THE COUNTY QUESTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 690, 11 February 1881, Page 2

THE COUNTY QUESTION.

To the Editorof theWi|BABAPA Pah?,

Sih,—ln continuation "of ray previous letters, I propose now to, express my views as to what l the i future of the Oounty system' should be.. I do this with; considerable hesitation, as looking oyer the whole colony I find the complj' cation arising from various ■■'!. survivals of Provincittlißtrij" bd grert that itjis difficult to imagine any uniform can 'be'made applicable'.in-,all oases. The opinion which T now hold would therefore, probably'.be Bo'mewhat'modified by the more, detailed information aquired if Iwereengaged,with.otheira,in"the actual work of. legislation oh ■the,question.. : This,.however, I take, itjjbrno reason why I should hegitaterto state the conclu. fiipna.„whioli, - so far', as fat-fpreßept jn» formed,- I.have been able'tp arrive at, '" lii my ; first., letter I- siii that''''l believo-theprocess'will liaya'to-be rather .one /of gradual development thafi of violent ohaug'e's.";..' Believing .this, it appears' to follbwas a'cqrplla'ry' whatever.... bliang'es may! ,ob''pfle' frojn 'time to.time it, will be ;!>eces|ary to'frainj any Counties Act with, a "considerable degree .of. elasticity,' -bo; it' may be adapted tp'the' Varyln&''clrcurnßtancef! o| different parts of the. colony. This ■being so/itjs. aji tjig sanigitime desirable that certain, broad .'princjpjer be laid, down. and adhered to,"' andftbat these should be of such a nature that in time local difficulties in/the mode of working them out. will disappear, and the result be a tolerably uniform Comity system for the colony. ■•■'" '■■■■'-■'■■■■ r.'tiS

I proceed posy to s]fotp|i a genpral euj» line of these; principles, and will shpijf their probable local!application. ' "' -The first appears to oetiiat'th'e Counties shall he of■ siwh a si?;e as to render the performance of County work, poßsiblp iind necessary. To expe'dt some of thp aniall districts constituted into Counties under.the Act-of 1876 to become in reality anything more than Road Diitricts was obviously unfortunate that political exigencies led to the constitution of no less than 63 so- - called Counties, when probably less tfrnn half that nui|jn(?r were really' requirecj, The reasons for this estrone 'subdivision are well known to' those' ivljo reuiepiber the state of parties'when Prpvincialisfn was abp||sjipd, and it ip unnecessary to refer to them here. The practical consideration • is that there are too many Counties to work any Act efficiently, and it will be for each to consider-the desirability of taking the necessary steps to amalgamate. Recognition of the importance of preserving the complete independence of the Road Boards -iq thpjr :o\vn clearly dpi fined sphere gj aotib'n iV'the next general principle" wliVch/'in' my opinion, should ' guide all future legislation, If'this is done, andthVnumber of Counties re< duced by amalgamation, all the rest will follow, and the neceasary details can bs from (imo to.time provided for by legislation,, as required, These details are of great importance, but the demand for changes in .them must originate rather with the }ocal bodies interested than wj'th the central:, government,' 1 Those mds(! urgently repuiring fair at this :.d«trioV-]'a "concerned at all events simplification of electioh and' voting* by making .'the ratepayers', roll, of tho Bqafds the basis of the County roll, 1 without further question, both:,for, electoral arid voting 'p'drpo'ses-.ttf do which, thJ whole qtany District willhaye to'beinoluded'inapo.unty, instead o£af at -present, partly in .'one.'and ■partly' In anbtfier. Simplification of the proces> of eleotion. in 'ovftfy way,. so as* : to ascertain the will Qf'the.iloctpra-.wkh much leis tret}6Te than iik..praeiit.. the. right 'to erecj-toll-gates should clearly be vested in the ;; Cbun'tiej, fnstead of In the, Board's] -raiat gresent~a ( a it is'clew tha(i where a rpa|:r|ns : through' a.nujiib'erof districts qaclj MWn $?. .fight jp'flreol \ gate' jt.,, would-bp.againstthVge'neral interest fop thetnall to do so,'ana r yet jf'pne does a'nj} retains the proceeds it obtains an unfair adya,n|age oyer others, The provisjons with regard to borrowing require simplifies tion, as at present they are workable. Many-oth'er-.amendittentsm detail are,.required, which'ik' is not necessary to particularise hero; but they are .all of/a, character tending to make the system njuch leas complicated than at present. .' ""; '. : ,

• .With Counties of suoh a. character as they,would soon become ivith these aifer ration?.given effect to, it will be possible to trust the Councils with much larger administrative,, and,in time, senrirleglsktive power, and.then their value will be clearly seen, as supplying the want which is felt of local power between the Government and the Boards.

; If the views I have expressed are sound their application to Ithis. district; is olear and easy, and it will'beseen that if: the course adopted;V the' two 'Councils h|j been .one designed' tojead up frj }he, result ; whion now to\ appear 'praq» tioable,' but whichmfobt have .been ren*. 4ered impossib]& had thesebpdieß,'iii'order to, increase their:' importance;' usurpedi i those' duties which do riot; properly belong ; to them,. Hne;ofpqpduc^;withre|eran^^t^ between '^th^, ; ) and;S;^e.lX3ei^j;^ .GoyOTrimentiM' :fuli£aWpting^ufcffi^ all wksirequired jn|tlie"ilW«d^ffloiri|

:,::, moat firmly decline to Imvd forced upon us the cost of ofieriingCrrtwh Lands for sale and fiettlement—whibli should he paid for <Mit of the proceeds from such lands, Wo must, as opportunities arise, '•' J" under any administrative pnwera con- . ferred. up.m us 'by the Legislature, and by Showing that we are competent to exercise them efficiently we shnH'undoubtedly find that thoy will be gradually increased. While doing this we must, however, be prepared to exercise a sound discretion, and not consider ourselves ..".' "Warily called, upon to give effect to measures unsuited to local requirements in all cases. when we are in a position to do so. The tendency of the Legislature to give ■ administrative power to the Counties last session, in the Rabbit and i>pg Registration Acts, which; Were passed, and the proposed Hospital and ~ Charitable Aids Bill, which, though not - - passed, will probably be in amended form next session. In these and similar directions a field of future usefulness is before us, ; ,and lam convinced that Councils will always be found consisting of men fitted «eir duties if once it is clearly seen iich.Oouncils are not to be content , mere Road Boards. It is chiefly Because I soe the importance of impres- : aing oh the.publio;mjnd the essential difference between Councils and Boards-a ' difference which doe's not seem to me to be sufficiently understood—that I have written these letters- I am perfectly aware that I have very imperfectly done whatl have undertaken, but the subject jßtoo large to deal with satisfactorily : without writing at a length quite unsuited Ao the columns of a newspaper. I have chosen this particular time for writing mainly because I think it very desirable that definite opinions should be formed . on 4 the whole question before the next general election of the Councils, which will take place in November next, If, as I believe is likely to be. the case, the general feeling is in favor of amalgamation of the two Counties, it will be desir- . : able to take the necessary Bteps in time to give effect to it concurrently With the November election. There is plenty of time to consider the whole question carefully before then, and I ahull feel that I have done good by writingif what I haw •saidleads to this being done. lam, 40., 0. Phabazyn.