DIVISION OF THE COUNTY RATES.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 54, 26 September 1885, Page 2

DIVISION OF THE COUNTY RATES.

Cr Gray, in accordance with previous notice, moved “That an'offer should be made to the Road Boards at Tologa and Waiapu, or if such bodies do not exist, to the ratepayers in those ridings, that if they wish to have the control of their own rates, this Council is prepared to hand over to Road Boards only elected by them, a fair proportion of the County rates paid by them, for the purpose of maintaining their own roads.” He had been led to bring this motion forward, as there was so uiuch grumbling about spending all the rates on Te Arai and Gisborne Ridings. He did not think those who were grumbling knew what they wanted, but he thought that if this offer was made it would tend to show that the Council wished to do what was right. It had certainly been shown that most of the money had been spent at this end of the count)’, and if his proposition were adopted it might satisfy the Coast peop’e. He did not think the Coast people knew what they really wanted, and the agitation had been got up for some ulterior purposes. Cr Ferris, in seconding the motion, thought the proposed measure was better than separation. In looking through the list of expenditure he saw that Waiapu had suffered most, but Waiapu had no roads to make. With respect to Tologa he might say they only had a bridal track. Expending money on the Gisborne road was for the benefit of all. Te Arai had certaitj^^^, done well. (Cr. Smith : Look Gisborne has gobbled up.) He not think that the Coast people’s complaints were fair, as the Council had to make roads where the most population was. He thought Cr Gray's proposition very fair, and then the Coast could do as it liked with its own rates.

Cr Gannon must express great satisfaction at hearing what Crs Gray and Ferris said, as it appeared that they at last recognised that great injustice had been done. He was not quite sure until Cr Gray had set down that he was not joking, and trying to enliven the proceeding a little. The return showed the receipts and expenditure in the several ridings, but there was no date or term mentioned, but he would accept it as for the last six years. Then, again, the return did not show the Government monies which had been granted for the three southern ridings. Therefore the return was not a fair or complete one, and did not show the full state of affairs. As there was no Road Board in Waiapu the Council could not hand any money over to them. The

same thing applied to Tologa. Then who was the money to be handed over

to ? Cr Gray said the coast people did not know what they wanted, but it could not be denied that the whole of the money had been spent in one direction, and the County Council had never f made any effort to open up the Country. The action taken with respect to separation had no bearing upon the personel of the present Council. The present Council was totally unable to attend to the wants of the whole of the present County. The Engineer could not

possibly attend to the wants of about 300 miles of country. Any such action as that proposed was a sort of soothing syrup, and a lame attempt to meet the wants oi tire uotu.viii ridings. When

there was a new County Council then / the County would be properly opened up, and both Councils would no doubt work in harmony for the general Cr Chambers thought that Mr Stray had taken a wrong course, as it would lead to spending rates in patches all over the County. It was only a united large body that could carry out the work. If the Road Boards were to expend the rates they might as well do away with the Council altogether. He would propose that only a requisite proportion of the rates be spent in the separate ridings. The Chairman thought that the present Council was unable to deal with the extent of the present district. He was not in favor either of separation or against it. He thought they had better wait and see the effect of the petitions.

Cr Gray thought that much unpleamight be saved if a lighter rate struck for the Coast. As to there was certainly some /"6oco in hand at the commencement of the six years. If the Coast wanted to open up the country’ they could soon get a Road Board. The population ■was much larger in the Gisborne riding, and they were consequently entitled to a larger representation than the Coast. A committee should be appointed to see what proportion of rates should be offered to the three northern ridings. He would ask the Council to give some . expression of opinion on the division • question. He would also ask that the committee he composed of Crs Gannon, Trimmer, and himself. Cr Gannon thought he should only be misleading the Council by going on the committee. The requisite number of ratepayers had nearly all signed, and the counter petition would then, as a matter of course, be entirely "useless. If three-fifths of the ratepayers signed the petition the Government had no option but to grant separation. The movement was far beyond the narrow view taken by some of its opponents. The best thing was to wait and see the result of the petition, and he had no doubt as to the result. Cr Ferris having been substituted for Cr Gannon, the motion was carried. The further consideration of the return was postponed until next meeting.