THE Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume V, Issue 448, 30 December 1876, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times

"THE SPIRIT OF TIItTJMES. S}!ALL TEACH; ME SPEED.": >„'.'• • • . KINGw-JOHN, .ACT IV

Saturday, December 30i 1876.

The, Tauranga County Council, to be composed of seven Councillors, is still wanting the election of two members for the Maketu Riding bef oreaidefinite opinion can be formed^^6f the-personnel of this important body as a Whole ; and *— if their action could.be independent: of the ■ electors — before any decision is possible to be arrived at as to the line of .-action they, are likely to adopt. We say advisedly, ." i£ their line of action could be independent of the electors," .for taking... into ,con- ; sideratidn the ydtaj. importance of the ! measures the Coimcilmay adopt during the. first three months of their- tenure of office, we cannot, suppose, that they will willingly institute ail entirely new system, of c locaL government, on- their own responsibility, and without.f eeling a, certainty that .their action is in accordance with - the wishes* of the electors. At the late meeting in^ Tauranga, when the candidates for County honors addressed v the electors/ one gentleman, , who came forward as a candidate for election in the Makefcu Riding, gave it as his opinion that the fact of the election of a candidate was an, implied, admission on the part of the electors that their responsibilities were taken over by their representa-. tive, and their individual administrative rights delegated to him. We agree with this, view of the' relative position ! of elector and representative;, so far as it applies, to tho working of an ! established order of. things; but are diametrically opposed to its adoption in the present position of County Councils.. The duty of Councillors at the present moment is very plain : they cannot be said to be elected to carry out tho details of a new form of local self-government, but rather to say yea or nay for the whole of the County, as to the manner in which the new form of local government- shall.be adopted. ■ Under thesV circumstances an exceptional claim, should conceded to the electors, and it behoves the newly elected MDo'uncillbra' to act under a cense of the peculiar responsibility of their present position) We can hardly suppose that the Council will for a moment entertain' the- idea' of working the. Act in its entirety,. las the existing condition of settlement in the various ridings in the Tauranga County must at once strike them as rendering such a step most inadvisable for the present. The towns on the. sea-board, and the Highway Districts immediately adjoining them; are the only centres of population at the present time, and it would be a manifest injustice* to say the least of it» tadraw out 6f so< small a radiusy. the funds' ■' necessary' for the maintenance of 'tn'e many miles of main: roads m the interior; The Cost of the maintenance of the Council, under- such circumstances would also be utterly disproportionate to the amount of revenue; raised. If the Taxiranga County were, thoroughly settled as are the Counties in the Hawke'S Bay Provincial District for instance, to.c might

into" fp»Ba in^its $npx§ty _.amp^p^o&jiy^ : alteration necessary in its'^^^ |ojul<J| be ameridedjicir; eMea^pure^ltt||^s^ from time' to^iimej fty tkejEieMp^-pM the Oouncii. In the.^ Tauran^<^b:|fii^| . Eoweyer, ona safe cpur^'of ;pi^e4iu^ alone, .Jtself, *;^a^s^f^ present; sy^en^pl^fftn-.^ ineni by : Eoa^ '-)^Boards,^^ ja^d^-foiactHd'j Oouncii tdpdeclineito'put the yrh:6Lei6i^ th&'^ Gountie&r' A^t^^ yery : is[ tftei ;;^dt i -i| "<. .lias ihe^qi^!i^df.^^^>^^|^i^^ take n,ot,;t]tie;. gentiemeß',w|iqf<;|^e^iap;f: to- the presenfcbe^ of ; the^Ooiinidil are^also'of - thik^pinion^Vi and cpn^patulate the electors idtf-th^- ' Wainiapu Biding on, the wise selection they ; have^^^ madek^^^of .^e©: genlfemenv:. who we feel sure i Tdn^cara^ weigHt^m ; , the Councn,rand ;wiU assist^trits deLiberationp witK; moderatio^Hand^ foresight*:, - \/^ , r' A y . /; rl'^' '^S •