WAIKAT0 COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1383, 14 May 1881, Page 2

WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tub usual monthly meeting of the Council was held at the Chambers, Hamilton East, yesterday Present: 1 Captain Steele (chairman), Messrs Hem y, Wells, Kirkwood, Gumming, and Primrose The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Cleric of the Waipa County Council wrote stating that that body declined to bring the Slaughterhouses Act into operation in Waipa. The Clerk of the Rangitikei County Council forwarded a circular embodying resolutions passed at a conference of the members of that body and the Hangitikei Highway Board ou the subject of local self-government. It was agreed, as the matter had already been pretty fully discussed in connection with a circular received from the Manawatu County Council, to let the communication lie on the table. The Clerk to the Waitemata County Council wrote asking the co-operation of the Council with a view to making an alteration in the present system of holding Assessment Courts, so as to enable each county to, appoint its own Judge. No action was taken in the matter. The Chairman of the Tamahere Highway Board wrotej asking for a grant of £50 towards opening up new roads in the district. He pointed out that the Board had not received any county subsidies since September, 1879. At the close of the meeting it was resolved to grant a sum of £40, the amount to be debited in equal jproportions to the ridings of Kirikinroa and Cambridge. The following accounts were passed for payment :— A. Campbell, for fencing, £32 10s ; J. Russell, for labour on road at>Hakan«a,, $5 9s; Waikato Times, ,£3, 12s. Cr. Henry 'drew attention to the necessity for repairing several bridges in the Rangiriri district, The Clerk was authorised to procure the timber necessary. , Mr, Busby, of Miranda, wrote asking for a sum of '£30 id 'erect a bridge to connect the settlement with the main road. He pointed out that the settlers had paid rates' for some time, and had as yet got no assistance. Mr McKinnis wrote on the same subject at a late« date,, stating! that the Telegraph .Department had erected the framework pf t>he bridge, and that a sum of £5 was required for completing the work. ■ The Clerk sais both applicants were in arjjeara with their rates, f and' it was resolved to ) aptifytliein < that when their rates wera paid the Council would give the matter, -their [Consideration, Mr Breakell, C.E., waited on the Council with plans, &c, of the proposed

