THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

West Coast Times, Issue 1659, 24 January 1871, Page 2

THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Monday, Jan. 2.1.

The Council met in the Supreme Court Hou^e at 7 o'clock last evening. All the members were present.

petition;

Mr Reid presented a petition from the creditors of Mr George Woolhouse, who had undertaken a contract for the construction of a road for the Coun'y Governments. The petition stated that the contract had been taken a? too low a figure, and that no progress payment had ever been made to Woolhouse, otherwise he would not have been made a bankrupt. Mr Reid moved that the petition he received.

Mr Bonar seconded the motion pro. forma. It appeared to him that, had the creditors done wh-it they should have done, they would have carried out the contract, and then they would have been entitled to claim the money. At the first blush, they did not appear to be entitled to the money. The Ghairm vn complained that the mere receiving of the petition did not imply that it sh >uld be entertained. The petition was received. EXPLANATION.

Mr Guinness obtained leave to make an explanation. A paragraph had appeared in one of the papers that day in which his name was mentioned, coupled with that of Mr Barff. It said that Mr Barff had made a statement at one of his election meetings that some of his (Mr Guinness's) supporters or friend* had offered Mr Barff £100 for his vote on account of the Chairmanship, he (Mr Guinness) presumed. He begged to state that, if any friend or supporter of his did so, it was certainly without iris knowledge or consent.

Mr Barm- said that the statement made by him was not exactly similar to that mentioned by Mr Guinness. He did not state that he had received an offer of money from one of Mr Guinness's supporters. What he did say was that an offer of £100 was in a round-about way made to him, if he would vote for Mr Guinness. He felt himself, therefore, placed in a very peculiar position with regard to that gentleman. He was glad now, however, that Mr Guinness had mentioned the matter, and had completely exonerated himself. He had mentioned the fact to most of the members of the Council.

Mr Guinness : Not to me, Mr Barff.

Mr Barff said he was placed in a peculiar position with regard to the member for Greymoutb, and he had not done so. No person had made him the offer of £100, but a gentleman told him that he had been requested to tell him of such an offer, but as soon as be found what it was ht> coiy»sere(Ut fi\irtr*hira, (M.r

Barff ) .to let him know what was going on. He illicit state that the.reply which was sent back, whether it reached the author of not, was in terms more torcible than polite. LAND TBANSI'EE ACT. The Chairman read a correspondence which had passed by telegraph between him and Mr Moorbouse, Registrar of Transfers, as to the declaration of Westland as a registration district. Mr Moorhouse's communication stated that the probable cost would be £1000, and that the amount received for fees had been £445. The Chairman, under the circumstances, did not feel justified in entering into any arrangement with Mr Moorhonse, and preferred that the Council should take the matter fully into consideration. PRISOJf LAltdd. Mr Robinson asked :— " Why the prison labor has not been employed in the con* struction of a road to the Kanieri, according to resolution of County Cduneil last session." The Chairman said that the prisoners had latterly been employed on the extension of Fitzherbert-street, and he believed tbat it was intended as soon as tbat work was finished, that they should be employed on the Kanieri road. For himself, whatever resolutions might be adopted by the Council, he would always endeavor to carry them out in the spirit in which they might be passed. THE POLICE FORCE. Mr Guinness moved— "That it is expedient the police force of the County of Westland be handed over to the control of the General Government, under clause 11 of ' 'I he County of Westland Amendment Act, 1869.' " He had, for several reasons, bro aght this matter before the Council. In dealing with the Police Force there was a great deal of difficulty, because whatever course they might pursue, it would require extreme caution on the part of those upon whom might devolve the duty of maintaining the force in its present efficiency. He had no hesitation in! saying that the police force of Westland would bear favorable comparison with any police force existing in the Southern Hemisphere, and its superior was not to be found in New Zealand. Caution in dealing with the force was, therefore, requisite, but he believed that, whatever steps they might now take, would only be steps in advance of what would be ultimately done in the Assembly. He referred to recent remarks of the Hon. John Hall on the subject, and anticipated from these and other incidents that the General Government would, sooner or later, without their permission, take charge of the force. From his experience, he knew that it was more desirable tbat the control of a police force should be under a General Government than under a local one. There were other reasons for the change, such as the financial difficulties by which they were surrounded. He referred, in detail to the cost of the County Police, which was £7307 for the year, and proposed a number of changes in the grades of officers, &c, which, without material or injurious alterations either to the efficiency of the force or the interests of its members, would bring the cost down to £5411, thus effecting a saving of £1895. He thought it ridiculous to suppose that the transference of the management of the force to the General Government would in any detrimental way affect its efficiency, or the prospects of those who composed it. He believed that, in both particulars, quite an opposite effect would follow. Mr O'Connor, reserving his right of voting, seconded the motion pro forma. Mr Barff opposed the resolution, and anticipated that a majority of the Council would do so. He was disposed to let well alone. They knew that they had a good a good local force, and they knew also that there was in the regular sense, no Colonial force. If the mover could have shown that there was a good Colonial force, and that their own was a bad one, and that it would be improved by incorporation, he would be able to understand his arguments. But what would result from the change proposed? It would simply be a Westland Colonial force. There was no force with which it could be amalgamated, and he saw no object that could possibly be gained. It was ridiculous also to propose to the General Government to take over the Police Force, and then to propose abasis upon which the force should be reconstructed. He had voted against a similar proposal by Mr Harrison, and he voted now against the adoption of any such resolution.

