County Affairs.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 85, 31 March 1914, Page 5

County Affairs.

affairs of tho Council could have been fully and freely discussed. Previously Wilson had been in charge of operations in the East Riding, and received 10s per day, the other foremen receiving 9s. The Council brought Wilson's wage down to 9s and ho resigned, as tho amount of riding he had to do made it necessary that his wage should be higher to pay for horse feed and shoeing. Then the East Hiding members advised the cutting of the Riding into three districts so that no foreman need ride more than three miles. These men could bo called upon to do a day's work each day. The new system was just going back to the old system. The Council seemed to pay the Engineer for supervision and now another man was to be paid to supervise. The East Riding had only two and a half foremen, half of one man's time being spent in the Mangaehu Riding, and this was only their fair proportion, as evidenced by the valuations—East £341,000, North £278,000, South £241,000, West £227,000, Mangaehu £95,000. He was convinced that the East Riding workmen were being made scapegoats. They wanted full value for their rates and they wanted good roads, and his opinion was that the only way to get the best value was to have the whole time of their Engineer or to have an overseer for the whole County, with a consulting, engineer. The Engineer was paid £350 per annum for part of his time, but. they could not say what part—it might be a half or a tenth. Mr Were and he felt that they could do no good for the riding under the system, and in fairness to thr men they resigned. He had in his mind three charges which were brought against East Riding workmen. One was that one man had worked for a private individual while drawing pay from the County. The charge was investigated and found to be groundless. Another was that one foreman was endeavouring to get Hie foremen of tho County to strike for higher pay; but. this was also found to be groundless. The third charge was made by the chairman, to the effect that the foremen on their own account employor! too many men. This had been denies by the Engineer. These were the only charges brought forward and nothing had come of them.

Mr Were spoke in similar strain. Ho said there had been some talk about the metalling work at Toko. Men were put ; on the work who were no good, but the foreman could not sack thm until he saw how they worked. Tt was the fault of the Engineer in not being able to sort out good men when he engaged them. He hoped good would come from the resignations. Ho did not think the Council would now engage another engineer until they had tried an overseer for the whole County. CHANCE OF A CHANCE. Mr Walter said that the Patea County had called for applications for an engineer, to devote his whole time to County Avork, at £350 per annum, and they got. seventeen applications. There was not much engineering work to do in the Stratford County now, and he thought they could get the full time of a, good man for the money now paid to the Engineer. The trouble under the existing system was that the Engineer had not time to look after things as they should be.

Oiij the motion of Mr Phillips, seconded by Mr Young, a resolution was passed that the meeting fully approved the action of Messrs Were and Walter in resigning. There was one dissentient. Mr Walter said that if there was not some hope of the system being changed he would not seek re-elec-tion to the Council. It had been unkindly hinted that they had resigned because the finances were bad, and that they were running away. The East Riding's finance had been bad for a long time, but was now in an excellent position. There was no doubt that the finance of the County generally was bad, and they had to be careful of every penny they had. On the motion of Mr Chapman, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was decided to ask Messrs Were and Walter to nominate for the vacancies on the Council, and the meeting pledged itself to further their candidature. Mr Walter, in returning thanks, said the fight had previously been ;igainst a stone wall, but there was a nrospect of better success in th< future. TOKO IN THE EVENING. There was a good attendance of ratepayers at the meeting in the Toko Coronation Hall in the evening. Mr J. B. Hine, M.P., was voted to the chair. He said it was not offer that there was excitement in Count;'. affairs. He had been on the Council for some years, but could not remem her having ever addressed a meeting of ratepayers. He was glad to se" that interest was being taken in County affairs and that ratepayer! were present from other Ridings to listen to the proceedings.

Mr Marfell said he had written to the chairman of the County asking him to he present and giving lengthy reasons why he should ho present. He (the speaker) met Mr Hathaway on Saturday afternoon and lie declined 1.0 1)0 present, giving as one reason 'hat he did not desire to interfere in the election.

