The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1884. The County Council and the Road Boards.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1247, 7 May 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1884. The County Council and the Road Boards.

It is impossible to do other than sympathise with the desire of the farmers of this district to escape the imposition of heavier rates than they have had to pay in the past. What between indifferent crops, low prices, and a general depression of trade, the lot of the Ashburton farmer, just now is anything but a happy one, and although, in the ordinary course of things, better days must come, still the immediate outlook is full of anxiety. It is just at junctures like the present that people arc apt to snatch at - the first method ot partially or wholly relieving themselves from their troubles which is suggested to them. Hence the proposal, suddenly made, to merge the Ashburton County Council in the Road Boards seems to have been welcomed by a not inconsiderable number of persons as an easy means of saving expense in administration, the assumption being that if the County Council were abolished or cast into that state of suspended Animation for which a thoughtful Legislature has provided in the Counties Acts, the whole of the present outlay of the Council would be saved, and the need for raising rates to meet that expenditure would' cease. Concurrently with this agitation a current of opinion is moving in favor of leaving the Council still to perform its functions, but nevertheless consolidating the existing rating powers so that

there shall be one rating power only in the district, in other words it is proposed that either the County Council should raise all the rates in the County and divide the proceeds between itself and the several Road Boards, or else that the County Council should be deprived of its rat-

ing powers and be supported by the Road Boards, which would, of course, have to proportionately augment their present rates. As to this last proposal we are unable to see what relief it would afford to the ratepayers. It seems to us a matter of no practical consequence whether a ratepayer has to pay a shilling rate to two separate local bodies or a two shilling rate to one local body. Of course, if it irritates him less to pay the single heavy rate than the two light ones, by all means let his tastes be gratified; but save for the purpose of satisfying a sentiment of this kind, we do not see what object is to be gained by the change. It is curious that these attacks upon the County Council should have originated from a part of the County which has hitherto been free from Road Board rates, and where the Road Board administration is anything but popular, -if we are to judge from the contents of a numerously and influentially signed petition for the division of the South Rakaia Ribad District, which has for some tim<i past been under the consideration of the County Council. In politics, as in war, diversions are sometimes useful. However, leaving aside the question of the real cause of the present movement, let us consider by the light of plain facts what saving, if any, in the cost of administration would be effected by the abolition of the County Council. The permanent staff of that body consists of three persons —name’y, the Clerk, the Engineer, and the Water Ranger. Taking these officers in inverse order, we would ask the advocates of the proposed change how they would provide for the inspection of the water-races, supposing the Council were abolished and the Ranger dismissed ? Would they leave the hundreds of miles of water-races in the County to look after themselves ? The races require constant examination, not only for the purpose of ascertaining that they are in proper repair, but also to prevent trespasses. One might have imagined that in a matter of this kind the good feeling of the persons concerned would have tended to the conservation of the races, but experience has shown that such is not the case, and that there are plenty of negligent and icckless people in the county who are always ready to tamper with the races, and waste and divert the water for their own convenience, but to the detriment of their neighbors, whenever they think they can do so without the risk of detection. If it be urged that this work could be devolved upon the present Road Board staffs, the answer is that if the Road Board officers had such an onerous duty thrust upon them, a proportionate increase would have to be made in their pay; and the cheapest as well as the most efficient method of inspecting the water-races is to employ one man to spend his whole time upon the work. If the Road Boards took charge of the public works now under the control of the Council, they would cer-

tainly require engineering assistance, and if they called in an engineer just when they wanted him, but declined to engage him permanently, they would assuredly undergo the experience of many public bodies in New Zealand which have already tried the experiment and found it a remarkably expensive one. We do not for one moment agree with those who imagine that because our system of water-races is nearly complete the services of an engineer are become superfluous. It would hardly do to entrust the charge of the headworks to inexperienced men. A deluge from the Pudding Hill dam might lead even our Methven friends to the belief that there are worse

things in the world than a County rate; but apart altogether from the waterworks, a variety of public works are constantly going on which can only be properly constructed under the supervision of a trained engineer. Would, for instance, any intelligent man seriously argue that the protective works about to be constructed on the Ashburton river could be safely entrusted to anybody but a skilled engineer; or that the intended repairs to the Rangitata bridge with not require similar supervision ?

