FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1812. The County Council and their Chairman.

Northland Age, Volume VIII, Issue 26, 16 February 1912, Page 4

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1812. The County Council and their Chairman.

A Meeting of ratepayer* was held at Peria last Monday and aooording to the notioe of the convenors (the ex-chairman of the Counoil, one of the sitting members, and a disappointed candidate) the business was to protest against the action of the Councillors, in erecting a wall across part of the Mangonui Harbour. We cannot compliment those responsible on the result of the meeting, when the following resolutions were passed —“ That this meeting of ratepayers approve of the actions of the Counoil, in their effort to continue the oonorete well, having for its object, the widening of the Beaoh Road; but strongly objeot to the actions of the Chairman, in not carrying out the resolution of the Council; by diverting the wall, having for its objeot, the reolamatiou of a portion of the harbour, and also regret the absence of the Chairman from this meeting. That this meeting of ratepayers request the Coucil to re-consider, aud resoind their re solution to turn themselves into a Harbour Board.”

The original motion was a protest against the aotion of the Council, signed by one of their own members, and after further consideration we suppose Mr. Povey decided to allow the resolution to be altered, as amended, so as to throw all the onus on the Chairman for any acts for which the Council as a body are equally responsible. If any Councillor cannot agree with the aotions of his colleagues, the best oourse he oan taLe is to resign and so give the ratepayers a chance of endorsing his actions or otherwise. We hold no brief for any party, but we cannot believe that the Chairman has started a job likely to oost £3OOO without consulting his fellow councillors, until we hear for a faot that it is so. We have always blamed Mr. Wrathall for the position of the telephone poles, but this was an urgent matter in whioh he had no time to consult other and perhaps wiser heads, but the wall is another matter, and it appears to us that only when it has oome to a temporary termination, do the public rouse themselves, and theu, instead of going direct to the Counoil, call a meeting twelve miles away.