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Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7965, 8 September 1887, Page 2

"A good ,man,n'ever. dies," says a philosopher. Ifjtbat is the case, we shan't waste any more money on physioiam. ** • The following bathing story will bear reprinting:— On a recent hot day a. party of girls were enjoying their quiet .swim in the sea. While disporting in the waves like d lot of mermaids' 'a dude appeared on the soene, and, thinkingj.bat.it would be good fan to keep the girls longer in the , water than they wanted, he took up his station at the edge of the 'water and watohed proceedings. 'The girls, who were all in bathing costumes, did not mind this at first, but at length thinking that he was getting monotonous, they made a sudden sally, caught hold of him, and dragged him into the water. As they were ten to one they Boon made a complete wreck of him, and only let him alone when they had given him a complete soaking. " A door must be either open or shut," says the French proverb, and which it is makes a good deal of -differenca in the case of a flood door in n tunnel under a river when the springs oro out. Tho Sovorn tunnel was mudo^ useless by the tapping of the big spring in October, 1879, and it waa of the last importance to shut its flood door. Lambert, the diver, as Mr. Charles Richardson tolls us in his interesting lecture at Bristol, undertook this delicate operation/but after getting witlrin seventy yards of the spot was unable to drag his air-pipe further. Fleuss was then exhibiting bis invention of a diving dress without \ air-pipes at the Aquarium, and the contractors sent for bim, " but after groping about in the sort of placo ho was expected to go into for a quarter of a mile " bis heart failed him. He said he wouldn't do such a job for £10,000. Then Lambert persuaded Fleuss to lend him hia dress, and after one failure, " onusod by the nose of his mask pinching bim too tightly," he closed the flood door, and the tunnel was put in working order after fourteen months of closure. Think of a quarter of a mile of water to bo pushed through in the dark, and all r.iono. Alone I Soienoe, it seems, has not only its romance, but its melodrama. Miss Meyer, sister" of a fn-hio-iable Melbourne medioo, is astonishi. .: ''io Gorman virtuosi by her skill bo a piaui. „ She has oompoßed an opera, wbioh is to be proI duoe4 shortly, .„ J.^

OOUNTY COUNCIL RATE. ATthe Taranaki Oounty Council meeting on Wednesday the question of levying a rate came up for discusaioii.

Mr. Kelly said that he had not been able to attend right through last meeting, but he saw that it was resolved to levy a rate, and he wanted to know by what authority ? Mr. Lawson, the County Clerk : By resolution of the Council ; and public notification of the same was given through the newspapers for three weeks. Mr. Kelly said that tbe resolution waß void, as no notioe of intention bad been given, and it was therefore nugatory in effect, and all the expense was gone into for nothing. It was the law that 14 days before the making of any rate a public body should give public notice of their intention, and from what time, and the rate book should be prepared and open for public inspection. 'Another meeting, therefore, would have to be held, and if this should not be done, be was certain that tho rate, as at present levied, could be successfully resisted in a Court of law. I ' Tbe Chairman (Mr. J. Elliot) considered that there was no necessity to strike a rate. He said the Council's financial position was sound according to the figures before them.

Mr. Smith : You can't trust to figures.

Mr. Symb said it would be better to take one thing at a time, and they should therefore finish the maintenance of roads business. Mr. Kelly, ho continued, was a little out of order in bringing the matter before the Council just then. Mr. Smith : He was quite right to point out an irregularity. A discussion of a desultory charaoter here took place, whioh was ended by Mr. Kelly telling the Council that he mentioned the rate at the time he did so as the matter should not be overlooked, as he was positive the Council was.in the wrong. Mr. Symb, at this stage of affairs, said he had another little item to tonch on. He wanted to know if the rate roll was ready ? Mr. Lawson : No ; I have been delayed in getting the requiiite returns from the Road Boards.

Mr. Symb said it Bhould have been passed last J une, and asked for the Counties Act." It was produced. Mr. Smith read the Rating Act, which clearly pointed out, he said, that the roll should have been signed and passed through the R.M. Court.

Mr. Symb said section 62 of tbe Counties Act enacted provisions that bad not been carried out. £15 had been thrown to tbe wind. The defaulters had no opportunity of coining before tbe Court, as there was none held. Mr. Lawson : There was a Court' held. Mr. Symk: When? Mr. Lawson : I don't know what date, but it was held.

Mr. Stub : Take notice, gentlemen, he says a Court was held.

Mr. Syme then went on to quota from sections 67, 68, 69, aad 70 of tbe Counties Act, the provisions of which, he said, bad almost been entirely disregarded. He wanted .to. know if the roll had been passed through the Resident Magistrate's Court ?

Mr. Lawson : No.

The Chairman said that if a slight omission had been made could it not be set right ?

Mr. Stub then continued -: It can't be done llt can't be done ! It would need a new Act. It is monstrous the way County affairs have been conducted ? A party down my way who owns three hundred acres of land, said to me the other day, " I'm not on the roll. I pay, between £5 and £6 per year for rates, and yet I' can't vote at the County elections." He (Mr. Syme) asked him wby,and the man teplied that there was no Court held, and then he told him that the Court sat between June 1 and 20 last, or should have done* sol He (Mr. Syme) waß sure that the man could not be forced .to pay his rates, and then hs said that all the people who have come in lately to take up land, would esoape four years' rates. He considered there was gross negleot in the way the Oouuty affairs bad been conducted.

The Chairman said that Mr. Syme was speaking of the electoral roll. Mr. Smith said that Mr. Syme was one of tbe Councillors who had voted against the motion to give Mr. Lawson clerical assistance.

Mr. Syme said that tbe defaulters could vote at the next eleotion, and. any part; who bad not himself enrolled could claim damages, he considered, from the Council. Mr. Kelly brought the meeting back to the levying of the rate by saying that he had looked over the matter and found that they could not levy a rate, as Mr. Morris's resolution was void in efEect. He would move " That it was tbe intention of the Taranaki Oounty Council to levy a general rate of £d ia the £, and £d in the £ for hospital and charitable aid on all rateable property in the County,according to the value thereof, for the year ending March 31, 1888, and tbe rate book will be open for inspection by ratepayers during office hours at the County's offioe on and after September 14, 1887, and payable in one sum on November 1, 1887. The Chairman considered the two should be kept separate, as he was sure the latter would not be needed.

After some discussion the resolutions' were put separately, Mr. Syme seconding both. The only dissentient to the latter was the chairman.