As to the Clerk to the Council, the immense amount of clerical work and correspondence with all sorts of per” sons and public bodies which is entailed by the various public works in which the Council is engaged, the management of the Hospital, slaughterhouses, pounds and other makers would certainly have to be done by somebody, if

the Council were abolished to-morrow ; and as people are not accustomed to perform such work for the love of the thing, we apprehend the ratepayers would find that under the new regime, they would have to pay for its performance just as they did under the old, although it might be in a different shape. Whether the Council could get its work, clerical, engineering, or otherwise, done more cheaply than at present, is a subject upon which we offer no opinion one way or another : all we desire to point out is, that a certain amount of public work has to be done, and would have to be done even if the County Council were abolished,^and

that work must in the ordinary course of things be paid for, so that it is a mere delusion to suppose that by shifting the duties of the Council upon the Road Boards the expense of the Council’s staff would be saved.

The examinations for prizes were commenced in the Borough Schools to-day, and will be continued to-morrow, conducted by Mr W. L. Edge, M.A., Inspector, who has kindly given his time and cervices for that purpose.

Mr Joseph Ivess, member for Wakanui, will address his constituents in the Town Ball this evening. There was a clean sheet at the Police Court this morning. At St Stephen’s schoolroom last evening the initial concert of the series of eight to be given in aid i f the Church funds took place, and was on the whole a success. The Bev E. A. Scott occupied the position of chairman, and Mr Sidney Wolf presided at the pianoforte. The various items on the programme were creditably rendered, and the audience testified their approval by continual applause.

We were shown this afternoon at the local workshops of Messrs Reid and Gray a very simple and effective mode of affixing wire to iron standards for sheep folding purposes or wire fencing of any kind. The principal use of the standards are for folding fences for sheep on turnip or stubble, and will no doubt be much more used than the ordinary netting, as any kind of barbed wire can be put on the standards and slightly strained without threading It through the holes of the standards in the ordinary way. The holes are cut on one edge of.the standards so that the wire can be put in without threading it. A hooked wire staple fits over the wire and keeps it firmly in its place in a very ingenious manner, and the total extra cost' of the standard is only two pence, against sixpence in the old sheath me’hod. Mr Gray, one of the partners of the firm, is the original maker and patentee, and we expect to see the standards in general use hero, as we are led to believe they are in the South. Early ou Sunday morning last abo.it 280 sacks of wheat, the property of Mr Charles Leitch, were destroyed by fire on that gentleman’s farm at Dromore. Up to the present no clue has been obtained as to the origin of the catastrophe, and we regret to learn that the grain was not insured. The annual meeting of ratepayers of the Mount Hutt Road Board district, held yesterday at Methven. was sparsely attended. Mr Julian Jackson presided, and the report and balance sheet which was read showed a credit balance at the Bank amounting to L 775 17s lOd. The Chairman pointed out that a large expenditure had been incurred during the past year in-remedying tho injury caused by stormwater in the district, and he added" that unless some satisfactory scheme was decided upon to remedy the difficulty, it would not cost less than L2OO to keep the roads in proper order for t-affle. 'ihe bai <nce at tho Bank was so small that for the future the funds would be expended almost entirely upon the maintenance of existing works, as he thought that the district was so heavily rated that the Board would not be justified in levying a further impost. On the motion of Mr J. F. Tiobell, seconded by Mr Gunn, the report and balance-sheet was adopted. A discussion on the question of dual local government then ensued, in the c >urae of which it was stated that other districts in the County had replied to tho resolutions pissed at the Methven meeting. In answer to a question from Mr Alihgton, the Chairman said that the County Council were now negotiating with proprietors with the object of getting the teat channel by the side of the railway taken on to private property. After the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting separated, .1 man named G. Moyle was killed at Goat Valley (about four miles from Wanganui) yesterday by the falling of a tree He was working with another man who

was fellin'; a tree, and when the tree was about to fall his companion called but to him to get out of the way. Not hearing anythi ->g the other man went to look and found the tree had struck another tree and fallen on Moyle’s head. An inquest was held in the afternoon at which a verdict of “ Accidental death ” was returned.

