GOVERNMENT ROAD GRANTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 437, 7 February 1912, Page 7

GOVERNMENT ROAD GRANTS.

COUNTY COUNCIL'S CONFERENCE.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MINISTER.

In connection with the conference of representatives from the various counties within the King Country, held at Taumaurnui last Friday, certain recommendations fnr submitting to the Minister were drafted by the chairman of the Waitomo County Council (Mr A. Scholes). These suggestions when placed before the conference were generally approved and will form the basis of the recommendations to be placed before the Minister after the opening of Parliament. In view of the fact that the representatives of the various counties affected have not had the opportunity oE meeting together in a body it has been arranged that they shall meet in Wellington and thoroughly discuss the details of the recommendations prior to submitting them to the Minister. The following are the draft recommendations as approved:— 1. That each county council spend the whole of the Government grants allotted to the county under the supervision of an inspector or engineer appointed by the Government. The engineer to be located centrally so that he could supervise, say, three or four counties, pass all plans and specifications at the county offices, thereby doing away with the present system of having to submit plans and specifications to Auckland, Stratford or Wellington, and causing unnecessary delay. The engineer could also arrange to pass all works in connection with these plans and specifications when completed. 2. That the whole of the money granted by Parliament to each county or a sum sufficient to carry on the works in progres, should be paid into a separate trust account at a bank used by the local authority as soon as possible after being passed by Parliament, and when any payments are to be made in connection with these monies the Government engineer could certify to the vouchers, and if necessary counter sign cheques. Provision could also be made to allow a fair percentage from thee monies to the local authority to meet the cost of administration as the counties would have to increase their staff.

We feel quite confident that if this plan was adopted it would tend to re move many of the serious difficulties which such counties as ours are now confronted with. Furthermore, it would remove a considerable amount of responsibility from the Government which would be borne by the counties. Te ratepayers and settlers would interest themselves and see that these monies were spent economically and to the best advantage; elect men to the council as their representatives whom they would trust to control the expenditure of these public monies. We fed that it must be admitted that the local authorities in these cases are the proper persons to develop their own districts, each riding being re presented in the council by a man thoroughly acquainted with what is required in his district, then by the employment of competent engineers by these counties, they to be under the supervision of a Government inpsector or engineer, the people would be safeguarded against any waste of public money. Further, it would insure the money to be spent during the proper season. The ratepayers or settlers most interested would be in immediate touch with their local government or council get all information or lodge any complaint, etc., which at present are made against the Government. We feel confident that these suggestions would be satisfactory to the ratpayers and electors of the district and would, in our opinion, remove one of the greatest objections that has been used against th« Government with reference to public works administration during the past.