The Feilding Star. TUESDAY,MARCH 6,1888. A Pretty Muddle

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 92, 6 March 1888, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY,MARCH 6,1888. A Pretty Muddle

Some time ago we had to take Mr C. Bull to task rather sharply anent his action as a member of the Manohester Road Board, in instigating the refusal of the Board to advertise the Loan proposals for No. 5 Ward in this paper. At the public meeting held at Taonui to consider the proposals, the ratepayers of that "Ward also commented very strongly ou tkeix Warden's conduct, and aZtogether Warden Bull came out of the affair with anytbAng but flying colors* "We did expect, however, though Mr Bull's personal animus against this journal led him into the shortsighted policy of boycotting the confessedly best advertising medium in the district affected, that he would, at least, have conducted the routine of the loan proposals in a legal and business like manner, so that if the ratepayers carried the proposals at the poll, no hitch would arise in satisfying the provisions of the Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886. We knew Mr Bull to be self-suffic-ient and self-opinionated but we did hope he would have exercioed that ordinary business capacity in dealing with the loan proposals, which is expected from a Warden to whose care large interests are intrusted. It is well known that he undertook the whole management of the loan for No. 5 Ward, even going so far as to revise and reduce the estimates of the Engineer, a man of ten times his pxperience, allotting to each road what he, Mr Bull, thought fitting. On him, and on him alone therefore, rests the whole responsibility of the Muddle now made, which seems likely to necessitate a second poll with ail its attendant expenses. It is clearly laid down in the Act that each work proposed must have set down against it in the advertisement the sum proposed to be borrowed for that particular work. This is a necessary and proper provision as otherwise there would be no guarantee that the money might not be spent on works in which the members of the Board for the time being were specially interested, leaving undone works the ratepayers wished to secure. In the case of No. 5 Ward this all- important precaution has been omitted both in the advertisement and in the voting papers, and the Government has now written to know the why and wherefore before granting the money. The estimates for the works in the loan proposals do not appear to be officially recorded anywhere, as was pointed out by Mr Macarthuk. at the Board's meeting on Saturday. They were, it is said, submitted to the special meeting, but are not recorded in its minutes. A set of estimates was read to the general meeting at Taonui, but allocations which do not show in the minutes of the Board, the advertisement of the loan proposals, or in the voting papers, have legally no existence, and the absolute disposal of the money, if once paid over, is at the mercy of the sweet will of the Board, which ia this case means the good pleasure of Mr 0. Bull. The ratepayers would be absolutely powerless to prevent *,he whole of the money being spent, on the Aorangi bridge for instance, under the present conditions. We do hope, however, that the Government will take due precaution, even if another poll has to be taken, before paying the money over, to prevent any diversion of the money from its legitimate objects. Unless, however, some one has kept a record of the amounts, as allocated, read out at the public meeting, no one will be able to tell what those objects were, owing to the absurd and suspicious secrecy maintained. Altogether it is a very pretty, and at the same time very annoying muddle, due entirely to the incapacity — if nothing worse — of Mr 0. Bull in dealing with a matter of rital interest to his constituents. It is unfortunate for the latter that their former Warden, Mr William Bailet is not still in office. Mr Bailey's practical and business like abilities would have steered his ward clear of any such lamentable fiasco as that we have to-day recorded.