The Ensign FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1913. THE NEW COUNTY.

Mataura Ensign, 26 September 1913, Page 4

The Ensign FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1913. THE NEW COUNTY.

Periodically an agitation arises in the Eastern District for a: new county, witl) Gore as its headquarters. This is wiiai , might be expected by anyone taking a strictly impartial view of the matter, and studying the trend of thought in Now Zealand in regard to local bodies, more especially those_ in the purely country districts. During the past few years quite a number of new counties have been formed in various parts of New Zealand. The tendency, therefore, is to subdivide existing counties where these are on the large side. We have over and over again'pointed out that the Southland County is far too large to be called a local body. It is really a province and its revenue is larger than that of some of the former provinces. Its operations are on so extensive a scale that the ratepayers lose touch with what is happening. Ratepayers in one of the huge ridings cannot be expected to know or care what public works are proceeding in the next riding to their own.. The ratepayers in tho northern portion of the Hokonui Riding cannot even appreciate the necessity for the prosecution of works in its southern end. The road to Hedgehop© from Mat aura may or may not bo necessary so far sis they know, yet this .road is tho boundary of the Awarua and Hokomti Ridings, and is the northern main road from the Eastem to tho Western Districts. Tho rates of the settlers to the north of Riversdale may be diverted to assist that road in case of necessity. The area of the Mataura Riding is equally largo and the interests of the settlers as diverse. The Chatton settlers ean.not havo any community of interest with those at Tuturau. It is fortunate that tho members for the ridings mentioned aro fair-manded men and so far as possible spend the rates where they are raised; but this fact does not affect tho actual position. The ridings are so extensive and their wants so great that the members must to a large extent doperd upon their engineers, inspectors and surfacemen to keep them : thoroughly posted as to tho condition of the various roads. If there is to be local government it shortW be local in actuality as well as in name. In 191T) the Selwyn County was subdivided into

as many new counties as thero had originally been road boards. It was recognised that Sehvyn was too unwieldy to bo properly majiagod in one county. The ratepayers therefore decided to ■have it cut up into areas that would bo more easily worked. This was done, to the great satisfaction of the settlers. The movement now under way at Core and district to form a new county has cur hearty approval. We have supported every agitation in that direction. Some charitable people have stated that the present scheme for the subdivision of the county originated in the 'Ensign' office, but this statement has no foundation Jn fact. We welcome it, however, as we do every proposal for the impiovement of the district. Community of interest has a great influence in furthering the public welfare, and the business ties which bind the whole of the county from the Blue Mountains to the Hokonuis arc very strong. Nothing can sever them. The natural contour of the county leads to a common

centre at Gore, and however much outeiders may desire to belittle this fact

it must remain. Wo had hoped that local government legislation would liave bee/i passed long ere .this, and that the counties formed under that measure would have had boundaries suited to the altered conditions of settlement..

It is preposterous to believe that those

who in 1876 la-id off -the existing counties could have anticipated what has actually occurred in the intervening yea-re. Had they done so there is not the slightest doubt that they would have included the county to the west of the Blue Mountains in a county with its western boundary along the Hokonuis. Instead l of doing so they included the Tuapeka and Clutha Counties a few sheep runs which they did not anticipate would ever be closely settled. This statement cannot be successfully refuted. Those who aro now endeavoring to have Southland County subdivided should include in the new county the corners' of Tuapeka and Clutha hero r>>-

ferrod to. With the Hokomii Mountains in the vicinity of Glen coo as a western boundary the proposed new county would bo air ideal one. It would not be too largo, it would liavo community of interest, it could bo oa.s'ly worked and it would bo a comparatively wealthy one. The remaining portion of Southland would bo quite largo enough. It would also have community of interest and would be quite as satisfactorily worked as the county in the Eastern District. Wo have been told that the cost of management would bo greater, but even if it were one or two per cent, higher than at present that would not materially a.ffeot the position. Councillors are not paid to do their work, yet to perform their duties thoroughly they must necessarily spend a great deal of time in 'travelling. If they do not frequently visit all the roads in their ridings they cannot keep themselves thoroughly versed with their requirement. We would impress upon thoso who are conducting the present- agitation for a new county that they must obtain a very largo percentage of support from ; the residents affected or they cannot hope to be successful wilt) the local Bill necessary to esl a Wish the new county. Any serious opposition to tho movement will effectively frustrate their efforts. It would therefore bo v\ell to be assured of support; before promoting a Bill. The Tapanui people are not very enthusiastic supporters of the proposal, but would certainly prefer to be .included in the new county than remain aa they are at present. There is the danger of stirring up the hostility of the Tuapeka- and Chitha Counties by including the country to the east of Wailcoikoi Hills hut the settlers should be given the opportunity of coming in if they desire. Tho fatal mistake made when the last Bill for a-new county was promoted must be avoided. The boundaries must be according to the configuration of tho county. The present movement should bo successful if it is continued. It imist not be allowed to die down should it sniffer one defeat. The promoters must b« propared to go till they win or they had far better not set their hands to the plough.

