WEST COAST TIMES. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1865.

West Coast Times, Issue 48, 23 September 1865, Page 2

WEST COAST TIMES. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1865.

We propose in this and subsequent articles to advocate the political partition of Canterbury, by forming the West Coast into a separate Province ; and we go to our task fully propared to have our statements doubted, our arguments ridiculed, and ourselves denounced as inconsistent in propounding views to which only a few short months ago we declared ourselves hostile. Nevertheless tho statements shall be true, the arguments sound, and the inconsistency that of appearance rather than reality. We shall be supported by many thousands of the West Coast community, and wo look forward to the issue with confidence. In any case a true and, impartial setting-forth of tho circumstances which have caused wide-spread dissatisfaction on the West Coast cannot fail to be of good service. If separation be unattainable, or indefinitely postponed, the Canterbury Government will : fiud itself compelled to attach more weight than it has hitherto done to the wishes and opinions of what will certainly be, before long, the larger half of the population of tho province.

A very short time after the discovery of rich auriferous deposits on the West Coast, it was whispered in influential circles in Christchurch that the wisest course Canterbury could adopt with regard to tho greatly extended responsibility so unexpectedly thrust on hor, would be to shirk that responsibility as quickly as possible, or, in other words, it was suggested that not only ought no obstacles to bo thrown in tho way of those who might declare for erecting tlte West Coast into a separate province, but that 'eastern Canterbury should herself initiate tho movement as soon- as a sufficiently large and settled population had established itself between the Grey and the Otago boundary. It was felt strongly that the geographical position of the western portion of her territory would render its efficient Government from Christchurch

a difficult^if not an impossible undertaking, and it was nckn. wledged by many of Canterbury's foremost men that tho fairest, easiest, and wisest course of action would bo to encourage- the idea of separation. Nor were other reasons wanting in favor of this method of dealing with tho question, though, perhaps they were scarcely acknowledged opeuly. It was known that the persons who would for the most part make up the population of the new country would be altogether a different class from the staid and slow-going denizens of the east. Aristocratic and conservative Canterbury viewed with alarm the advent of a digging era. All she had Aver heard of tho early gold mining days of California, of Australia, and even Otago, all she ht\d read on the subject in books and newspapers, led her to class miners, and those who follow them to supply their wants and minister to their pleasures, amongst the "dangerous classes." A gold digger was, as a matter of course, a ruffian ; and a storekeeper on the diggings nothing better than a polished scoundrel whose misdeeds had caused him to ftv from cities and take to the bush. Canterbury had a confused notion that a goLlfiold meant a sink of iniquity — a place where gold was dug, throats cut, and robberies committed, each item in the catalogue being of equally frequent occurrence ; where men worked hard, and at the samo time drank hard, and went through a general course of debauchery which, under any other circumstances, would kill off tho entire population in a few weeks. Canterbury dreaded these queer men, who, if rumour did not lie, were always drunk, but always working hard — who wero physically so strong and in morals so weak. She inclined to believe theso things, but did not understand how they could bo ; and a very latgc number of her people would havo been glad had the original boundary of tho Province been placed on the eastern side of tho range. From one cause and another, then, separation was looked on with no unfavorable eyo by tho settlors of Canterbury, and in his report to the Colonial Government, published some

