TO THE ELECTORS OF THE GREY VALLEY DISTRICT.

Inangahua Times, Volume v, Issue 3, 15 May 1878, Page 2

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE GREY VALLEY DISTRICT.

G.KNTJJKKBM.— It. offi-rinprmyaolPiM your roprowito* tivo fot, tho Cfjrijy, Valley District In tho GenorabAsßombly, I-will as shortly as possible lay my views, boforo yon on tho principal important mpasuyos which aro likely tb bo brought boforo Parliament during tbo coming sosaion. EXTEKBIOH O»,FBANCIIJSK A,ND, 81,HC(838A5, . DJSTRIOT.). , T, nm in accord witb Sir Goorgo Gray and bis party on, tins most important subjoot. I boliovo tliat every man wlio contributoa to tbo .rovonuo of tho. Colony, should havo a votco in its distribution, nnd thoroforo would support Sir Gcor«o Groy in bis proposal for Manhood' Suf frngc. Tbo prosont Electoral District Df tbo Grey Valley should bavo throo mernbors. One for Grcymputh and South to tho Tcrcmalcan ;.ono for tbo Grey Valloy propor ; and ono for tlio Inangnhuo Disfrtct, this would bo a, fnir distribution) and ono that tho importance of tho dis*triots descrvos. TUBMO. WOBKS ANJ) FUJKTJIKII BOBBOWING. It is impossible at this stago that Now Zealand cau stand still in tbo proscou* t*wm of it« great Publio Works. I would t}e alrongly in, fny.o.r Qf largo, borrowing

powers being givon to tho Government for this purpose. Several lines of railway on the other sido of the island want completing in order to mako them a Unancial success 5 and moro impo tant even than that is tho construction of a railway line lo counoot the East with tho West Coast of tho Middle Island, this mnttor requires constant nnd unremitting energy on the payt of your representatives. That this work would bo a paying ono thorc can be no doubt. Tho construction of tho lim from Greymouth to conneot with tho Canterbury lino offers no engineering dih liculties whatever. Surveys havo already been made whioh provo that if this grea fc work was completed there would be a now era of prosperity, in store. for this part of Now Zealand. Your coal mines could supply tho wbolo o( tho fiddle Island railways as well as tho large centres of population^ A magnificent country for settlement would bo oponed up, Our uplondid forests would become a mino of wealth. Settlement would rapidly spread and in fact wo should then becomo a part of New Zealand which we oan hardly call ourselves at present. But whilst urging on this great work, the port of Grcymoui h must as well be attended to. Wo are awaro that all that is requirod to make Greymouth ono of tho most flourishing tow"* i" Now Zealand is an outlot for its produce, and that cn,n bo attained by tho railway and harbor improvements. I would advocato that tho Govornmont pither snbsidis a tug boat ox U*To ono of thoir own for tho purpose of towing in and ou,t freo of charge. I look upon, it as a Colonial work. County Coun«. oils I think should bo subsidised to tho full amount of maintenance of main ijoads in addition to ordinary subsidy, nnd I would go in for oil rivor^ on main line* boiug b/idged. In this mattei; X ha,ve already taken an activo part. fi^ai,. I wou,ld support a, Land and Propotty Tax, and considerably rodtjcod dujtiea. on tho necessaries of lifo so as. to relieve the burdpn it prcson't on the working class in tbq. colony. This, I believe, can hfl done if laitfl and property aro made to contribute their lair sh/ire, apd, nothing more, to. tho revenue of the Colony. Jt is absiyd»to say tliaJ; at present it docs, so, tho vast expenditure lon Yublic. Works to illicit the working W». sq largely cmi« tributes has had the ciject of raising tho value of properties in tho neighborhood whero the expenditure has. taken place to fourfold and m, mtvnv cases to. ten times Us original value, and yet we fifx. that m,on with incomes of ftom ftvo to, twenty j thousand pounds per. tyinum. actually contribute loss to tho ste/o than a working man, Sucb a stale. of things is unhpard of in any ptyt of tho woifld. Again i say property should paya fojr sharo of t taxation, mid must do so, in ordpr lhat the present prosperity of tlio Colony ahpuld continue. oor.n mpty, The minor of New Z-iibind at present is undoubtedly the heaviest taxpayer under tho British Crown and if an alteration is made in the Phohl policy so ns to cnnblo local bodies to bo subsidis -d in souio oilier wny, I would be in favor of tho total abolition of this most, obnoxious tux, not Hy ii sliding neale, but at ouce, UOsetTAT.S AND OITAIUTAIU.K INSTITUTIONS. I would bo in fnvor of these institutions being, muoh more librrall.v subsidised by the General Government than -it prosent, but still under local control. LAND nOAHD^. T would have one or two Local Lnnd Offices for tho Nelson South West Gold, 'fields, so as to enable applicants to bavo theii wants promptly attended to. tho preseet svs' em is simply disgraceful, I Know instances where men hnvo been waiting lor nearly two years to got a title to thmr ground. SJF,l»lß.vri'>U OV THK TWO ISLANDS. ■ I'woul-i sir' nuly oppose this. M,IN,IN,U AND MININO ACT. Tho. present Mining Act of Now Zon'bind wunts eopsiii^rablo alteration* I v^.ujd ut once baye nn Inspector of Minos appointed lor the district. thk coi;nt.i#s act. liequircs alterations and amendment in various respect^ so i\,% for instonee, lo enable County Councils to fulfill thp duties in toiviir<wij>hin thpir boundaries us would otherwise devolve on municipalities for tho introduir.on.yf whiqh institutions those towns aro J n6t- at -present titted, or whero tho two institutions would clash ono with tho.,otliof,' CKtN.ISf^.'^IMSttOpATtON. This is a matter,^hat must sooner, or lator be' legisjdted on, wo have boforo us tho example of California, and QjUO<wland wlioro the " yellow agony " ns it is callod, is'bocoming a very^serions matter, and- thero scorns to bo n feeling amongst 'oertain people in New Zealand, to induce Chihese Immigration for selfish cuds. I hope to soo the Legislature introduce n strong moasuro to cheok tho introduction of tho ''yellow agony'* into NcwJSpalandv EDUCTION. Ibis ia, a most important subjeot for tho future of this young Colony. I »ay at onco atato that I am, and always have boon' in fa7or of Denominntiosal Educa* tion, and opposed to tho present system, and' would endeavour by all moans > in my power to introdupo tho system which workod so woll, nnd for a length of time ii> tho l^rovinpo of Nelson, giying universal, satisfaction, and fool o^iito satisfied that this systom would) it adopted ho gonqrally approved of. iMMlfl^UT^Ofy Por thp proscnt at all cvonts I would bo opposed to npy further froo Immigration. In gonclttsion, Tmny stato that I very much fear I will bo upnb> through prior business engagements to address you personally, but if pqssiblo uyll do so, lf elected, l will uso every exertion to forward tho invests, of your, district, as woll as that of tho Colony. JVI& motto will bo Progross. I romain, Gentlemen, Yours respectfully, KICH. RKKVES.