WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 107, 12 November 1908, Page 5

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Waitomo County Council'was held at Te Kuiti on Monday evening. There were present: Councillors Lusk, chairman, N. I. Hunt, Ormsby, Scholes, Hoffman, Johnston and Gregg. —Corre ;pondence — A letter was received from Mr Crean, of Otorohanga, with reference to a culvert. —It was resolved to leave the matter in the hands of the Engineer. Waitewhena Telephone — Mr A. Barnett waited on the Council and explained what was proposed to be done by the Waitewhena Telephone Company. The settlers wished to erect a line within a few feet of the fence line.- The posts used would be about 6X6, and where the line crossed the road it would be at least fourteen feet high.—lt was resolved that permission be given for the erection of the telephone line, providing the posts and wires were placed according to specifications supplied by the Council. Mr Barnett also drew attention to the fact that water lodged on his _property close to the bridge at Te Kuiti, and requested that a culvert be put across the road to drain it. —The matter : was left to the member for the riding and the Engiaeer to deal with. —Mairoa Loan — The chairman read the special order which the meeting was called upon to confirm. Cr Scholes suggested that as there appeared to be a good deal of opposition to the pushing of the loan at present, the matter should be left to the new Council. He said he had been requested, in case the matter was gone on with, to give notice of motion to rescind the passing of the special order and also to ask to have the engineers report and the allocations laid on the table at next meeting. He had promised to do this in order to give the settlers who were agitating an opportunity of further discussing the matter. Cr Hoffman said he would propose that the special order be confirmed. They had met at considerable inconvenience for the purpose of carrying out a work which had been placed in their hands, and they should not be fooled over the question. Cr Ormsby seconded the motion and said it was merely carrying out a necessary formality and did not prejudice the settlers in the matter. Steps in connection with a loan had to be done in sequence otherwise the advertising would require to be done over again. It was their duty to confirm the order. Cr Hunt said, the settlers had placed the Council in a very awkward fix. The settlers who had signed the petition to hold over the loan proposal were not merely obstructionists. Still, the Council had been requested in the first instance to carry out the loan proceedure, and now We are asked to stay their hand. The persons who had not signed the petition also had to be considered. He did not wish the settlers to consider the Council was opposed °to them but in order to make matters quite clear he wished to say the Council would be doing the right thing by confirming the order. Ic was merely complying with portion of the statutory proceedure and would put the settlers in a position to either go on with the proposal or to drop it. He thought they were helping the petitioners by confirmingjthe order. —Cr Scholes proposed as an amendment and Cr Johnston seconded that the engineers estimate and allocations for each road in the Mairoa Special Rating Area be laid on the table at the next meeting and that the striking of the special rate be held over in the meantime. Cr Hunt wished to know whether the carrying of Lhe amendment would wipe out the steps alreadytaken. Several of the councillors expressed the opinion that the amendment would annul the previous steps. Cr Scholes said he did not think it would, but he would withdraw the amendmeent and give notice of motion that the confirmation of the special order be rescinded at next meeting.— The motion was then put and carried. With reference to the exchange of land for putting the road through Mr Boddie's property at Te Kuiti, th.e Chairman and member for Te Kuiti Riding were authorised to sign the necessary documents. Finance — The Chairman said the Clerk had been unable to prepare a balance sheet in detail but he could inform the Council from the bank book that there was a balance of £1377 to the Council's credit in the bank. Cr Johnston said he could not let such a statement pass without comment. It was a unique position. .The Council had undoubtedly been a financial success if it had succeeded in no other way. Instead of having a credit of over a thousand pounds they should have had an overdraft to that amount. Two thousand pounds spent on the roads was '.'a more sensible policy than having a large credit balance for the incoming Council to spend and earn a reputation for being progressive and up-to-date. The Chairman said they had to remember that a considerable amount belonged to the Ohura people, and they had just come through a winter during which time it was impossible to spend money to advantage. Cr Ormsby said that while it was not good business to have such a balance they had to remember their pledges to the ratepayers. When the Council was being set up the movement was only supported by the majority of the settlers on the express understanding that there was to be no heavy rating and they were to be economical in every respect. He was rather proud of the fact that Te Kutii Rdiing was not in credit. It jjwas the only riding w r hich had the distinction of an overdrawn account. This showed they were a progressive people in his district. While on the point he wished to express his thanks to his brother councillors for the courtesy and consideration which had always been extended to him. They had been an exceptionally happy family and he doubted whether any subsequent council would have such a happy time to gether. The Chairman said he thanked the Council for the treatment extended to him throughout his term of office. They had their little troubles and had jnade blunders, but forbearance had characterised their attitude to each other throughout. His position as Chairman had been rendered pleasant jp consequence. They were the piofeneers of local government in the disf trict and had cleared the track for subsequent councils who would be able to

profit by their experience and mistakes. Cr Hunt endorsed the remaik; of "the Chairman. He had been on several local bodies during past years and in all his experience the spirit which prvevailed in the Waitomo Council was the best he had seen. It would be foolish to suppose no differences arose; such a thing would be bad for the ratepayers, but their differences were always debated and settled in the best of spirits. He wished to thank the Chairman for the tactful and considerate manner in which he had presided.