Piako County Council.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2011, 28 May 1885, Page 2

Piako County Council.

A deposition fiom this body consisting of Messrs W. L. C. William-,, ,1. C. Firth, C (Jould, and W. Chepmell waited upon the minister re £3000 balance of grant duo on account of expenditure on tiamway. Mr Firth acted as spokesman. Mr Firth in opening the question explained at some, length tho financial position of the council. Its present indebtedness was £11,00.). The total revenue including gold revenue for year ending 31st Match, 18&") was £3000. Last year had been one of gre.it slackness and depression on the goldfield, but there were not wanting indications ot a levival. Addition.il entcrpiiso would ensue from the introduction of cm tain now appliances for the crushing of quait/. and the saving of gold, the i eduction of ciushmg rates winch had recently b^en made, and a better acquaintance with the way in which tho gold in deposited in the reef.s, and m the system of woikinp. The goldrield's ie\enue was leckoned at £1500 to £2000; fuither, Mr Larnach would doubtless agree with them tli.it ivn indebtedness of £11000 was a vory serious burden for a county council in a stiuggling distiict Mich as this. They could 111 fact sustain it no longer witliout some assistance from tho Government. There was a sum of £3000 to which tho council considered itself entitled from Government during Mr Rolleston's administration in 1883. The council then applied for tho balance of £3000 due on account of tramway expenditure on the tramway which was £18000, which on the system immed would bo £12000 from Government and £l'>ooo from council. They had got direct from Parliament £(iOOO. They then applied for the othei £t»000, but only got £3000 and weie told if they did not take this in satisfaction of the whole claim they would get nothing at all. Ho, Mr Firth, did not think it was proper for a Minister to extort a promise of that nature fiom the council. The council was such in need of money at the time and the then chairman acting in the best interests of the council accepted the money ou the condition that the council should ask for no inure. This £3000 thei efoi o was due for sometime. As to tho £8000, balance of tho council's indebtedness, lie thought the Government inierht lend them that sum on the sccmity of tho gold lovonue, which amounted this year to £1300, and promised to increase to about £2000 next year. Tho loan could bo repaid m, say, seven or ten years. In case the gold revenue should fail — which was not by any means likely — tho rating power of the council could bo taken as collateral seculity. A i'd rate would bring £3,.">00. They had not considered it advisable to levy a rate like that, as tho money so raised would be solely for tli? benefit of one corner of the district .it the expense of farmers and wool giowvrs scattered throughout tho country for whom tho goldfield had no piactical concern whatever. The goldfield was a national concern which ho thought tho Govirnment of the countiy might fairly be c.illfd upon to assist. Mr (Jould said the farmeis veiy naturally object to be taxed for the exclusive benefit of t\ic goklfiold. Home of them lived fully thuty miles fiom tho goldfield. Mr Firth pointed out that for some years tho entiie levenuc of the county had been spent on the goldfiold, while tho lest of tho county had boon neglected. Ho would also point out that they woie not making any claim on account of tho numerous other works they had carried out. The amount of private euteipiiso was very considerable, and Government, considering what had been done, had been asked for very htllo money. Mr Firth then pointed out thwfc by tho Government assisting tho goldfield the traffic on tho l ail way, which was shoitly to bo opened, wjulcl bo greatly increased. Now batteiios would bo started, and as a water supply might not bo available, coal would h,ivo to bo conveyed in largo quantities for steam purposes Tho groat burden which tho council was

