KYNNERSLEY WELCOME AT WESTPORT.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 641, 5 April 1870, Page 2

KYNNERSLEY WELCOME AT WESTPORT.

On Saturday evening Mr T. A. S. Kynnersloy, formerly the Superintendent's Commissioner on the Southwest Goldfields, and now member of the Nelson Executive, was presented with an address welcoming him on his return from England. The presentation was made in the Masonic Hall. Fifty gentlemen assembled, and, in compliance with the request of a committee previously appointed, a refection was provided by the hosts of the Empire Hotel, Messrs Tonks and Hughes. Of course, as a refection it was perfection, and the table was elegantly ornamented. Mr Wm. Pitt was in the chair at the head of the table, and Mr Robert Caldwell Reid sat iu a chair at the other end. Along each side of the table there were gentlemen who represented every local interest, and the number included those who, by popular selection, if not by capacity, represent the general interest —Mr Timothy Gallagher, Mr Eugene O'Conor, and Mr Alec. Reid. The Chairman proposed that the company should drink to the health of " The Queen," and the toast was received with enthusiasm and acclamation. The Chairman proposed that the company should drink to the welfare of their guest, Mr Kynnersley, and they did so, singing " He's a jolly good fellow." What the Chairman said, in appropriate expression of the company's feelings, was embodied in a written address which he presented to Mr Kynnersley, and which was in the following words:—

Dear Sib, —Allow us on behalf of the residents of the Buller District to ■welcome your return to New Zealand. Remembering as we do the energy which characterised your former administration of the Nelson Goldfields, we congratulate ourselves that the Province has again had the opportunity of securing your services. Armed with proper powers, you will be able materially to advance the interests of these rising and important communities, and we entertain every confidence that, whatever your powers may be, they will be exercised fairly, discreetly, and for the benefic of us all.

Mr Kyntseesley : I beg to express my most sincere thanks for the kind welcome which you have given to me. I thank you especially for your hospitality tliio and. generally for the gratifying expression of your good wishes. I thank you also for the address which has just been read by the Chairman. In it there are some very gratifying and complimentary remarks. There is one sentence in this address in which it is said " We congratulate ourselves that the Province has again had the opportunity of securing your services." I may take this opportunity of explaining that that expression is rather premature, and I may take the opportunity also of explaining my exact position. I am at present simply one of the Wardens of the Nelson Goldfields, stationed at Wangapeka. But, as I have very little to do at Wangapeka at present, I am taking a trip round the goldfields. I intimated to the Superintendent my intention of occupying my spare time in visiting the goldfields, and he did me the honor of offering me a seat in the Executive Council. That offer I accepted, thiuking that it would enable me to gain information with regard to the different goldfields which might be of use to other members of the Executive in framing the Estimates. That is what I am doing at present. I am not taking any active part in goldfields matters generally, but occupying my spare time to get this information. I have seen it stated in the' papers, and I believe it has been stated at public meetings, that there is a wish on the part of the inhabitants of this district for the appointment of a Goldfields Secretary, or for some departmental head of the Goldfields—whether he is called Goldfields Secretary, or is known by the title which I used to hold, matters very little. It seems that there is a general wish expressed for the creation of some such office. I am making it part of my business now to ascertain whether there is really a necessity for the creation of any such office, because I should be very sorry to hold any such office unless I saw that there was clearly a necessity for it, and at present I do not see how the representatives of this district and others who desire to reduce departmental expenditure could wish that such an office should be created unless they saw that it was clearly required. At present, having seen so little of the West Coast, I am not able to form any opinion as to the necessity for such an officer, but my present idea is that there is a necessity for an officer who should be a connecting link between Nelson and the West Coast.—(Applause.) There seems to have been a great deal of dissatisfaction lately with the management of the South-West Goldfields, and I believe that it is chiefly owing to misunderstanding and want of information —the people of Nelson not understanding the wants of the people of the West Coast, and the people of the West Coast not understanding how very small have been the resources at the disposal of tho Government for public works. I