Mr Bonae said the 11th clause of the Act referred to in the motion had been introduced on account of certain action taken in the Council on police matters — action which he and others very strongly condemned, and the recurrence of which he did not anticipate — but he would not

support the motion in its present form. He agreed as to the advantages of having the police force under one general control. There were the circumstances associated

wMi rushes, such as that from Otago to Westland, which made it proper, both for the prevention of crime, and for the protection of the police themselves, that the force should be general instead of local.

In other particulars there was propriety in the force being made general, but he did not see what they should gain by transferring their police to the Government as merely one item of a general force. He proposed as an amendment : — " That this Council is of opinion that the whole police force of the Colony should be placed under the control of the General Government, and that a 9 far as this County is concerned, the Council will be prepared to hand over the County police so soon as a general scheme for accomplishing that purpose is adopted." Mr Barff seconded the motion. Mr Robinson said the member for Greymouth had failed to support his motion by any arguments calculated to induce him to for it. He thought the small amount of crime, and the safety of life and property which they enjoyed was very cheaply purchased, even at the present outlay, but the question of economy was altogether separate from the question mooted in the proposal, and could be considered on its own merits. The remarks of the Hon. Mr Hall might certainly be worthy of consideration so far as concerned the management of gaols and lunatic asylums. He would like to see the General Government have charge of theie departments, but if there was any portion of their social economy which should rest with local bodies it was the management of police. Unless some stronger reasons were brought forward than had been given for an alteration, they could not do better than to remain as they were. He saw nothing to justify the expectation that they would receive any great consideration from the General Government, after that Government had denuded them of their proper revenue. To agree with the proposal would be equivalent to saying either that the force was inferior, or that they were incompetent to manage it, and he could neither agree with th? motion, or the araendmei^ w^ 3

matter for future consideration whether any reductions should be made. Mr Guinness would have been glad to have accepted the amendment if he could believe that it would have any effect in carrying out the object he had in view. He considered that if there existed any danger that the County would lose its best men by the proposition which he (Mr Guinness) had made, as had been contended, so would the best men bs taken away by a reduction of their salaries.

The Chairman thousjhtthat the member for Greymouth, Mr Guinness, was a little out in his calculation. He stated the cost of the police to be £8000 a year. That was so far correct, but then he said that a saving would be effected by Irs proposi* tion to the amount of £1800", when in fact the whole saving could not exceed £700, or £800. Mr Guinness explained that he did not include contingencies either way. The Chairman said that the actual amount for salaries was £7256, without the contingencies. He could not see why the 9aving required could not be effected without giving up the control of the police force. He could say that the whole of the members of the force, both officers and men, were satisfied to have some reduction made in their salaries, even to meet the wishes of the member for Greymouth. With respect to the amendment of the member for Hokitika, Mr Bonar, he £the Chairman) could not see why the Council should declare its readiness to give up the control of the police force to the General Government. It would be quite time enough to do so when asked. He trusted the majority of the Council would not consent to give up the control of a force which was admitted on all hands to be efficient.

Mr Bonae explained that his object was to get the Council to express an opinion on the subject. It was not a new matter. The Hi n. John Hall bad long ago stated that the police, gaol, and harbor departments should be under the control of the General Government. The question had been discussed in all the Provincial Councils, and they were gradually coming round to Mr Hall's opinion. The Council divided on the amendment, with the following result:— Ayes— NoesMr Bonar Mr Robin?on Button Guinness Reid O'Connor Barff. Scanlan The Chairman. The amendment was accordingly lost. The resolution of Mr tJuinnes was then put and negatived on the voices. PUBLIC WORKS AfiT, 1870. Mr Bonar moved :—": — " That copies of nny correspondence that has taken place betwen the County Chairman and the General Government, referring to the construction of water-races or other public works, under the ' Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870,' be laid on the table." He did not think there was any necessity to say much in moving the resolution. It was very desirable that the information required should be obtained. His reason for moving for the correspondence at so early a stage was because of his wi>h that the session should not be unduly protracted. Mr Reid seconded the motion, and it was carried without dissent.

The Chairman said he had onty that very day received a letter from the Colonial Secretary on the subject. He should be very happy to lay the correspondence on the table.

TIIE AE.\ni!RA ROAD. Mr Robinson moved :— t{ For a return of the cost of maintenance of thfl road from Hekitika to Arahura for the past six months ; aho, of the amount of tolls collected on said road for the same period ; also, amount of salaries paid during the same period to toll-collectors on the same road." He had been informed that the cost of collecting the tolls was nearly equal to the amount collected. If that were so, it would be no use for the public to be made to pay tolls which were swamped in the cost of collection. Mr Guinness seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.

ADJOURNMENT.

Mr Bonah, in moving the adjournment, pointed out that seven o'clock was somewhat too early, and moved that the Council adjourn until the following evening at half-past seven. The motion was seconded by Mr Button, and carried without dissent.