"I consider tobacco ono of the necossaries of life," remarked Mr C. 0. Kettle, S.M., at Auckland the other day. The season's, lambing returns in the Waikato district do not- come up to those of last year. There are said to be more motor-cars at Masterton than in any to mi of its size in the Dominion.

It is estimated by those who are in a position to judge that the replacing of I horse vehicles by motor traffic in Napier has mad© a difference of over 10,000 bags in the annual turnover in oats. The Wholesale Dairymen's Association of Christ-church has decided to place before the Government tho necessity of increasing compensation paid for stock condemned', and also for raising the age of stock in respect to which compensation is payable from eight to 12 years. The ordinary revenue of the Bluff Harbor Board for the month of August tt"au £1894 lis, which, was a decrease on tho revenue collected for August, 1912,. of £159119s lid. The total decrease in' revenue for 1913, compared with the figures over a similar period of 1912, stands at £2003 4s 3d. The wharfage dues collected at BlufF for the four I weeks ended August 1G amounted to £524 19s Bd.

''Are you going to make a criminal of this boy?" asked a mother in the Ohrislclmrcii Magistrate's Court the other day when her son was told that ho would hare to find security for £IOO or go to gaol. "Don't you talk rubbish to me," promptly replied Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M. "Sit down!" The mother persisted and said, "I won't sit down" ; but two constables and a sergeant managed to persuade her that it was better to do so.

A Maori chieftainess of the Ngatiwhatua tribe, an old dame named Hoanai Waata. died at Rewiti, near Auckland, last week. On the preceding Sunday &ho announced that she was almut to die, and left Waitekerci for her old home at Rewiti. Arriving there, sho addressed her people in tho usual style, telling what she wanted done, and having thus set her affairs in order calmly lay back and her spirit passed to her ancestors.

"Thero must bo something in heredity after all," was a remark mad*? to the police by Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., in the Christchurch Magistrate's Court a few days ago. "You hare an order against this woman for the support of her child; now you are asking for an order for the support of her grandchild." The sergeant mentioned, some-thing-about "husband," and Mr Bishop retorted: "She's ha/I four husbands." In reply to a. further question it was stated that the grandchild wa.s illegitimate, and the magistrate remarked: "It's sure to be; it couldn't be anything else."

At the last meeting of, the Hampstead (near A-shburt-on) Town. Board the inspector had occasion- to submit a list of M names of residents in connection with a certain matter. In addition to tho names ho supplied the number in each family. Included in the list were- four families of 10 persons, two of nine, two of eight, three r-.l' .seven, one of six and two of five—a total of 111 in 14 families, or an average of almost eisrht. There were several comments on tha figures, and one member remarked that it was a pity such fine families were not more common all over the Dominion.

A case which should prove of interest to unionists was heard at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning (states Lho 'Southland Times'), when the Southland General Laborers', Drivers', etc., Industrial Union of Workers ■sought to recover £1 Os 9d, arrears in sivhsoriptionM, from Henry Ruck, Makarnva. It appears that the defendant was a member of the. union, but wishing to withdraw from it he had not paid his subscriptions. He was unaware that it was compulsory for him to pay his subscriptions, and about 12 months aso had joined another union. Mr A. Glass, secretary of the union, explained' that when .a number of a union wished to join another union it was necessary for him to .get a clearance, which would be granted so long as his subscription fees were paid up. If he washed to become a non-unionist he was required to give three months' notice. Judgment- was given for the plaintiff for the full amount, with lis costs, the defendant being granted two months to pay.