think that a great deal of good might be done by an officer who would make periodical visits to all the goldfields. While in Nelson he might forward the views of the residents on the Coast, and generally push through the departments any business in the way of applications and so on. The complaint is that between the different departments there is now such delay, and such passing from one to another, that people get disgusted, and many enterprises which might be useful to the public generally are lost.—(Hear, hear.) I am sorry that I am not able to express myself so well as I could wish ; but 1 believe that a great deal of good might be done by some one pushing; West Coast business through the different departments in Nelson ; and that a head of the Goldfields Department, whatever he may be called, coming down from Nelson, knowing exactly the state of affairs and the amount of funds available, and bavins; full powers—l mean considerable powers, to spend the money voted to the best advantage—would be better able to get work carried on, and that public works would be better carried out than they are at present. I have been endeavoring to ascertain the causes of the movement for Separation which has taken place since I left. I am very glad myself that separation of • the West Coast from Nelson was not effected. I had considered the subject before I left, and I did not, and do not, see how this district could be created a county. There are no natural boundaries tor it. Anyone examining the features of this district, or anyone conversant with them, can see that there are no natural boundaries to it at all. If Westport, Charleston, and Brighton are included, some arbitrary line must be drawn in the Upper Buller district, continuing down to the Grey; and the Grey is an important and prospei'ous district, much more allied with Westland than with Nelson. I have always considered the Grey river to be a very bad boundary, and, without giving any opinion as to whether it should be Nelson or Westland, that it would be a great advantage to both sides of the valley if they were under one government. But there is no more natural connection between the Grey and the Buller than there is between the Buller and Nelson, and I never could see how any line for a separate county, including Westport, Charleston, and Brighton, could be drawn. I believe that the cry for Separation was very much owing to misunderstanding—to a want of information on both sides. (Hear, hear.) I have inquired into the matter in Nelson. I find that in Nelson there is dissatisfaction—l do not say in the town, but in the country districts. Eew or r»o public worlio have been undertaken, and the general impression is that all the money has been spent on the West Coast, while I find here that the impression is that all the money has been spent in Nelson. I am not going into statistics. A very ample margin might be made for the Upper Buller road, and a very ample margin for the contributions of the West Coa*=t. These figures may be made to prove anything you like — either that the West Coast has had more than its share or less than its share. Looking over the proceedings of the Provincial Council, I see that a proposition was made last year that a certain fixed proportion of the revenue from the West Coast should be determined by law to be expeuded on the West Coast. I think that proposition did not seem to find favor with the Council, but my own opinion is that it might meet the requirements of this district. Such a proposition—modified as required—would meet the requirements of the district better than separation from Nelson. We have the example of Westland before us, and I do not think—at least, so far as I can hear—that it is encouraging. From all I can hear, the Westland Govern - ment does not appear to have given the general satisfaction which was expected from it. In this district I believe that, generally, the dissatisfaction has been, as I have said, greatly owing to misunderstanding and want of proper information, and I think that an officer residing—no matter where his nominal headquarters were —but making periodical visits to the different goldfields, and fully informed as to their wants, would do good in Nelson—an officer not only fully informed as to the state of the revenue and expenditure, and of the money available for public works, but fully prepared to give any information which might be required of him. (Hear, hear.) I think that the greater the publicity afforded on financial matters the better. I think that every man who pays his taxes has a perfect right to know how they are expended. Of course he may know it through the local representatives, who would be in a position to ascertain' the facts. They are available, and might be ascertained after some trouble. But, as far as possible, any man who pays his taxes should have a perfect knowledge of all Government accounts.—(Hear, hear.) When I say that I am in favor of some provision being made legalising the expenditure of a fixed proportion of revenue on the West Coast, I would not go so far as to say that, as a matter of right, the inhabitants of any particular district have the right to expend within that district the whole of the revenue derived from the district, because if that were carried too far it would result in the holder of every business license insisting upon the expenditure of the amount of his license before his own door.—(" Hear, hear," and laughter.)