The wreck of the brig Bio Grande has been abandoned to the underwriters, who were to sell her to-day. An official enquiry was held yesterday, but nothing new was elicited. The Native Minister has decided not to prosecute the gold prospectors, Barry and McDonnell, who were arrested by the natives and sent to Alexandra. It seems they were not aware' they were breaking the law, though they really rendered themselves liable to be fined LSO each for prospecting on native land, title to which had not been determined.

The official enquiry into the foundering of tlje steamer Kangaroo will be held on Friday. The young man Huxtable who absconded from Auckland with L6QO by the recent San Francisco mail boat has been heard of. He became enamoured of a lady passenger and married her, and settled down on arrival at San Francisco.

In the New Plymouth Supreme Court m civil sittings the case of Gibbes and wife 01 v Samuel Leatham and Black w.’s heard tl yesterday. This was an action for alleged T libel by the defendants on the plaintiffs, tl damages being laid at L 6,000. Mr s< Hutchison, of Wanganui, prosecuted, and a Mr Hesketh, of Auckland, defended, >1 r f< Hutchison applied for a change of tentie. si oh the ground that a fair trial of the case b could not be had iu New Plymouth. J After Mr Hesketh had replied, hie Honor s ruled that the place where the parties \ have been known for years was the place • to try a case where the question of \ character was at stake. He would there* 1 fore refuse the application. The question t of publication of libel was then raised, i and Dr J. Murray Gibbes, one of the f plaintiffs, was put in the box to prove it. f The question raised was, nere lettors from 1 Mr Samuel, ss solicitor, to Mr Roy, 1 another solicitor, privileged communications 1 In his evidence, Dr Gibbes ad- < mit ted writing a letter to Dr Hoy, autho- i rising him to act for him white he was ’ away in England. Mr Hesketh then < applied for a nonsuit, on the grounds that the letters on which the action was laid ; were privileged communications. _His i Honor granted a nonsuit. Mr Hutchison i intimated his attention to appeal. At the Dunedin Police. Court yesterday John Pearce was committed for trial for abducting a girl, aged thirteen. He had brought up the child from infancy, the mother making occasional contributions to her support, and lately she had obtained possession of her by an order from the Supreme Court of Melbourne. Ihe girl was going to school at Dunedin, when Pearca met her, and at h : s request she went back to live with him. They were i stopped at the Bluff on board the Mel- : bourne steamer. i A moderately attended public meeting ’ was held at Dunedin last night, convened • by the Committee of the new Constitutional Reform Association. The principal t speakers were the Hon. Reynolds, Mr - Stout, and Mr Bastings in favor of the I Association, and Mr M. W. Green against , it. A resolution, “That the Copatitu- ■ tional Reform Association deserves hearty j support,” was carried. > Mr Seddon, M.H.R. for Kumara, adi dressed his constituents at Dillmansto irn > on Monday night, and received an «n----i thuaiastic greeting. In the course of his t remarks he made a strong attack on the a Government Insurance Department. He e said he should remain true to the Oppos sition. Mr Montgomery lacked firmness, t and it took a lot of provocation to bring s him to the fighting pitch. With the exs ception of his weakness for Canterbury e there.was not much to find fault with. Hewas y afraid the majority of the North Island d members in Opposition would not follow > Mr Montgomery. Sir George Grey was d the fighting chief and natural leader e under whom the Opposition would best e succeed, and as Premier would be acceptable to both Islands. Sir George Grey, t Mr Montgomery, and Mr Macandrew, and x tho leading members of the Opposition n would no doubt settle their differences p amicably. As one of the rank and file his d place was to look on and vote straight, d Hop Bitters has restored to sobriety and it health perfect wrecks from intemperance. Peruse all.—[Advt.] Wells’ “Rough on Corns.”—Ask for , Wells’“ Rough on Corns.” 7 Quick rea lief, complete, permanent cure. Corns, warts, i" bunions. The N.Z. Drug Co., General ’> Agents. 2 h “ Rough on Rats.”—Clears out rats, mice .e roaches, flies, ants, bed-bugs, beetles, insects, o skunks, jack-rabbits, gophers. Drugi- gists. The N.Z. Drug Co., General Agents. 2