An unusual story was told to Mr F. V. Eraser, S.M., in the Auckland Police Court -the other day, when Samuel Lindsay was charged with bet-ting on a game of billiards. It appeared that Lindsay was having a game in a saloon with an. opponent, who had indulged a. little too freely in liquor. The latter hacked himself for half-a-crown to win. Lindsay promptly took the bet, a bystander holding tlie tsakes. With a confidence born of aloohol Lindsay's opponent backed himself for two. more half-crowns. But so unsteady was boon Lis legs that more than onco he measured his length upon the floor in his endeavors to make a cannon, and finally he had to be. ejected from the saloon, Lindsay being hailed as the winner. In addition to finding himself the recipient of the stakes Lindsay also received a summons. His Worship characterised the transaction as similar to "betting with a child on a certainty,'' as tho inebriated player was hardly likely to win in a gamo of skill. Lindsay, who had refunded the money lie had won, was lined £2 and 7s costs.

Responding to the toast of "The Defence Forces'' at the 18th animal dinner of tho New Zealand Yorkshire Society in Wellington the other evening, Colonel E. S. Heard (Acting-Command-ant of the Forces) said that soldiers were generally regarded at* (biassed — militarists, and that kind of thing—as being unable to see anything but tho various branches of the service. "We ,soldiers," he continued, "have come out from the Old Country for the reason which appeals to us very much. We have the good of the country at heart. \\'<i know that some day we are going to bo 'up against it.' Wc know our regular army is very good, but it is not tho rol© of the army to stop at home. When the day comes the army will have to go out to the Continent to fight, and someone, will have to keep the gate in the meantime. So long as the Navy keeps the shores of Britain the country would be all right, but the role of tho Navy was not to keep to the shores. Other countries had navies, and the Brinish Navy in time of war would have to seek them out.—(Applause.) But how can the Navy go away from the shores unless it knows that there is someone there to keep the country ? We want an efficient defence force at home_, and 'the only efficient force_ is a citizen army.—(Hear, hear.) It is an honor trv servo one's country, and we want the people at Homo to recognise that_ they ought to have some kind of a. citizen amy. Therefore Ave have come out here io help you bo set up your citizen army, so that you can show an example to the Old Country.—(Applause.) We want to make your scheme a success, and if we do that we shall hare done *ll that we l wish to do."

T&r&naki possesses 41 butter factories and 77 cheese factories —total, 118—of which 15 aa~o dual lactones and ma];, both butter and eheese. Besides thes: there are 50 skimming stations.

Many cases of mortality in lambs an troubling farmers in the dis trict. In one paddock recently ..en found several lambs dead from overnufcrition, while several had apparently starved. Investigations as to the cause are being made.

Tho advantages to bo gained by a country schoolboy as compared with the town scholar are usually considered nil, but a case where tiie advantages were reversed was disclosed at the South Canterbury Education Board tho other day. In the inspector's report of one of the back schools It was stated that I the 'girls .and boys showed good progress in sewing and darning. Members of the Board expressed surprise at tho inspector's statement but were informed that the boya were taught stitching, darning and patching. The boys made good progress with this very useful domestic qualification. They were able to sew on buttons andl patch trouaer*, which at times was very handy.

Wanted, ploughman. Two lot—Two rooms. Wanted —Apprentice. I Wanted to buy—Skins, etc. Heifor impounded, Goro pound. Gore League of Service to-night. Wool claisos, l'ukcrau school, Tuesday next. T. Green and Co. held sale at Tlialt-o to-morrow. N.Z. Loan 00. have additional entries for Matanra nale. Stock Agent; h i.ve additional entries for Gore stock sale. The stallion Hector McDonald will stand this season at Charlton. Henderson and Co. hold sale on account W. Bothenv.'iy on W<>dnesday. Department of Lands will offer for selection section* in Lindhurst Hundred on November 24. Freshford Dairy Factory rw[»na on Wednesday next; social, Wendonside Hall, in tho evening.

Take your watch and jewellery repairs to the most reliable watchmaker— W. Baker, next Bank of N. Z. "Chap" Lotion, the best tor Chapped Hands, Ib.—Grant, Chemist.