labouring under was extinguishing not only the council deUt, but the goldheld debt with it. The held had languished because the council had not been able t» > reduce the tiamway t.uiflf. E\ery rcduc tion they made on the tiamw.iy meant an increase of many thousand-) of tons of ijintt/ foi treatment. By the council being lehowd of thin financial incubus, it would be able to make a frosh start and d<> -i lot ot good Doth for the county and the field. Respecting the proposed loan referred to by Mi Fnth, Mr Larnath >.ud it was out of the question, and he did not think Parliament would sanction it. Tho Tiust Commissioners from whom the money was sought to be bou owed weie perfectly independent of (Jovemtnent. The Counties' Act pnmded for ru is ing loans. The ratonav'is sanctum must be obtained, and the council could then apply to the Trust Com missioneis for the money. Did the council contemplate levying a county rate? Mr Futh replied that they had already tiled to do so, but in consequence of the extraordinary construction of the act they were unable to do .so. The law required a vote of no fewer than two-thiidhof theentiie \otes oxercisable in the county, which was impossible owing to the number of absentees and fiom other cause". Air Lainach : I can tell you that will be altered next session. The law in this respect will be modified, so that the power can be exeicised. Mr Whyte urged tho claim of the council to the £3000 balance of grant due by Mr Rolleston. Ho pointed out that this •vas all the money that was availuble, or no doubt Mr Rolleston would willingly have given the remainder. The council had tried to get the money out of Parliament last session. Mr Larnach said he thought tho reason the money wan not put on the estimates was that the Government thought tiie council having got £9000 had got quite enough. Mr Whyte thought that as to whether the council had got its fair share or not, Mr Larnach could judge fiom what had bet n done in the shape of works. To his mind the council had not got a big shaie at all. Mr Lainach .said no doubt the council had done a lot of woik, and were deserving of assistance, but the question was not one of lneiit, it w.is a question of \va\s and mean*. He would bung the ni.ittei under the notice of the Colonial Tiv ismei, and recommend that a giant of £3003 b* placed on the Estimates foi the ci unity, mid when placed on the Estimates it then lested with their meinbei whether it w.is stippoited and passed. He could not ab-o lutely piomisu it to the county, but he s.iw then position was rather eu.barr.is-.ing. New me isiues were being prepaied to <li» away with the necessity of going to (ro\ eminent fni these things. Then* wit. going to bj a geneial washing up all round, and he believed it was very much wanted. On some further rem irks fiom one of the deputation i expecting the piospcnty of the held, Mr Larnach .said ho was undei the impicsaioti that if the charges nude by the battery were reduced, that would tend very much more to a reuval in mining circles. Mr Firth pointed out that every possible concession hid been made by the battery company. The iatei hid just K-en i educed. The chaiges were lowei than at the Thames. The battery was crushing two tons fur about Bs. Mr Lainach : My recommendation icspecting tho £3000 would Ihj on tho condition that the county would strike a county rate to enable them to pay off the balance, the Act being altered so as to make it possible to do .so. Refening to the (Joldfields Tax, Mr Larnach said he considered this a veiy fair tax indeed, as it was a tax on results. He thought it would be a groat mistake to abolish it, though the Uo\ernineet weie in a niUiisiiie pledged to do so to a. certain extent, leaving it optional with the county councils to exeicise it. Mi Lainach thought the chruges on the tramway— 4» lid a truck— weie too high. Mr Firth p rintod out that last >eai the tramway had been run at a loss of £1100 to the council. Doubtless if the (io\ eminent tieated them liberally they would bo able to muke a t eduction. Mr (rould rental ked that as additional ciushing power was being provided, the cost of crushing would be leduced. AH quart/, that was under existing charges unpayable might therefore be made payable. This would then inciease in traffic, and the traffic being inn eased they would then be in a position to lover the tramway charges. Mr Futh pointed out that the piopiietois of the piesi-nt bitteiy had to piovidc their own watei-powui, wheieas at tho Thames the water i.icos had been cuistiucted by (In 1 eniUi 'tit. This wis one le.ison why ciiishiiig should be ch "a per at the Thameh than at To Aioha. Again, Te Aroha quiit/. was from 30 to .")0 per cent, harder than Thames cjuait/. ; and oven with those disadvantages they ciushed for about 4* per ton weight. Mr Keinick pointed out that at the Thames the battei\ c mipauies had to p.ij for their water supply to the county. Mr Futh leplied that the interest on the 0 ist of constiucting their water-races was very much great -i than tho r ¥ nt paid by the Thames contpinies. Mr Larn-ich said 'the (Joveriinient weie veiy anxious to assist the mining industry in every way possible, nnd his visit was with no desire to siippoit one p.ut of the colony against another. His object was to deal fairly with all paith alike.