THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 187O.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 633, 8 February 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1870.

Pehhaps the greatest fault in our system of administration in Westland is that the whole executive power lies in the hands of the Chairman. With quite as numerous and various branches of public service to control and guide as any Provincial Government in New Zealand, the Chairman is left to his own resources during each recess of the Council, and enn, without 1 any check whatever, deal with the resolutions of the Council in any way he may choose. Thus any Chairman who may value his own ideas of things higher than the opinion of the County Council, can frustrate the wishes of that body almost with impunity during lm term of office, the only penalty he is likely to pay being a good deal of abuse iv the Council, aad the certainty of not beiug re-elected to the chair. But even one who is honestly wishful to carry out the instructions of the Council will necessarily often find himself in portions of greit difficulty during the time the Council ia not in session, Matfew are, consUntlyuszurring, iv the disposal. of which the Chairman is compelled to act of his own will, and not upon hh own discretion, lie may possibly aeulc itflvice in other qnarttM's, and may

consult some of his fellow Councillors or personal friend 3, but he must, if he acts on their advioe, do so on his own responsibility. He alone would have to bear the brunt. Now there are not many men who are qualified .to -discharge efficiently the greabpei'donal responsibilities which attach to the office of County Chairman, as its duties are at present defined. More is required than the mere desire to do what is right. The business knowledge which may be sufficient to successfully work a shop is of little avail in. managing the j finances of a State. Perspection in what ' Mr Fox styles " throe - legged stool finance" will not give its possessor the " fine tacit to think and to act," which is absolutely essential in a public administrator. The present Chairman certainly does not afford one of these rare examples of suitability, for his office, and we question if there is any one member of the Cuunoil who would be able to ensure public satisfaction if put into the chair. The remedy appears to lie in a division of responsibility, and Li placing the Council in nearer relationship to the Chairman. There are two ways in which this might be done : there might be a sort of standing committee eleoted from the Council to form a sort of consultative body during the recess— in other words, a bastard Executive Council, But there are grave objections to suoh a course. It would hear too great a resemblance to the "responsible government" system of the Provinces without possessing its advantages. The committee would be an Executive Ministry without responsibility, and capable of creating trouble through personal differences with the Chairman, Mr Barff, we perceive, is bringing forward a plan of this kind. He proposes that two members Bhall be chosen by ballot, who shall consult and act with the Chairman on two days in each week, This proposal smells suspioious, and a dim vision of a paid Executive rises before us. The plan will not do. The division of responsibility musu be more clearly defined, and must assume a form more akin to the plan adopted by othe.* corporate bodies. Half the difficulties, and more than half the grounds of complaint and dissatisfaction, have arisen in connection with financial matters, and we would propose that these be left entirely tb a Finance Committee, of which the Chairman should be a member, which shall meet once a month and decide what payments shall be made, and to what extent. This plan could be adopted at little cost, and could ho worked conveniently. It could be arranged that all the Government accounts be rendered monthly— say by the end of every month. The Committee could meet on the first, go through the accounts, and mako orders for payments. They would also direct the payment of any available monies voted to the various districts in such proportion and in such order as would appear to them desirable, and would be empowered to treat with the Bank as occasion might require. Two days a month would suffice for this, and even if a fee were paid to the two members for their time about £10 a month would cover all the cost, travelling expenses and all. There would be nothing unconstitutional in such an arrangement, nor anything contrary to the spirit of the County of Westland Act, and it would be a valuable public safeguard. With such a committee such disgraceful irregularities as have marked the past history of the County would be almost impossible, and a more equitable and judicious distribution of payments would be secured to the several districts of the County, and— what is of equal importance — the votes of the Council could be better ralied upon by the public