Mr Were spoke on the lines of his Douglas speech. He said that when the metalling was done at Toko the men had to he wrought in from the side roads. The side roads had suffered and the whole blame had been put on the foreman. The Engineer was paid as administrator of the road and not as engineer, for there was very little engineering work to do. At the Council table there was always

a feeling against the East Riding, Mr Walter laid that members for other Ridings had made complaint* about the East Riding foremen. Thif was not fair. People in a Riding should complain to the Riding Members, and if they did not ventilate the matter at the Council meeting the complainer should go direct to the Council. Mr Fryday had gone to one Council meeting and had made a lot lof general charges against workmen, accusing them of loafing. The newspaper did not give any of the charges'. If it had it would have been sued for jlibel, and Mr Fryday also. On Sunday last he and Mr Were went to Huiroa and the foreman asked him what lie should do with the Makuri Road, which is being cub up by oil-well traffic. He said it was no business of hit!. The (foreman then said he could not tell what to do as he had. not seen the Engineer for two months. Mr Walter said he and Mr Were intended to stand again to see how the ratepayers regarded their view of things. A FORGOTTEN INCIDENT. Mr Fryday asked Mr Walter if he (Mr Fryday) had not asked the chairman of the Council to form the Council into a committee to inspect a place where money was being wasted on a job. Did not Mr Walter object? Mr Walter said he had no recollection of the incident. He had no time to go over the roads. He had not gone to the Couucil table to supervise the road work of the Council. Mr Fryday said the Council wanted him to make charges against definite men, but he would not do so—he ', wanted members of the Council to see She roads. 'Mr Walter said that in respect of side roads the Engineer had decided 'to spend as little money on them as possible until he could reinstate them. A ratepayer asked if it was the duty of a foreman to get stone out of the river. One East Riding foreman had been doing so for two months. Where did his roads get to? Mr Walter said the East Riding members were against day labor. To that extent they agreed with the En- ; :nneer.

GOING OVER THE ROADS. Mr G. Sangster said he thought it was the duty of a Riding member to over the roads. He sat at the Council table and voted money for •oads and he should be able to say whether or not the expenditure was

necessary. ■ • > Mr Walter said there were eighty miles of roads in the Riding and money was being spent.on them every month.; The Engineer brought up estimates for the upkeep of the: roads for a year and thoseiestimates were voted. Did Mr Sangster! wish him to go round all the roads? Did members of the Education Boards go round to see if the Inspectors were keeping the teachers up to the njirk ? On the Council there were two members for the East Riding, which was as big as the West and South Ridings put together. Mr Sangster said a foreman might be short of work for his men and recommend that work bo done where it was not necessary. Mr Walter said the foremen had r,o power to make recommendations to the Council. In most cases the demand for work came from settlers, aud one of the Riding members always knew the road well enough to say,if'the expenditure was needed. GENERAL COUNTY FINANCE.

Mr Walter said that in 1909 tho East and Mangaohu Hidings were; combined and their overdraft was about £6OOO. In 1910 they were separated and the East Hiding overdraft was £3500. The other Ridings were in a fairly good position and the North Riding was practically out of debt. Now the East Riding's overdraft Mas only £I4OO, and they had built two houses, bought eight acres of land, and bought a good deal of plant. Real-

ly £BOO of rates had been spent in reduction of overdraft. The North Riding had been spending about £IOOO a year over its rates and their overdraft was now about £3OOO. He and

[r Marfell had always tried to cut

down expenditure, and in the "case of new work they had always demanded that the settlers should give pound for pound. He objected to the Council's system of road accounts, which was unfair. Tn the South Riding they vent on the basis of one road helping another. Estimates should be made \y the Engineer and the money" should be spent on the roads where it was

nost required. Then, if there was nvthing wrong it would be the fault >f the Engineer. '

Mr Fryday: What did you pay for he Straker waggon? Mr Walter: That was before my ime.

Mr Marfell went into details regaining a purchase of land from Mr Walter showing that it was wrong, as had done, to speak of it as a "job." MOTIONS OF SUPPORT. Mr Marfell moved: "That this meeting, after having heard Messrs Wore and Walter, fully approves of their action in resigning." The ex-Council lors had not said as much as the,> might. They had received more provocation than they had given indi-

cation of that night. The Riding should send hack their old members. The Riding had fought for a long

time ofr a change and there now seemed a chance of it coming about. If the old members went back the other members would probably see fit to adopt the change. Mr Fryday had said the Council wanted new blood. Mr Fryday: You want it here. Mr Marfell: There is more need for new blood in other Ridings. The East Riding members have always been the progressives on the Council. The motion was carried, thcro being onlv one dissentient.