time during last May, Mr Seed wrote in tho following terms :—: —

Tho pcoplo on tho West Coast, beyond tho singlo question of tho road across from Christchurch, will havo little concern in tho afl'airs of tho other side of tho pro-, vinco ; and as most of them como from Otago, Invorcargill, Nelson, the Northern Provinces, and n-om Australia direct, it is scarcely to bo expected that thoy will over feel inoi'o intorost in tho affairs of Canterbury than in thoso of any other provinco of NcwZoaland. It is pretty cortain, therefore, if tho settlors about Hokitika increase at all rapidly, or ovon maintain thoir present numbers, that thoy will soon doclaro themselves in favor of having a separate province ; they will require ovory farthing of tho rovonue raised in then* district to lay out on roads to oponup tho country ; and immediately any land-fund accrues, thoy will bo jealous of seeing any part of it spont on tho eastern side of Canterbury province. , Commenting on the report of which the above forms a portion, and trusting, from the high character of the public men of Canterbury, that tho West Coast would secure at their hands not only bare justice, but good and ablo Government, we expressed ourselves as averse to separation. We alluded to tho condition of Marlborough, and Southland, new provinces — the one in bad case, and tho other, to all intents and purposes, bankrupt. Insufficient means and a dearth of really good public men, were the causes which led to so disastrous a state of affairs, and, honestly, j we feared a repetition of the circumI stances on the West Coast should separation bo granted. Our article concluded with these words :—: — It would bo better for us to lot Christchurch pilfer £10,000 por annum from us than to spend 26 or £30,000 on a crowd of Imngry officials. Let Canterbury now spend a littlo of hor oostorn rovonuo on the west, and sho may take it back, with interest, if sho will, in a year hence. A tow thousand pounds judiciously spent at tho presont time in tho formation of roads, and a telegraph, would bo of incalculable benefit ; and if sho only prove just and impartial — wo ask for no more — thore is no fear of separation of tho West Coast from Canterbury. ; A nearer view of what a goldfield is, and a more intimate acquaintance with the busy crowds who came from all 'quarters to reap tho golden harvest, served to dissipate or modify many of the ancient dogmas. Diggers cud goldfields storekeepers wero found to be somewhat like other members of the human family. They weio active and intelligent, their degradation was, after all, not so complete as was at first supposed — and above all they wero good customers. It was found that they could and would cat large quantities of beef and flour when obtainable, and in the eyes of righteous Canterbury, tho appetites of theso men covered a multitude of sins. Theso drunken diggers* and these swindling storekeepers whose cunniug had alone saved them from the hulks, were largo consumers, and Canterbury was a producer sadly in want of a market. No longev was separation to be thought of. It became the duty of tho Government to look sharply aftor the interests of the West Coast — from a Christchurch point of view. The entire West Coast revenue was to bo expended on tho West Coast — in the manner which seemed best from a Christchurch point of view. Tender care for tho lives of the people — and the interests of Christchurch — mado it impossible to improve tho mouth of the harbor ; but miners must be fed, and a due regard for their beef-consuming proclivities — and the exigencies of tho Canterbury market — made the formation of a ro;d between Hokitika end Christohurch an easy matter to our considerate rulers, although it might swallow up a very largo portion of tho goldfields' revenue. Sufficient provision did not exist for the safety of the gold during its transit from Hokitika to Nelson ; and it was clear — from a Christchnrch point of view — that an overland escort should be established at a cost of some £20,000. In all these instances, and in many more whioh we cannot now stay to enumerate, tho West Coast revenue has been, or is in course of being, expended .strictly on the requirements of tho West Coast — froniaChristchurchpointofvicw. Christchurch interests aro at tho bottom of everything which is taken in hand. Unfortunately for tho peaceful working of this system, the peoplo here see through it most fully, and aro uneasily revolving in their minds a way of escape from what is becoming an uncndurablo thraldom. Wo wero deceived in our estimate of Canterbury justico ; sho has in no particular studied the interests of tho West Coast community ; and wo do not hesitate tto say that our opinions— as oxpressed a few months sinee — have undergone a

change. Separation will alone work an effectual cure, and in our next issue we will bring tho subject more fully before our readers.

By the action of tho Hospital Committee lost evening, %ye aro glad to say that the unseemly squabbling between tho public as represented by the committee, and the Government in the person of our local despot is brought to a conclusion. That any public institution of the kind should be undor tho control of Government officials is a novel idea, peculiarly indulged in by the Canterbury executive, but as was stated by several speakers at the meeting in question, tho amount of funds in hand would do no good towards the erection or maintenance of a public hospital, and it was far better to devote them to the existing institution than let them bo idle at the bank. Wo most heartily agree with tho views of the committee on this subject, and as it was stated that the Government were about, however tardily, to erect a hospital suitable to the requirements of the district, it should bo the duty of the committee to take such steps as may be advisable to secure some future public supervision. It may bo that an appeal to tho Provincial Couucil will be necessary,' but we are promised some members, and the Council will sit shortly, so that tho subject may bo fully gone into without reference to the tastes or wishes of the present Execvitive.

In another column we publish a lottor from tho Provincial Secretary's office, in reply to a memorial praying that the public might at least bo represented in tho control of hospital affairs, and a more coolly impertinent or more characteristic communication could not well be received by any body of people. As all are well aware that have ever lived out of Canterbury, hospital affairs in nearly every instance are managed solely by committees selected from the body of subscribers. Take London for example, wo find no Government influence there, and wo refer to England more particularly, as the Cantorburians on tho other side of the province profess so specially to take tho old country as their model in all respects. Wo are Ijold in the communication referred to, "tho experience obtained here by the Government, in regard to the management of the hospital by a public committee, is altogether adverse to the proposals of tho memorialists.'' By this the Provincial Secretary entirely throws over tho experience of other placos, and because, in all probability, a set of know-nothings muddled matters in Christchurch, he assumes that others with more experience and less pretension would do tho same. It may be all very well for a lot of incapablos to pooh-pooh Victoria and Victorians, but that colony has proved beyond a doubt how beneficial to all parties it is to place hospital management under the control of public committees. Wo havo previously, in connection with this subject, explained tho system pursued there, and it is only necessary to refer to the results of such a popular administration of hospital funds. No hospitals in the world, taken as a general rule, are better conducted than those in Victoria, and why the residents in Hokitika, a large number of whom by the way aro Victorians, should not be as competent, energetic, and trustworthy, no'bno but the Canterbury Executive can explain. If tho plan is successful there, why should it not be here, and why should one man, let him bo as good as ho may, have the solo authority. On the principle that two hoads are better than one, surely a dozen hoads would be a dozen times better, and under tho supervision of a committee, not only would a great deal of expense bo saved, but tho public would bo better satisfied, and would more freoly como out with their subscriptions. Wo do not mean for a moment to impute anything to Mr. Salo, for wo believe him to bo thoroughly painstaking and conscientious, but, nevertheless, he does not possess tho collective wisdom of a committee, nor can he equally satisfy the public, be his management what it may. We aro glad to find that a hospital is really going to bo built, but, at tho samo time, wo hope that tho prosont or past committee, as tho members may consider thomsolvos > will still agitato tho question" ~cf public supervision, and that thoy may bo successful in thoir, offorts.