LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 361, 26 September 1868, Page 2

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT.

As it seems tolerably certain that the fate of existing provincial institutions is sealed, and on their ashes will arise a county system, far more suited to the present condition of the colony, it may be well now to glance generally at the effect such a change may, or must have on the West Coast of this province. There can be little doubt that the Stafford Ministry, despite the assaults that are so perseveringly made on them, will hold their position and if they do, the sweeping changes already outlined, must of necessity take place. The question comes then, is Westland North prepared to undertake the responsibilities of local self government to a very large extent, as will be offered, or may be forced upon its acceptance. On either side there is much to be said, but beyond all question, the balance is largely, very largely, in favour of the experiment being tried. It is quite true that there is little, if any cause for complaint, as to the manner in which the Provincial authorities bave hitherto managed our affairs, on the contrary, thanks to the liberality that has been shown by them to this portion of the province, ain great measure owes its present advancement. When the tie that binds us at present to the other side is broken, as broken it must be some day, the connection will be remembered with gratitude and pleasure, on the part at least of the residents on the West Coast. It is therefore from no dissatisfaction with the present rule, nor from any hope of ' gaining greater advantages than we possess at present, that the idea of change is entertained, but there is a growing desire for self government, in many respects that is only natural and reasonable in any community that has like that of Westland North, cast off its swaddling clothes. No matter how well we have been treated, how advantageously and judiciously public money has been laid out, we cannot avoid coming to the conclusion, that if it had been more directly entrusted to local hands, it would at least have been as well, and very probably much better expended. People at a distance cannot, in the nature of things, be as good judges of local requirements as those on the spot ; it is high time that we take upon ourselves the duties that the creation of a County would entail, and that any objection can be raised to this amount of belf-dependence we cannot conceive. The County of Westland it is true, did not achieve as great a success as was anticipated by hopeful politicians, but its constitution possessed so many and such serious radical defects, that it is only a matter of surprise it worked as well as it did. During the present session, the bill that created it has been overhauled, and so many, and such extensive alterations have been made, as to render it in fact a new measure altogether, and there is no doubt that in future it will prove the boon that was at first anticipated. It has been said that if this part of the Coast was erected into a county forthwith, there are no men in it capable of taking the helm of affairs, and that in consequence

the experiment would be a failure. A County involves no special political machinery, it is really only a municipality on a large scale. It needs no singular ability to direct and manage its affairs, and any one who is competent to manage his own business and can take a common-sense view of such questions as come before him is fully qualified to serve it. County Councils are not expected to produce statesmen, and the ridiculous burlesques presented by Provincial Legislatures in this respect cannot be reproduced in them. We presume that if Mr Stafford's policy is carried out, a general bill for the creation of these bodies will be passed before the close of the session, in which their powers will be defined, but till it is before the House we cannot of course give any particulars. In the meantime however, we know that harbors, police, gaols, roads, tracks, and public works generally, would be under their control, and income would be derived as now. with this difference, that much of what now flows into Provincial and General Government coffers would then come into those of the County Council, and that the latter body would have their apportionment over the whole area of the County, In brief, the difference would be simply this. At present we receive out of the revenue that is raised from all sources, just so much as the Provincial Council thinks fit to allot to specified works if; we are created a county we appropriate absolutely a certain portion of the local revenue, to be distributed as the Council choose, and in addition, receive a fixed share of the consolidated revenue, or an alternative in the shape of capitation money. Whichever way Counties are endowed, their Councils will have direct control of local interests and things, without possessing any objectionable powers, and it is hardly necessary to dilate on the enormous gain that must be. In future issues we shall again refer to the subject, with a view to show how immediately and directly in other respects County authority can be exerted, for the benefit of County residents. In the meanwhile, let us hope that the public will well consider the subject, so, that when the proposition is made as it will be shortly, a clear expression of opinion may be given without hesitation.

