CARTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1211, 17 May 1895, Page 20

CARTERTON.

At the last meeting of the Wairarapa South County Council, Councillor Buchanan, M.H.R., drew the attention of councillors to the probability of the Government introducing in the coming session a Bill to simplify local government, and he expressed an opinion that local bodies would do well to carefully watch the actions of the Premier in this respect as it was probable that he would insert a clause in such measure giving votes to others than ratepayers and abolishing plural voting. At the late County "Conference in Wellington, the question of county amalgamation was discussed, and it was recommended that the areas of counties be increased and the number of road boards be reduced. The object of this is to give to county councils larger governing powers, enabling them to deal with charitable aid, to have their own police, to control their own affairs in relation to stock, branding, fencing, exterminating rabbits, noxious weeds, licensing and other measures of local rather than colonial importance. Such increased powers to county councils would relieve Parliament of an immense amount of work, which it is contended can be carried out by county councils, provided the areas of counties were enlarged so as to lessen the number of councils. Now Councillor Buchanan, being a stedfast opponent of the present Government, has strong suspicions of the motives of the Ministry in everything, they propose to do, whereby they may have the chance of putting into the hands of the floating population greater power than they already possess, to the detriment of property-holders. The majority of the Council are with him in this respect, and they are sending round a circular warning other councils and local boards of the danger impending, and asking them to unite in a common demand on the Premier to submit to them, for their consideration, any measure he may propose to introduce this session in the direction of local government. It is just possible Mr Seddon would have taken this step without a special request from the bodies interested, but he certainly does not get credit for good intentions at the hands of Mr W. C. Buchanan, hence the resolution.

The opposition is not to the measure so much as to those who have the framing of it, and the fact that good or bad, if the Premier introduces ic, it will become law in the shape he deems best without those directly interested being first consulted. County reform is needed in the direction of giving them greater powers, but if the councils are to be elected on the' “ oneman - one - vote " principle, councillors may well tremble for the result. Under the present constitution councillors are elected on “ plural ” votes, the holders of property of an annual ratable value up to L 25 a year having one vote each, up to LSO two votes and so on up to L 350 a year, when the limit of five votes is reached, all property-owners valued over that sum being entitled to that number. This enables large propertyowners to secure a preponderance of power on the Council and as the Premier holds not in fear or favour the runholders as a class, judging by past legislation, there are just grounds for their fear that any Bill introduced by the present Government in the direction of local government, may injuriously affect the holders of broad acres and unduly favour small settlers by giving the power into the hands of the latter with their numerical strength to secure an undue proportion of representation on the councils. That the existing local boards will fight hard to retain plural voting in favour of property there is not a doubt, but a dread hanging over them of the alternative of a residential qualification, they may be inclined to accept the, to them, lesser evil of “ one ratepayer one vote." The Minister for Public Works has sent up Mr Hay, Government Engineer, to report on the damage done by the floods to the bridges crossing the Piuamahanga river at Gladstope and Kokotau. He

J went out on Saturday with Mr C. E. Bremner, County Engineer, to inspect the localities. At present there is a big gap of 60 feet between the bridge at Gladstone and the bank oil the east . aii,d at Eokhtaii the 100 feel obiiil of tlie bridge is •just hanging by-a might connection with tli'e shore, and although it has been, shored up to prevent its being carried clean away and is pronounced safe for light traffic to pass over it, those settlers who are compelled to cross the river take the ford in preference to the bridge. Mr EL H. Walters, County Clerk, who a month or so ago had the misfortune to he kicked by a horse tied up outside his office by a ratepayer and which he had co pass, is not progressing so favourably as his many friends would wish. The fracture of the bone being so close to the knee renders the process of the bones knitting together a very slow one. It is to bo hoped he is possessed of more than a fair share of patience as he i 3 likely to have a long spell within doors. He has an extensive business on his hands, and as he still supervises it himself he cannot give Nature the chance she would hive with one entirely free from business responsibilities.