Wanganui County Council.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 6454, 6 March 1888, Page 2

Wanganui County Council.

The usual monthly meeting of the Wanganui County Council was hold this momma, when there were present — Crs Poison (chairman), J. N. Jones, E. R. Morgan, A. Mason, R. Neileon, Bmith, and F. C. Harrison.— After the minutes had been read and confirmed, Mr Brownlee attended and drew the attention of the Council to the condition of his road branching off from No 2 Line- The road was about 25 chains, and he wished to have some gravel laid upon it. It was decided, on ths motion of Cr Neilion, to obtain a report from ths Foreman as to the cost. Mr Brownlee offered the nae of a team and driver to assist in the work. — A letter was read from Dr Grace, who asked the Council to do lomethiDg to make the road passable between his place and Wanganui. The Chairman pointed out that though Dr Grace was a large ratepayer, a large put of his rates went to the Maugawhero Road Board. He thought the present a favourable time to read 1 statemant prepared by the Clerk. The statement showed that in the Matamatonga Riding, the, general rats was £1800] sd. Expenditure —Main roads, £243 4s ; distriot roids, £127 03 6d. Purirq Riding— General rate, £378 14s lOd. Expenditure— Main roads, £122 7s 4d ; distriot roads, £248 Os 3d ; total, £370 7» 7d. Kaitoke RidingGeneral rate, £301 lQj sd. ExpenditureMain road»— £3B 7a 7d ; diatriofc roads, £131 6s sd. Rinkatea Riding— General rate, £238 16s 2d. Exponditare-Maia road, £88 7s sd ; distriot road, £99 11s 7o\ —The chairman pointed oat that they w«re rapidly going in the wrong direction, and the only way to meet the diffionlty was tq either reduce their expenditure, or inojeaae, the rates. There was a feeling ontside, and even in the Counoil itself, that they' might have dose, more in opening up roadi to the interior, and the members of the. Council, in fact,' had not performed theii; duty in this work, He admitted they t»d; not done as much as they OHgh,t to, hay% done or would like to b,»v^ done. The ex;--penditure, in tUia w^rk would benefit the Bo^oug^ of Wa,ng«nu,i more than the county, and it might appear at first.sigbt entirely so. No donbt the expenditure would benefit in a small amount the country. Looil bodies liked to benqS^ direct as well as indirectly from tbe;r owns expenditure. _ Feeling in the back oorntrjj was in direction of, opening np roads, evea if it entiled more rates. The back distriots. had to hear special rates in an addition to> general rateat If they imposed, rate to opan up the mifx^ they were tbrestened wjth. th,s imposition, of a rate for the nor* ot. Wawganni; White they were willing to make rpj»d« th%y Vfejr» afraid of the additional rate, which *•' do them op good. He felt co* 1*"1 * " ' ou '^ conversation he has had *""" -«i»ent from that unfjil they vwr- • lth these 'fttleta encd, ineubu" '' - relieved of thii threatopanm- • «ney would do little towards > * „np the country. The threat paralysed their efforts to open, up the country, and he thought the ratepayers of Wanganui were standing in their own light in preventing the opening up of the country. By first opening up the back country they would make the port, without any additional charges, consequent on the increased trade that would result. Tho settlers would thus be fulfilling two purposes — increasing the trade of the town and making the harbour. Ever since his arrival here the schemes had always began at the wrong end ; in fact.it was like trying to make water ran up hill. No wonder they had not prospered ; the ill-advised badly constructed schemes could only end iv loss. Re had made these remarks because there was a feeling that ths Council might have done more ttan it had, There was only one way it could be done, The settlors were not able to bear rating for two such largely important works aa opening up the interior and making the harbcur. They would now have to study their waya and means. They could not make any other roads, It was a pity the Council had not applied for £3000 a year ago but they had come to the conclusion that ths proposal would not be carried by the ratepayers. The rates were only adequate to keeping the roads already made in repair. A special rate would only go a small way unloas they borrowed under the Local Bodies Act Some of the local bodies had gone the length of borrowing on their own account and it might be rather hard to put a speoial rate over tho whole district. Formal stops were taken with respect to the applioat on by two sub-divisions of the county for a loan under the Local Bodies Loans Act. — It was decided to spread a few yards of gravel on the approaches to. the Matamataonga Bridge, and Dr Or«»>'. etfer waa ordered to be laid n DO n ttl able for future consi deration.- Th. Conn il then »d pnrned until o'olook n *