On Mr Marfell's motion the meeting pledged itself to support the candidature ol : Messrs Walter and Wore.

MEETINGS YESTERDAY.

IN THE EAST RIDING. i 1 Two meetings were held yesterday in the East Riding of the Stratford County to consider the serious position which arose at the last meeting of the [Council, the East Riding members resigning their seats.

OUT AT DOUCLAS.

OLD MEMBERS SUPPORTED.

The meeting at Douglas was con-

vened for three o'clock, but as the stock sale extended over that time it was decided to set. forward the time of meeting to 4 o'clock. Even then it was about 4.30 before there could be gathered together the fifteen ratepayers with which the meeting started. The sale took place much longer than usual, and by the time it was over those who had intended to attend the meeting felt compelled to gohome. Nevertheless, the position was, fully gone into by the resigned mem-» bers—Messrs Were and Walter. SOME ANCIENT HISTORY. Mr E. Marfell, one of the convenors of the meeting, was voted to the chair. He said that, he and Mr Hine had call, sd the meeting not exactly on their awn initiative, but after consultation with a number of ratepayers. When le had seen the newspaper report of the Council's last meeting, he thought on the face of it that the East Riding nembers had acted hastily, but since he had discussed the matter with Messrs Were and Walter he had become convinced' that they had taken the best possible action. The meeting had, therefore, been called to let :he ratepayers hear the members' version of their action. More or less, stronger or weaker, there had always been a contest between the East Riding members and the rest of the Council, ever since the Whangamomona County had been cut out. He thought that the East Riding had never had x fair deal, but the Riding members had always fought hard to secure fair play. The Council helped the Riding when there were many slips on the roads and allowed the Riding to go into debt, but they charged the interest on that debt to the Riding, though legally it was a charge on the whole County. The Riding members fought hard and had that matter righted. That was only one instance of the treatment of the East Riding. There had always been a contest regarding management, which had never been on i definite basis. The Engineer, when appointed, had no clear definition of his duties and he was- responsible to nobody. When Mr Hatha way became chairman of the County a change was made, the East Riding taking a leading part in bringing it about. It was proposed that the Engineer give his whole time to the Council, and the proposition was discussed in a friendly manner with the Engineer. The East ■ Riding members made a compromise, the Engineer undertaking to do the supervision provided he was placed in full charge of the County workmen. They believed he could carry out the duties promised. There were many ratepayers who thought there was a lack of supervision in the East Riding at any rate. He thought, personally, that the resignations woidd clear the air. He did not wish anybody to think that he had anything against Mr Robinson as regards his ability is an engineer. Mr Robinson was a very capable man, but he thought the Council could get the whole services if an engineer for the same salary as paid to Mr Robinson, and have the vork done as well as in the past. Mr Robinson had too many irons in the ire. He was a capable man, but he vas worth more than the Council "ould afford to pay him. IMPERFECT MANAGEMENT. Mr Walter said that when he was issociated with Mr Marfell on the Council they were not satisfied wrth '.he management. In past years the Engineer had a good deal of new engineering work to do, but this had low eased and there should now be lothing to do but supervision. They bought there should be more supervision, to get better work, both in the East Riding and in the whole County. It was only natural that men would slack off if not properly supervised. He was not saying anything about, the ability of the men employed. The Engineer said he had no complaint against the men employed, but he desired to alter the system. Nothing was said to the East Riding members regarding the proposed change of system until a few days before the Council meeting, when it was discussed. Some people said he and Mr Were had resigned hastily, but they

had not acted in the heat of the moment, and if a like position arose he would again resign. There had often been hotter arguments round the Council table. The resigned as a protest against sacking men against whom no complaint had been made. Tt was very unfair to the men. When the recommendations of the Engineer were brought up the chairman said that they were not necessarily for publication, and if the discussion had not been taken in open Council,

the men would have been sacked and the mention of the matter in the newspaper would have been very short. If it caused a change in the system he reckoned his resignation was the best day's work he had ever done on the Council. Personally, he was friendly with everybody and intended to remain so, and he was sorry that the chairman had "hot attended th» meeting. If he had been present ttt9