The Escort from Charleston arrived on Wednesday, bringing between 4 and 5030 ounces of gold, but the exact amount, is one of those bank mysteries which it is not for ordinary mortals to enquire into too curiously. Should there be any continuance of the present dry weather, a material falling off will be shown in the amount of the next fortnight's escort, the only permanent water supply in the Charleston district, unaffected by seasons or weather, being the two races conveying water from the Nile river to the Back Lead. The usual weekly meeting of the Hospital Committee lapsed on Wendesday for want of a sufficient attendance of members, there being onlyJMr Harris, Mr Munro, Mr O'Conor, and Mr Daly, present, and five being the number requiredto constitute a quorum It is a pity that such should be the case, for we understand some impor. tant bnsiness awaits the consideration and decision of the Committee. We regret to learn that Mr. Mulligan, of the well known firm of Mulligan and Halligan, died very suddenly on Monday afternoon, at Hokitika The " Southland Times" records the following as an instance of what may befall the lonely worker amidst our mountain fastness and wooded ravines, We have just been told a remarkable case, worthy of a page in a tale of real romance. About three weeks ago a splitter working in the Eive Eivers Bush, Southland, had his thigh dislocated by the fall of a tree which he had just before been cutting down. No assistance being within several miles, the unfortunate fellow was placed in a most critical position. Nevertheless, nothing daunted, after vainly endeavoring to crawl to some place for human relief, he made a crutch, by means of which he struggled slowly on, until a search party hearing his cry, came to his relief—not, however, until the poor fellow had become lean and haggard with tne endurance of hunger and pain for five days and nights on snowy ranges and amidst thick forest. When found he presented a most pitiable object—his clothes nearly torn off him, his limbs nearly parylised and toeß frostbitten, while, under his armpits the flesh was almost worn to his bones from the friction of the rude crutches. Only once, the brave fellow admits, did a tear fill his eye —for hope wavered and his heart nearly failed him when, struggling through the bush, one of his'

crutches tripped him, and, in angry agony, he flung away a great support which cost him many hours of fruitless search ere he found it again. "We hear the young man's name is John Nolan* and there is [little doubt that his youthfulness has saved him from an untimely end.

The following sad story is taken from a late Auckland paper;—On Saturday forenoon a gentleman who had occasion to go down by the Wynyard Pier observed three children lying on the beach below high-water mark, the water at the time partly immersing their bodies. On going down to them he found to his amazement and grief that the three of them were insensibly drunk, and unable to move. The eldest of them was not more than eleven years old. Prompt measures were taken to save the children from their perilous position, and restore them from the effects of the alchohol they had imbibed, though we understand that yesterday one of them was still very unwell. It appears they had raised the money between them, and purchased a bottle of brandy and had drunk the spirits raw, the whole bottle-full. Surely the publican who supplied these children with the brandy deserves severe punishment, and we are surprised that a man could be found so callous-hearted as to let them have it.

"We perceive by the Hokitika papers, that Mr Cassius has been deputed to proceed to Wellington, aa a special delegate from Westland, to the General Assembly, to strengthen the hands of the County representatives, during the present critical juncture. The " Grey River Argus" does not however appear to concur in the idea of the necessity of such a course, and strongly objects to the townspeople of Hokitika always assuming that they and they alone, are the people of Westland, and competent to guide the affairs of the county. It appears that Mr Hall is about introducing a Bill to relieve newspaper exchanges from postage. Though of course we have no reason to quarrel with this step, we cannot but consider it would have been much more to the public advantage if Mr Vogel's motion for the entire abolishment of postage on newspapers had been adopted. The " Grey River Argus " of 17th says.—The Kynnersley Testimonia Pnnd, is being rapidly agumented by the subscriptions which are pouring in from all the mining districts on the Nelson South-west Goldfields. "We are glad to announce that a local committee has been formed in G-reymouth, consisting of Messrs, D. Maclean, Gilbert King, Daniel Sheedy, G. W. Gilmer, and J. Hamilton, Cobden, to whom subscriptions can be forwarded, as well as to the Bank of New South "Wales, Greymouth. It is not intended to collect subscriptions in the town, but only in the districts on the Nelson side, which were under the charge of Mr. Commissioner Kynnersley. We have no doubt, from the high estimation in which that gentleman has always been held by the miners in the Grey district, that their subscriptions to his testimonial will compare most favorably with those from any other colony.

The "Colonist" of the 18th inst. says : —" By way of Taranaki, we had rumors, yesterday morning, that Colonel Whitmore had been appointed to the command of the Colonial Forces, in room of Colonel M'Donnell, who, it was stated, had resigned. Our latest telegrams, received last night from Wellington, do not confirm this rumor but nevertheless render its confirmation a probable occurrence. Colonel Whithas been appointed to succeed Major Von Temp sky ; and it is believed probable that Colonel Haultain will give him the command. If so, we do not think it likely that the country will be satisfied with the arrangement. His management of the worse than foolish campaign against the escaped Hauhaus from Chatham Islands, and the disastrous result of that ill-judged, and, we believe, unauthorised movement, do not seem to be certificates of merit warranting appointments to such an all-importaut post, for which no mere martinet, or smart, or even eloquent despatch writer, is likely to be a fitting occupant. Respecting the escaped prisoners, and the circumstances connected with that occurrence, and the responsibility of Ministers for that and subsequent disasters, exception has been taken to our remarks. We shall have something to say on that point on an early occasion."

The Postmaster-G-eneral has authorised the publication of a Postal G-uide for New Zealand, containing a list of the various Post Offices, Tariff of Telegraph Charges, Rates of Postage on letters and newspapers, regulat ions for transmission of letters, books, and patterns, and usual details.