GREYMOUTH.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3550, 24 November 1882, Page 3

GREYMOUTH.

November 24,

At the sitting of the County Council yesterday some animated discussion ensued as to a promise of pecuniary assistance to the county made by the Government to MrPetrie last session not having been fulfilled. Dependence bad been placed on the promise to meet liabilities for contracts, a statement of which was furnished to the Government. According to the interpretation of the word " existing" by Mr Martin, the resident engineer, he advised the Government that their promise did not apply to a number cf the larger contracts, and consequently the Council were offered £355 to meet existing contracts, while their liabilities on what were existing contracts, as they had only just fallen in, amounted to £3900. It was resolved, in reference to other tenders since called for, to inform the Government that tbe revenue is quite insufficient to maintain the main roads, and that unless the Government will pay the amount of toe contracts, if entered into, the Council will not undertake the maintenance of main roads. It was also resolved that the tenders for main roads be not dealt with until a satisfactory reply be received from the Government. It was stated in the course of the discussion that the revenue of the county bad been largely diminished by the legislation of last session ; that the Buller County received from the Government £2000 yearly for maintaining the Bullerroad ; and also there was greater traffic on the Grey-Reefton road than on any other in the colony.