disgraceful state of several other thoroughfares—notably Nen-streot, which, after a shower, becomes almost impassable, especially to foot-passengers. I find that nearly every other street has at least a footpath, and I cannot imagine how the residents of Nen-street can have offended the Council so that they are not allowed that, to them, inestimable boon. If matters are not soon mended, a ferry will be needed to convey persons to and from their residences in that street. By inserting this you will oblige.—l am, &c., Nil Desperandum. Oamaru, 19th August, 1879. [We have been reluctantly compelled to hold this letter over for several days, owing to want of space. —Ed. O.M.]