AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 53, 19 January 1877, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The adjourned meeting of the above Council was.held yesterday, at the Court House. Present —The whole Council. Mr. A. I. M'Gregor acted as secretary. NEW MEMBER. J\ The Chairman intimated that he had :■ received notice from Dr. Donald, to the ' effect that Mr. Bradley had been duly elected to serve as & member for Port Victoria. PERMISSIVE CLAUSE. The Chairman said that at last meeting ■ the consideration of adopting the Act in ~ its entirety had been adjourned. . ■Hβ. would now ask the Council's special attention to the 32nd clause of the Financial Arrangements Act, which clause ; absolutely required some action to be taken on the part of the Council at once. It would be necessary for the Council to come to pome decision on the question before separating, as the Act required a detailed statement of all rateable property to be transmitted to the Colonial Treasurer before the 31st day of January inst. This clause went onto ■.say'that, no- subsidy would be paid unless this were complied with,, and therefore if the Council desired to avail itself of the subsidy, it would be necessary to forward a return of all rateable property before the date named in the Act. There was no. part of the measure demanding the imposition of rates. He knew that it was the opinion of a number of gentlemen in Christchurch who had given the matter some little consideration, and whose opinions were worthy of weight, that the Council would be entitled tp claim the subsidies accruing, whether they exercised the rating clause or not. Under clause 8; of the Financial Arrangements Act, a sum equal to the total rateable property within the County would be receivable. He wished the members to bear in mind that the Road Boards would also continue to receive their subsidies. There appeared to him to b& a generally expressed fear on 4he part on of the ratepayers throughout the Peninsula, that the adoption of the Act would bring about heavy burdens upon them. As he remarked, there would be no necessity, to resort to rating, unless the ratepayers themselves and their members approved of such a course. To bring the matter to a close, it would be well if some member would move a resolution, which would'afford every member an opportunity of expressing bis opinion. ■' Mr Fleming would like to know if one riding stood aloof, would the Act be rendered nugatory. He was not » supporter of the Act in its entirety. " :. The Chairman said that it would take a majority of the members of the Council to test the question. " : : Mr. Fleming then moved—"That the third schedule of the Act be not adopted." Mr. Gebbie had great pleasure in seconding the motion, as he was of opinion that it would be a mistake to adopt the Act. If the Council wished to raise money, it must strike a rate. It was evident that the Road Boards were more capable of managing local affairs than persons who < perhaps were likely to possess no knowledge of the requirements of these districts. The Chairman again desired to draw the members* attention to the fact that the money accruing to the Council would be entirely lost unless the list of rateable property were forwarded before the 31st inst. ••Mr.- Barker quite concurred with, the vMnss£expressed by Mr Gebbie, and failed tjreee what benefit the County. Act was -Hkely to confer. If the county lost the subsidies, the Road Boards would receive them. The Road Board system had worked well, and the adoption of the Act would entirely remove the powerfromthe Boards, and on that account, he would support Mr. Fleming's motion. Mr. Bradley said that he was a new mem-1 ber, and not accustomed to speaking. He was of opinion that it would be better to let local men manage such affairs. : Mr. Dalglish said that as the Bill before them for adoption or otherwise was quite new to the colony, it must regarded as entirely an experimental measure. Perfection could not be attained air vat once m such matters, and it would befoliy. to look for it in the present measure i! perpeived that unless the Council accepted of the Act in its entirety, the county wbuld suffer to a very great extent in the matter * of surveys, which he regretted to say were\ very far behind. There #ere many Road ■' \ Boards with good round sums to their credit, not in a position to effect the surveys of their roads, which retarded many improvements being carried out, and which was attended with great loss to the settlers. By adopting the Act in its entirety, they would be enabled to command the services of an efficient surveyor to carry our the surveys, not only to the boundary of road districts, which is generally on the hilltops, but to some useful termination. By not adopting the Act in full, the Council Would be depriving the county of its experience, which, from its peculiar formation, it demands. What would do for the plains would be unsuitable to the Peninsula. He trusted the members would endeavour' to collect information, which might be foiwarded through their representative to the Government, with a view to the" requirements of the district being considered at the next session of the- General Assembly. With regard to loans, he had only to say that since the ratepayers would have to sanction them, he had ho fear that the privileges of the Act under that heading would be ever abused. He was of opinon that it would be for the good of the county as a whole to adopt the Act in its entirety. He intended to vote for the Bill as a whole, as half measures, as a rule, came to naught. Mr. Barker considered that it would be a very easy matter for the different Road Boards to co-operate in securing the services of an engineer, as, the payment of such officer in the end would come out of one purse. He considered that it would be a very hard matter if a loan were borrowed in the interests of a work at Wainui to tax the ratepayers of Little Akaloa for its repayment. Mr. Baker said that the strongest argument that could be adduced in favour of adopting the Act in its entirety, was one brought forward by Mr. Gebbie In speaking in opposition to the measure.

