West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 321, 3 October 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1866.

Ijt, reply to a question pressed on us last evening by the " Star," we be» to say for the satisfaction of our contemporary that' we are aware of the existence of that journal — but are not accustomed to derive our knowledge of public affairs from its columns. We sometimes go to the extent of perusing its leading articles — impelled, we suppose, by the strange propensiFy that actuates men to read everything abusive of themselves — but we do not usually consult its advertising columns. We have read sufficient of the ",Evening Star" during the past week, to kuow that it has indulged in a succession of small, but venomous attacks upon Mr Shaw, in order to promote the interests of its proprietor, Mr Klein, as one of the candidates for the Municipal Council. As these attacks have reached their culminating point on the eve of the election, we so far depart from our usual course of treating with silence petty invectives against this journal, as to say that it has never lent Mr Shaw any political service. As a public rodn, he has stood

in a less favorable position than any other man, being deprived of an advocacy that we do not scruple to say ho has deserved, by the fact of his being the proprietor of the leading newspaper ofthe district. His name has not been mentioned in the West Coast 'Timls during the present election, except iti the general way, in which all the candidates before the public have been enumerated. Perhaps an ' excessive delicacy* has restrained us. W,e have contented ourselves with pointing out the considerations that should guide the electors in their choice. Nothing has been' urged against the soundness of our advice. We have recommended the citizens to give the preference to . men \v}io have - invested largely in the town in permanent business enterprises, , who are large employers of labor, who have been foremost to assist all public movements, and who are likely to be amongst the most considerable contributors to the % town rates. Mr Klein's ne tvspaper said', a> day or two back, that this description of "theright sort of man" so exactly fitted Mr Shaw, that it was* plear the article was written wilh a view of supporting his Candidature. Surely this is far more than the West Coast Times lias ever ventured to cay in Mr Shaw's favor ! We have carefully abstained from introducing the personal element into this contest. As far as Mr Kl'ein is concerned, we are free to say that we regard him as a capital -watchmaker, and a very estimable citizen— »and what necessarily endears him to us the more — a most persevering newspaper proprietor, who has thrown hilnself with infinite ardor and belt-sacrifice into a calling which, of course, we regard as in the highest degree honorable. We now i make public the announcement which appeal's to have been inserted in the advertising columns of the " Evening Star "" — jthat Mr Klein intends to go to the poll. In his case, as in others, we do not presume to dictate their .choice to the citizens. It is for them to determine what Mr .Klein's claims are, as well as what are the claims of the pro- ; prietor of the journal which Mr Klein's | orgau'beems to regard very much as a • mosquito does a tempting subject for biting.' • -

I We publish the addresses of the following candidates for Muuicapal honors :—: — , Mr J. R. Anderson Mr A. Bonar Mr M. Cassius * Mr F..L. Clarke v . " Mr A. Cummin}* Mr H. J. Hansen v Mr D. Lynch 'Mr J. 13. Clarke Mr It. Ecclesfield Mi- J. 'Fitzsimmons , • Mr T. Munro Mr W. Shaw. As we have already stated, Mr Prosser has declined to stand. His address to that ' effect appears in another column. Mr John Hall has also intimated his intention not to accept his nomination. Mr, C. J. Fitzsimons has announced his retirement. Mr Mowatt is ■ ineligible from the want of the necessary technical qxxnlification. Mr Charles Williams, Mr Hungerford, and Mr Howarth, have made no sign. The "-.Evening Star" states .that Mr Klein is a candidate.

The poll will be opened v at ten o'clock this morning. The Assessors announce that votes will be taken by ballot, and -we believe that voting papers have' been prepared upon which- the whole list of caodidates is printed, the votdr bemg required to strike out the names of those he does not intend to poll for. /.Each elector is entitled to vete v for nine candidates. He may vote for any number under nine, but if he leave a fewer number struck out than reduces the number to, nine, his voting paper will become invalid. Persons qualified to vote, according to the dictum of the Chairman and Assessors, are those who can produce business licenses dated not later than' ■ the 3rd October, 1865.M Whatever the correctness or otherwise of this interpretation of the law, these are the conditions on which the election will coir.c off to-day, and we trust sufficient has now been said for public information.

Whilst the Government of New Zealand are pursuing the retrograde policy of increasing the postal rates on letters and newspapers, and thus discouraging freedom aifd frequency of intercourse the agency of Her Majesty's mails, the Governments of the neighboring colonies — or of the chief of them, — are pursuing a directly opposite course, and seeking to follow, as nearly as practicable, the example of. postal reform set by.- England. We have" before us an article from the Melbourne " Argus,'' which excites a feeling of shame, when we remember the measure for restricting postal communication, which a vote of the House of Representatives has just sanctioned. It is but a few weeks back that the same journal predicted that notwithhtanding the marvellous growth of Victoria since- the discovery of the gold-fields, and thcpositioit of proud pre-eminence it now held, it would ultimately have to yield to the supre-, macy of New Zealand as the foremost colony in Australasia — the Britain of the South. All the more mortifying is the reflection that our Government is bent upon a policy utterly alien to the progressive tendencies of our neighbors ! The recent reduction ii\ the rate of 'Inland postage in Victoria has been found to work " exceedingly well" in the increase of the number of letters forwarded by post. Although theVeduction has been too recent to enable -the increase- of. correspondence to restore the revenue to "its former standard, it , has been " marked," and the " Argus" says :— " It is reasonable to expect that this will become greater and greater as the public become accustomed to the change, and as the trading class discover oi\ invent new modes of using the increased postal faci-, lities in the furtherance of their business. The adoption of the penny

postage system in Great Britain was nttended with a considerable loss of revenue ; but the loss disappeared after a time, as the public learnt to, avail themselves fulh r of the piivilege of cheap communication ; and here we may calculate upon similar, if not identical results, to come about in time,' if not quite so quickly as in Great Britain." The sams journal contends that the reduction of the Inland postage rates should be followed by a propoitiouate reduction in the intercolonial fees for the* carrying of letters — a rer form Jhat can only be effected by " a general measure" assented" to by the whole of the colonies. This, it is considered, wduld be the " finishing touch" to the post-office reform so excellently commenced. <■ The " Argus" strongly urges the adoption of a" uniform postal ratethroughout Australia, as in Great Britain ;■ and suggests that the same principle might be applied to telegraphic messages — not of course as regarding their length, but as regarding the distance of their transmission. It says very happily what has often been said before, in the following paragraph :—: — " Postal and telegraphic management should be conductecLon strictly business principles. The transmission of information and the interchange of ideas are iniportnilt' agents of civilisation, and when Government has command of the media of such transmission and interchange, it is bound to afford every possible facility for their being freely used* by the public, even though some loss of revenue should accrue From the lowering of po&tal and telegraphic fees." We trust that "the 1 proposal of our own Government to increase the postal rates', will bs defeated before it reaches its final stages, anduhat New Zealand will not be exhibited to* the other 'colonies, as being in the rear of civilisation.