WAIMEA COUNTY AFFAIRS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 15 June 1926, Page 6

WAIMEA COUNTY AFFAIRS

(To. the Editor)

Sirj-Lih. to-night’s paper'we see a let , thr. from Cr. Berryman, in which In states “that every intelligent reade must be amazed at' the action of tin • "Waiiqea: County Council re his motioi -Afc-v-.the last meeting.” ,It is reall; pathetic, to see this great reformer ii -lockl politics get. such a. poor bearin' ' from his less intelligent brother coun - cillcrs. It is further terrible that tlii ' puerile policy and maladministratioi - still continues in spite of Cr. Berry .'. man’s: efforts. I should like to asl <. Mr Berryman if it is not a fact tliaf. In 1 jhad ample opportunity of proving thi • maladministration before 'flu impartia • tribunal not so., very long ago and failik l absolutely, fri fact his many argument • bn ..that occasion .were the weakest pos ’ sjble, his hobby-horse. of a new ■ count; • cpllapsed under him, ho now rides on .. “that road boards existence is a causi :■ forJhigh rates all ‘over the county.” I i would be interesting to your readers t< 1 know exactly, where' this £I6OO per yea js.,going to 'be,saved by his motion, o ’ where it is a loss to this county. Hi ' states that generaj rates have increase! ; 100 per cent iii three years, bub fails t< I say that this increase has taken pla>c< . 'iii road boards as well as other rid ings.. So in point of fact the Waimei ; County Council has more income now. t< come and go on than even before roac boardscollected their own rates, S( i-therefore if ratepayers are deprived o ; ,inJhe £ Government subsidy, thej • have had to. find, ah extra 20/- in tin .i'aths,(according to.,Cr. Berryman,’* own assertion), .that ought to have sup Qjlfed enough to , make up revenue, tc 'meet the loss, pf the 4/-. Cr, Berrymar pqSes as. a. great man for facts, but. his ■ ; tory has proved, his facts ,in regard tr ’ shch masters to be a negligible quantity, yyhen pjjt tq the test. We sec him pat lijmself .on, the back at the last Hospital Board meeting, but the policj "oU that body did not .get universal patting from .tho Wairnea County Council, and. I evnture to say , that the members are not quite so unintelligent: as. Cr. tirrynian would lead your readers tc lieve. It is moreover a fact, “that Hhe hen that cackles loudest does not lay . the rnbst eggs.” It would he more fit ’ ting if Cr. Berryman would get down tc bedrock and realise that the troubles ol rthe ...Wairnea Couniv as well as other '•loading authorities flftougliout the world is hot maladministration at .all but “that modern traffic and transport bag got for the .time being .well ahead of the ability to'cope with it;” and incidentally this county has a new up-to-date well fur;.hished, fore and aft, hospital to find ex'tralß.sfd. .for.. Sep that you'guard the Expenses as well. on. this local body as you do on the Wairnea County Council, tft is really great to hear Cr. Berryman. .He complains through letters to yoiu paper that, the Wairnea County Council ..utterly neglects bv : roads, and he now is asking road board areas to participate : in\t|iis neglect, ...which he so loudly con.'Hemfjs. He often:, makes comparison .between this county and other counties in 'New Zealand, but .be never states ijfg.L the county he compares with Wai--;iheh, is endowed with the same, lot of poor land and. the same roading etc. That would never) do.'. He objects to '.the erection of a new bridge at Wairoa CRlYer, ,Biightwntcir, which if erected “would be ,paid for bv others wnen ‘•manjn of the present ratepayers are goriV. where I presume there will , be no rates to pay*,.Let me conclude by. sav'ihg'that many of your intelligent readErs ;'tii*q of .the opinion that it is high iiihe Cr. Berrman served up something be, of real profit to. ratepayers, -•instead 'of imaginary facts and figures And charges of maladministration. Thanking ybu in anticipation that you ’ will publish.—l am etc., . S. E. O’HARA. Watimea West, 12th June.