He said that he would leave the management of local affairs to local men, and he (Mr. Bakor) said that was just the reason tho Act should be adopted. He asked wlßit did the Government care about the 1 oninsula ? The members of the Executive were perfectly ignorant of its wants, and unless men who understood its demajula wore allowed to administer its aitairs, the district would never make a stir, but continue in the muddling way as at prosent. All were acquainted with the great difficulty to be encountered in the laying out of roads, and the petty intensts which were being brought to bear to seoure a road to this or the other man's door. It was not necessary for him to inform them how money had been wasted on the Peninsula. If such a body as the County Council had charge of the expenditure of euch money, these errors would not h«ve been oomraitted. In small governing bodies, members were more or loss susceptible to local influence, but in larger bodies the members wero found to be moroindependent in expressing their views, and would be in a better position to judge as to the best roads to construct in the interests of the county. The question of petty roads would not be considered, or whether the making of a road at one corner would benefit the other. Nature intended tho Peninsula to form one county. He thought the boundaries might be improved. Port Victoria, Port Lovy, and Little River might with advantjfcgo form part of the Selwyn County. Their interests were not exactly identical with the other portion of the county. The Council would certainly make a mistake in not adopting tho Act, and he trusted the members would pause before deciding upon the question. Mr. Latter had clearly pointed out that the Council would lose tho subsidies. Mr. Bradley.—The subsidies have been already lodged to the credit of the Council in the Bank. Mr. Baker said Jthat the sums paid into tlio Bonk were merely unexpended Provincial special grants. The advantages to be gained wers so evident that he was certain all the inhabitants of the Peninsula would bo in favour of the measure, and if the Council decided not to adopt it, the Peninsula would rue the day. Mr. Fleming said that his district was quite isolated, and that it had nothing in common with the district. The Act would give Mr. Latter and two or three members all the power. Mr. Baker differed with Mr. Fleming. The majority would always rule. Mr. Gebbie would prefer to follow the decision of other councils. There were weak links in the whole Act, which no doubt would be amended next session, and it would then be time enough to adopt it. The Chairman said that he had been informed by a gentleman who was in a position to speak authoritatively, that the sum likely to be forthcoming to the council as its share of the land revenue on the Peninsula would not be less than £10,000. He, for one, had strong convictions that there were anomalies in the Act. It would be to the advantage of the district to accept of it, notwithstanding. Aβ there were so many works necessary to be carried out, he thought it would be far better to have them constructed under their own supervision, instead of an irresponsible Government officer. Mr. Bakeb said that it seemed to him none of the members were very decided on the question. If they rejected the Act that day, they would not be required to meet again for a year. ft was not necessary to decide the question for three Tnonths, and he would therefore move as an amendment —" That the Council at its ri&feg adjourn for four weeks, and that meeting be held at Haine's Hotel, Jlill Top, at 11 a.m. In the meantime, the be authorised to have a list of the rateable property within the county prepared and forwarded to the Colonial Treasurer in accordance with clause 32 of the Financial Arrangements Act." Mr. Fleming seconded the amendment. Mr Gebbie failed to see how Mr Fleming could second the amendment, he being the mover of the original motion. Mr. Fleming said that he desired a little more information, and remarked that he would, in a great measure, be guided by the decision arrived at by the Selywn Council, which body composed many lawmakers, whose opinions he would be inclined to attach weight. He could gain more information by reading tbe reports of these meetings thaijfi-om all the Gazettes. He had read an extract from an independent paper—the JFablel. The Council had not taken the salary it would have Itf'pay its chairman, secretary, or engineer/ Akaroa would require the sole attention of the latter officer. Port - Victoria could never obtain a visit from Mr. Fenton, he having so much to do. Each riding would require the services of an engineer. Mr. Bradley was not favourable to'the adjournment, as he had ridden 40 miles, to' and had knocked up two horses. Mr. Gebbie would have to procure another horse to ride home. He would like to know how often the Council would have to meet, as he feared few could submit to the inconvenience which would result from attending the meeting of the Council if held too frequent. He would also like to know if the Act were adopted, would the Road Boards cease to exist. The Chairman replied that the number of meetings would rest with the members, and that the adoption of the Act would in no way interfere with the standing of the Boad Boards. Mr. Bradley was glad to hear that information, as he had been labouring under a wrong impression. The Chairman then put the amendment, which was carried, Mr. Barker alone voting against it, and the Council then adjourned