COUNTY AFFAIRS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 81, 10 June 1879, Page 2

COUNTY AFFAIRS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE MAI^AWATi: HEUAI/D. Sir, — The Chairman of the County Council characterised Mr Grower's speech, on the consideration of the Estimates, -is a " most unfair one " ; and he proceeds in speech and action to act still more unfairly, The Feilding G-uardian haa given great prominence to the Chairman's remarks on this question, and I will therefore take its version as the one most after his own heart. The Chairman holds it better to anticipate revenue (" even if wo had to pay a little interest"), than to let it lie idle at the bank. I admit he has oariied tliis principle out to the manifest advantage of the Northern Ridings. He instanced Air Q-ower's case (of not being allowed to overdraw) as having arisen through that riding having at the time the advance was asked for no means likely to enable it to pay such an advance back, which position he admitted was alterod now ; yet, with these principles in his mind, he allowed the Kiwitea and Taonui Hidings to overdraw, when he possessed " no data on which to calculate the probable receipts from land revenue." He was so far at sea that "he had not attempted to show it in the estimates," and all he believed was that the Kairanga Block, and "a blank of 7>'OO acres would be put up for sale within thu year, tnd he had no doubt but that the land -revenue would not only cover the overdraft of these ridings," but they would have ample funds. Yet so doubtful is he of this, th:it he strongly supported the appointment of a Collector at £140 per annum, so that rates might be got in, so as to reduce the anticipated overdraft at the Bank, as he shortly after the appointment had been made, poiuted out that only about £2 hud been paid as interest for overdraft. Thus the Southern Ridings have tangibly before them the sum of about £70 to pay for the anticipation of revenue thought so advisable. To reassure Councillors the Chairman is further reported to have said " iv the meantime the revenue was pouring in, so that the County was not at present in any financial difficulty, nor was it likely to be so." Why then press so hard for the appointment of a Collector at £140 a-year ? This is very like an answer to my last letter, and appears to have soothed all the Councillors except Mr Sanson. livwa our worthy re presentative, Mr Bookstrow, stated he "quite agreed with regard to matters of finance. Ho had been to the Bank, and found that the Couuoil were in a very good position." Yet he voted for the Collector ! Taking the position of their banking account as admitted by the Chairman, it

showed, on the day of the meeting £1281 in credit, df which sum, however, £1080 was trust money lodged by the Government to pay for certain works to 6e executed; At the close of the meeting they Had paid away abdtit £1000, and therefore had only actually to their credit at tht Bank £231, being really, as regards County revenue, £81K> in debt, and this is described us uu overdraft that " only existed iv imagination," and what Me Kockstrow describes us being " in a very good popition." I am, &o, Foxton. Foiton, June 9.