road 'deviation Toles Hill and itatahura. 1 " He submitted two proposals — one to make n bridle tr.ick, and the other a passible dr.iy jo id, with, estimates .for. c,icli, s a»d -'j.it}ng r that he. could have the spoaifijadous.' ready the day tiftot iusU'uotious were given td 'execute game. The nians were approved of, and the Clerk was authorised to tike the necessary steps to get them approved by the Chief Surveyor. In reply to the Chairman, Mr Breakell stated that the deviation wai through Government laud, the distance being 1 about 535 3 tailed. The Chairman said in that case he could see no reason why the work should not be proceeded with at onc3. It w<i-> resolved that a bridle track be made, and Mr Brodkell was instructed to draw up the specifications, tenders to be invited without delay. It was resolved that a rate of Is in the £ be levied on the rateable vilue of all land iv the oucdistnet of Rangiriri. Tho Clerk said he had been a^ked by the Chairman of the Cambridge Highway District to got the Council to legalise the pouud lately erected iv that district. He might hay" that he saw nothing in the Counties Act by which the County could delegate its powers to Ro.id Boards,' although provision was made for County pounds. He suggestod that the Council should empower him to take the necessary 8 epa in the matter so soon as he should discover the proper mode of procedure. This was agreed to. The Clerk said, the only other subject to be dealt with at the ordinary meeti.ig was the question of the riding accounts, which Cr. Wells intended to bring up. Ci. Wells said it was with a great amount of diffidence that ha rose as a young member to talk of the finances of the County to those who had made those very finances. He hoped, therefore, they would extend to him that amount of consi 'lerition which was due to him and prirdon any erroi s into which he might fall. Ho had heaid rernaiks made outhide with reference to the distribution of the County funds,, derogatory to the Council, and he thought it would be desn able in the future to put the accounts on such a footing as would remove these impressions ; to seciue that the books of the Council would show that there was some uniform system of distribution, and that the different ruling balances should always correspond with the County balance. He was pleased to hear that it was the general wish of the Councillors that such a system should be inaugurated : it was Mtnply a matter of book-keeping. It was a strange anomaly that the County should have a credit balance of some £520 in reality, while, tried by the riding accounts, there only appeared to be a balance of about £39. It was extraordinary that there should be this apparent discrepancy of about £4SO. Had the County balance been on the other side of the ledger there would doubtless be a row ; as it was, they were satisfied that, however the account stood appaiently, the money was thcie. He did not for a moment wish to infer that he thought the accounts were not properly kept by their treasmer. He was sure they all had the greatest confidence iv that gentleman's ability and integnty; the fault was in themselves. No mere matter of account keeping could set the matter right, but the authority of the Council must put it right for the future. There was nothing to prevent their acting in regaid to County works in the future as they had in the past, and still make the liding and county balances correspond. For instance, it would be easy m the case of a work like the Whanaatnaiino budge, to grant s.ay £000, to be equally contributed by the three ridings, provided they were all interested in the work. The Treasurer's books would thus balauce. His idea was, that an account of the money accruing from each riding should be kept, as, at present, and the Council, after retaining the amount requisite to meet the expenses of working and the construction of county woiks such as the "W^uigainanuo bridge, the bridge over the Nairows, or the railway survey, should return the balance, placing the amounts to the credit of the several ndingo, m proportion to the amoants otiginally accruing from them. If this practice were established, each ruling would know its position, and exactly what to expect. It would create a feeling of confidence, because whether in a majority or a minouty, members would know that they would get the amount standing to the credit of their respective ridings. In going over the returns furnished by the clerk, he had made a short abstract, showing in a few figures how the money had been expended during the past two years. He might sum it up in this way: During the last two years, Cambridge riding had contributed £933 to the County fund, and had received by way of grants £959, leaving a debit balance of £26; Kirikiriroa had contributed £373, and had received £764, havirg overdrawn to the extent of £220 ; Rmsririii had contributed 6912, and had only got £05.3. He contended that it displayed a want of system to find one riding getting some £200 more than its fair share, or in other words, of the others' money. jTo put al the ridings on the same footing would require about £700 They, however, had not this sum of money in hand ; and he would therefore ask the the Council to do what conld be done with the money at their command to remedy the wrong which had been committed, and lay down some uniform system for the future. For the purpose of testing the matter he would move "That the moneys now in hand to the credit of the County up to 31st March la*t be placed to the credit oi the several ridings on the basis of the return furnished by the Treasurer." This was seconded by Cr. Kirkwood. The chairman expressed hi" willingness to vote for laying down a system as suggested by Cr. Wells for the future, but was averse to making it retrospective, because many works which were strictly County works had been executed. Cr. Kirkwood spoke strongly in support of the motion urging the claims of the Cambridge riding. At the same time he took occasion to express the opinion that where there were more than two Highway Districts in a riding, the money should be divided amongst them in proportion to the rates collected. , He said that hitherto the Cambridge Highway Board had always got more than its share, to the detriment of the Town Board. After some further discussion, The Chairman, while he agreed with much that had been said by Crs. Wells and Kirkwood, said he was opposed to the laying down of any cast-iron rule. The Council was not simply a distributing body. Cr. Wells was willing to square up, giving all the ridings a clearance, and making a fresh start. In this way Kirikiriroa would still be more than £100 better than the others. Cr. Primrose opposed the motion, because it would reduce the Council to the status of a mere distributing body* Cr. Wells pointed out that the effect of his motion would be nothing of the kind, because in' it provision was made for carrying out County works, &c. He had endeavoured' to make himself clear upon that point. Cr. Primrose pointed out that while other distriqta had always received more or less Government aid, Kirikiriroa had always had to depend upon"its own exertions, aitf Reserved, help, though he

admitted that thiVhad nothings fed •do with the subject /wider discussion. Ultimately .the motion was agreed to the distribution of the balance in bank to be as follows :— Ranginri (including special grant), £285 18s lid ; Cambridge, £■150 ; Kirikiriroa, £84 17s 9d. The Council then adjourned for lunch. On re>uiniti{f, Ci. Kukwood made an application for £100 tor the Cambridge ndiii*. Contidering that £150 had been plnced to their credit, the request was, he thought, reasonable enough. Theie wore several very larure works in hand at present. The applio ition was granted.

Special Meeting. A ppeoinl meeting to pa^s the bi-annual accounta was held im mediately after the above. The Clerk submitted the accounts which had been by tho auditor and passod, tho auditor however having taken exception to several items, the objections bemg noted down in led ink on the books. The Clerk rend correspondence which had passed between himself and the auditor, relative to the Litter's action. The Councillors strongly condemned the auditor's conduct and passed a resolution to bring the matter tinder the ' notice of the Colonial Secretary. The Chairman then signed the accounts which were ordered to be advertised, and the Council rose.