Levels County Council.

Temuka Leader, Issue 3474, 3 August 1899, Page 3

Levels County Council.

Tho m'mtlffy meeting of the Levels County Council was held ou Wednesday in the Council Chambers,'i imam, There worn pres-lit Messrs Oil). 11 fciutiriiiuli), Pringle, Mee, McLaren, Macintosh, and Butler. Mr Quinn wrote apologising for absence.

Tho chairman said that he would like to make some statement in r egard to the recent court case in reference to damage by a traction engine. The Magistrate had given his decision against tho council, and they had to piy all expenses. Thenlawyer had brought tho case under the Public Works Act, and he did not know if it had been brought under any other head whether it would have made any difference. There was no doubt, ho thought, but that in dismissing the case tho Magistrate had beeu influenced a great deal by the evidence. The man had admitted using tho studs, and it wan quite evident that damage must result. Ho was sorry to eeo that one of tho largest property representatives in tho district had coma forward and given evidence to say that no material damage had been done to the road. It was folly to say that no damage was done. There seemed to be a wish among a certain section of the ratepayers to see the council got the better of. Instead of doing what they could to uphold tho action of tho council, they seemed rather inclined to give evidence against them. This, he thought, was wrong for the ratepayers to do, wheu the council were doing their utmost to protect their interests. Mr McLaren said ha had heard that the large property representai ive referred to was the very man who had complained to their overseer. He would like to know if this was the case, aud in reply Mr Annan ■aid : “ Yei; it was. I was unaware of the damage till told by this representative.” Mr McLaren thought that such proceedings should not be lightly overlooked. What they had to do was to safeguard tho interests of tho ratepayers. Ho thought, it showed very bad form on tho part of a ratepayer to lay a complaint with the overseer, aud thou wheu action was taken to go to court aud give such evidence as was given. It was childish in tho extreme Mr Mee wondered how any m .u could go into court and say that an engine under such circumstances did no damage.

Mr Priug’e thought there must be something wrong, for there should have been no trouble in getting tho evidence they required.