But generally, in any productive district, not only as a matter of justice, but as a matter of expediency for the good of the whole Province, I am satisfied that the Province would derive morebenefitfromopeninguptheinterior of this country than from works calculated simply to benefit the towns. (Hear, hear.) I am very sorry to see that Westport has suffered considerably from the sea and the river since I left. I had the honor, about two years ago, of being taken round the streets of Westport in a boat on a dray. lam very sorry to say that now I might be carried over some portions of the town by a boat without the dray.—(Laughter.) Westport has also suffered from fire, but it must be borne in mind, I think, that, besides those violent attacks of river, sea, and fire, there are signs of another disease—of a general decline It is neither the fires, nor the river, nor the sea, which has caused the growth of grass in the streets, and the quiet condition of the town. I suppose it is attributable to a falling off in the yield of gold, and that the great question is how it is possible to increase that yield so that it may attain its former standard. In my opinion that question has nothing to do with the management of this immediate district. Ido not think that anything which the Government could do would increase the yield of gold about the coast. About the coast gold is as likely to be found by miners as if fresh roads were made. The whole coast line is tolerably accessible to any prospector. But, from what I have seen of the Upper Buller I believe that it is a source to which Westport should look for any revival of its former prosperity. I came down the Buller Valley on my way hither, and near the lakes at the head of the Buller I met a packer, to whom I remarked that I supposed that, after all this good weather, the roads were in pretty good order. He replied that it was the very reverse. They were, he said, " better after rain." They were " thinner," and the horses could get through them better. (Laughter.) I found that that was by no means an exaggerated description, and I would ask how it can be expected that the country can be in a prosperous condition when the roads are in such a state —when provisions are so extravagant in price that men are driven away from ground which would otherwise be payable.—(Hear, hear.) I think that the maxim of the Government ought to be " Take care of the country, and the towns will take care of themselves."—(Applause.) The expenditure of some money in opening up this Buller Valley, I believe, would be advocated, and ought to be advocated, by all the members of the Provincial Council, because it is a matter which affects the whole Province. The central and lower portion of the Buller Valley would be supplied from Westport —the upper portion from Nelson—andthe upper portion of someof its tributaries would be supplied from the Grey. I think that the fostering of mining enterprise in the Buller Valley generally, by the formation of roads, would tend generally to advance the prosperity of all these parts, and to remove the misunderstanding and the feeling which exists.—(Hear, hear.) As Separation is impracticable, the best thing the people can say is " We are all in the same boat, and if you do not pull together we sha'nt go ahead." That is the way to look at the matter, and I believe that opening up the Buller would benefit every district in the Province.—(Hear, hear.) No district can be prosperous without other districts sharing in its prosperity. From what we can hear, the Grey is at present in a more prosperous condition than any district on the West Coast. That is simply owing to there having been a considerable expenditure in the Grey Valley, and to the fact of diggings in the interior having been made comparatively accessible. There are now hardly any diggings on the coast there, and I do not see why Westport should not become as flourishing as Greymouth—or even more so—if the Buller Valley is fully opened up. (Applause.) Gentlemen, I will not detain you longer. I shall simply say that if it is considered by the people generally, through their representatives in the Provincial Council, and by my colleagues in the Executive and by the Superintendent, that some such office as I have indicated is necessary, I should enter on the duties of "that office with a full belief that these goldfields contain elements of wealth and prosperity which only require to be developed. The development of that prosperity must depend, of course, almost entirely on the exertions of the inhabitants—on their honest hard work —but they may be materially assisted by a Government cordially co-operat-ing with them, fostering all private enterprises, and expending 'any money available for public works in the most judicious manner for the benefit of the greatest number. (Applause.) I again return you my most sincere thanks for the welcome you have given to me.

Mr John Mtjnbo, with leave given by the Chairman to supplement the simple programme agreed upon, proposed a toast. He proposed " Our Representatives." Mr Gallagher, Mr O'Conob, and Mr Held responded. Mr O'Cokob proposed " The Mining Community," associating with the toast the name of Mr James Graham, who was present, and who made a humorona response. Mr Kynitebslet proposed the

health of the Chairman, and the party separated, highly satisfied, at midnight. During the evening songs were sung by Mr Munro, Mr B, C. Eeid, and Mr Bishop—Mr Munro securing a unanimous chorus to the appropriately selected song of " Home Again."