COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN THE NORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 70, 21 March 1908, Page 7

COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN THE NORTH.

HEEIL'TG OF FOUK COUNTIES. (From Otrr Own Correspondent) ■ ii meeting of the four counties in the 3Jaj- of Islands electorate was held in £sco on the 11th inst. There were present: From the Mongonui County, Mr. G. WflVrnson (Chairman) and Councillor Pearson. From Whangaroa County, Jlr. Joseph. Hare (Chairman) and Councillors Siever. Hayes and W. H. Saies. ■ From HoManga, Mr. Vacghan (ChairEau) and Councillor Yarbough. On ike motion of Mr. Hare. llr. Wilkinson I pas voted to thf chair. it. Wilkinson discoursed on the • various items to be considered by the . taeetmg. Hγ. Hare numuL and it was carried Enammoostr, That a counties' conference be heH once every year at a time and date to_be arranged, and that the conference be called 'The Bay of Islands . Etectmate Counties' Conference."" The .taripns representatives of the several i Eonaties seemed to be fully awake to the great need of concentrated eifort to senm fair Government consideration, and tie concensus of opinion was that the time had fully arrived when the counties ia. the Bay of Islands electorate should give a "long pull, and a strong pull, and 1 pull altogether."

- 1 The first item discussed was that the Garercment be asked for a grant of £30.000 for miia north road through the B. of I. eSectorate, and the Ohaeiwai-Horeke-road. *s this section of road corresponds to the Eain road for the Hofcianga people. This j*as agreed to unanimously. i That the time had now arrived when uifi Government ehonld! take over the fcain road and Ohaeiwai-Horeke-road.

3. Thsx this conference protests against BcessiTe charge and incorrect work in Justus County Valuation Eoils, and that t&ia Conference ask the Government to >2ow each of the four counties to make tMr own valuation, rolls.

t In view of the very heavy C.A. exSasKtnie in cocneciion with gnm diggers, ttit the G-D. license be raised to 20/, and rat bona fide settlers who are resident on fis lane be allowed to dig on the payment eta/ license.

5. That the Government be asked to a? 15 * tie Maori Council Act to be brought tea) eonfOEniry with the Local Bodies Act, -so. that no unpleasantness may e.-Jst in Snare re dog tai and billiard table ucsns" «c, as in the past.

__iD these matters were fnlly and freely escossed, and unanimously agreed to, Mi it -eas arrang-ed that all matters XT. sabanssion to the Conncil should ofiSHitto Mr. Wilkinson or Mr Pearson. k 'was arranged that the next meeting feaeld at '•'Koho Koho," Hofcianga. ffi&iaaga and Mongonni expressed *™ks to the Whangaroa Coonty Conncil *°r the maTrner in which they -were enterUinaL

A vote of thanks -was unanimo-oslv actofci to Mr. Wflfcmson for the "able *2znsx is. xrhifih he conducted the busiof the conference.

a considerable portion of the *ane -was taken up discussing the tmiair ncr hi which the counties were being hv the Government this year° »4 all tie grants, though vexv small inbean, handed over to the Soads fkpsriinent for expenditure, thus leavag MoEgonni and Whangaroa Counties enormous sum of £50 for expenJfnrs- This seemed to be the most deadly local bodies vet struck, and ai ™ lour comities are composed of men o experience and quite capable of mindf£ then: own affairs, the GoTernment f«\not he surprised at the counties' ra-entaent of such belittlement. Cases : w e C tted 7 here r3llts of > sa 7> £10 ° voted for expenditure"in our ?*>s&x by the Eoads Department, and 2 declared that under the Dcpartgaits expenditure quite 25 per cent of ■«? grant was lost to the roads and the W «d that Department's trork was inject to no inspection whatever, while 'rf*?* spent by the local'bodies ™7« quite SO per cent spent on the ™« Md saved to the public while their J** was subject to inspection of Roads S*f Ele exa hope that the Government will *""& mismanagement to exist. ~* net all grants for roads in each UVVv that for main road »a tie hands of local bodies for expen- ;-*?*■ ix this is done, then the locai "™".will not be brought into unfair , -with the Roads Department.