THE MINISTERS AT RIVERTON.

Southland Times, Issue 3315, 4 February 1879, Page 2

THE MINISTERS AT RIVERTON.

'■'- The'Hon.Mr Ballance;' and the Hon. Mi Stout "-visited Rivertori -yesterday, pursnan." to arrangement, leaving:lnvercargill early, ii-" the forenoon. On arrival there the Hoi. Mr Ballance was interviewed by several -dc

nutations, in reference -to certain, local re^ riuwe^eats; 'Fjrs.fr <ty tfca lift Tfw tye County

Council, in reference to a site for county^ offices. They pointed out that a site^iniglifbe secured on tha ground devoted to^Spyemi/ meat buildings. Mr Ballance; ;repjie|l;-^thip; he would look into the' matter, witbHHe vie^? ; of seeing how much space would beXiequirepf for the Government buildingsi4>and fti possible a site for v the ";countyifipffi<?63l would be reserved. The sarae^d6pu|^ tion also made representations \ia^^<K theborrowing power of County Councils, 1 which they desired to have extended. They i^pointedf out that. - theu-p6w6iv them -atpresent wastoo." limited, as they "could only" borrow, upon three-years' .rates. Mr Ballance acknbvylQdged the|justicej of theiricdtnplaint, and assured them" it was the intention of the -Government .next session to place the County . •^6tincili : in'' the^saß^'-p^^^ palities, in reference' to'fbbrrowmg— that is, -to give them unlimited power, subject to the sanction of the ratepayers being obtained, to any loan required, and subject, -"of course, to the disposition of the public creditbrjtplendi The next ;matter brought under the notict^ of the hon.- gentleman "was the desirability^ oi erecting two bridges over the^AparimfCri.ter, to connect the railway systcra. Mr Ballttuce, in answer to this, reminded the deputation of the, policy announced, by the Go vernmeiit last.s6ssiqn as to the; .cohst.ructibn of 'roads and •'biidges, arid pointed but : : that so long as the Government had to carry- out the railways and other large public works, and so long as subsidies were .paid to. local bodies, they ; (the local bodies) should uridertakesucli'works : themselves.. ; He 'promised them, however, that he would/ .bring-, the matter under the .notice of the Minister, of Public Works,, but--cpuld :'not, at the 'same'- 1 tiinej "hqld: but any /hope- that ,,the policy,' aiinqunced "By filr. , Macandrew on this sjibject -last session could ; be departed fipni., . A; dep'utktibn of 'farmers was next received in reference to the! Otautau statipn, which, .th^y. urged, r be; removed to a point nearer the road. Mr; • Ballance thought -the requestjeasonable, and; ■jpromised. that it : .shb ( uld receiv.e., attention.^ , The ,^same Jdepufetipn" valsp ref ierredrtq the valuation, of runs , under the Land Tax Act, and jirged: that a concession .should to place them oa r a difierent/footing/frpm private properties.,- -Mr. Bailance .replied /that r.tlie.^^House. had^ decided/,last ■'session ;ttiat Crp^n rtencufes . : ,qquld : . not ■ • be . placed ; . m a different: .position from free holdings. ',■' He , ppintedioui, ; howeyer, tnafetnematter mi^ht receive consideration next session when the Land Tax Act came up for amendment.' At the : - request of the. resident surgeon, -Messrs Stout and Ballance visited the Jqcal hospital, and .expressed ..themselves greatly pleased with all they' saw. Mr Ballance /d'e bribed it as one o| ; the best , arranged arid best ; maaaged institutions, of its kind .in the. colony, and reflected great' credit bathe place and on the resident surgeon^ Dr\ Mouckton. The Ministers returned in the afternoon, arriving at Invercargill at; 'about half^past six o'clock. ' They proceed 't'b Queenstown tomorrow. . - - .