SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1365, 29 June 1878, Page 3

SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of members of the Selwyn County Council was-held yesterday morning. Present—Hon. John Hall'(chairman), Messrs Tancrcd, Lee, Rolleston, McMillan, Enys, | Matnias, and Dr. Turnhull. The minutes of the last ordinary meeting { held on the 31st May, and of the special meeting held on the 14th June, were read and confirmed. THE CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. The Chairman then made his§statement. The subjects alluded to in the chairman's speech were then taken and dealt with as follows: — BAEAIA CONSEEVATOBS AND PEEBY. A resolution approving of the ans wer forwarded by the chairman to the Colonial Secretary, respecting the extension of the conservators' district, was agreed to; as also another approving of his action with regard to the Grorge Perry. 0 ' -.CHAKITABIiE AID. ! The/Chairman referred to the letter of Mr ',■ March'',enclosing one from the Government \ [these have already been published], and read >, 'the 1 following telegrams : §; ,| :" . -Wellington, June 26, 1878 _ k i Replying .to your telegram on charitable aid, | .Governmonment is not of opinion that legislative ■sanction is indispensable to enable it todistriHuxte: the vote for charitable aid on the principle Kfcrisiders most advantageous to the public, ■krinciple was affirmed by the resolution of Hfcistchui'ch Conference. Nd'rating powers |Lconferred on local bodies undertaking ■Land therefore the definition of disof local convenience, only GoHLbs to place the distribution in the ■klocal bodies,: and to pay half the Hkif beuig'made up by voluntary Hkratos from local funds, the in this mana er the true Mfccessary expenditure will be Hjsent the Government ■the |BphMg^Mgug^ydxß,

carried by you at the Christchurch Conference, which was accepted by the Government. If, either by benevolent associations or machinery of the local bodies, the provincial district is prepared to undertake distribution of charitable aid, I sh.dl be ready after Ist July to give every facility, and will handover monthly, till organisation completed and subsidies can be accurately computed, one-twelfth of the gross sum expended within the provincial district this year in charitable aid. the distribution among the local bodies should be made by themselves, and I will therefore pay the gross sum to the Mayor of Christchurch or such person or body as they may select. G. S. Whitmore.

The Chairman continued—They were now in possession of the state of the case. It was now for them to say whether they could see their way to undertaking the duty, and if so he would be glad to learn from them by what machinery it could be carried out. He considered it objectionable that the transfer should be made from one body to another without the consent of the latter; such a course was likely to end in confusion. The change should be effected deliberately, as the result of a well digested scheme. Mr Rolleston asked that the resolutions passed by the Conference should be read. The resolutions were read.

The Chairman said he noticed from the report of the Conference on the preceding day that there had been considerable difference of opinion expressed. He had been unable to be present, and so also had Dr. Turnbull. Mr Rolleston said that what the chairman had Btated in his opening address embodied his opinion, and he would be very glad to propose a resolution upon the subject. He trusted that the Council would concur with the remarks of the chairman. It would certainly lead to very great confusion if they had the County Council taking upon itself, without the authority of the Legislature, the responsibility of administering charitable aid. This should not be done until the liability for the expenditure had been fairly adjusted between the councils and the municipalities. He had seen correspondence which seemed to hint at extravagance having been committed in Canterbury. He had had to do with the expenditure here to a large extent, and thought it a matter of congratulation and not of reproach to the people of Canterbury that they had shown themselves determined that this question should not be left without being fully dealt with. It had been fully dealt with ; but elsewhere it had not, and in consequence of this there had been a determination of cases requiring relief to the province of Canterbury. This he believed was much to the credit and not to the disgrace of the province. He was inclined to think that there existed a great deal of distress in other provinces, and the Council had no wish to see a state of things created which would eave the poorer portions of the colony in a condition of starvation. He would move—- " That this Council has fully considered the telegrams from the Colonial Secretary, of tbe 24 f h and 26th inst., on the subject of Charitable Aid, that the Council adheres to the approval already given by it to the proposals of the Christchurch Conference on this subject, and believes they should be given effect to with as little delay as practicable, but that in its opinion this cannot effectually be done without the authority of Parliament. That to alter existing arrangements during the very short time that must elapse before the subject can be dealt wi'ih by Parliament would be unwise, and apt to lesd to confusion. That this Council is without any machinery for discharging the duties it is asked to undertake. That under the above circumstances it regrets it cannot accede to the proposals contained in the telegram from the Colonial Secretary, and is of opinion that until due provision is made by the Legislature for the introduction of a now system, the existing machinery should continue to be used." He would propose this resolution without any feeling as to the course pursued by the present Government. The question was a very difficult one, -whatever Government might have to deal with it. This Government had inherited it from the late one. It was the result of the perfectly incredible vacuity and shortsightedness of those who brought about the destruction of those institutions which were working these matters well. That was where the blame in this matter mainly lay. The Council, while carrying this resolution, had no wish to embarrass the Government, but only wished to have the matter placed upon a proper basis.

The Chairman here announced that he had ■jtisfc received a report from the Conference held on the preceding day. This he read. Mr Tancred seconded the resolution proposed by Mr Eolleston. Dr. Turnbull rose to propose an amendment. He entirely concurred with the letter sent by the chairman to the G-overnmenfc. That complfitelr coincided with his ideas of the subject, as did the resolution he- had drawn up. He would have no objection, however, to withdraw it, should the Council wish. In the resolution proposed by Mr Eolleston the Council absolutely refused to to accept the responsibility. The difference between it and his amendment was' that the latter recommended postponement of the change. He would propose the following : " This Council while fully acknowledging the duty of localities to support by rates or benevolence the charities of their districts is of opinion that even now the extent of those charities has become so great as to make their efficient management a matter of such national importance as to call for immediate legislation by Parliament. ,2. Failing to see what harm is likely to result from' the continuance for a few months of the present system, this Council respectfully recommends that the transfer to local bodies be postponed until Parliament has had an opportunity of expressing its views." He proposed these two as an amendment to the resolution brought forward by Mr Eolleston. He thought it would be as well for the Council to express its opinion upon this matter. He could not help saying t.hat he thought it a mistake for the Government to act in this arbitrary manner, because when Mr Eeid brought in his Charitable Aid Bill last session at its second reading members were led disMnotly to understand that a more comprehensive measure would he brought before them this next session. He believed that was the general understanding; yet in the face of the immediate' meeting of Parliament they were asked to adopt a system which would bring about a state of confusion of which those who were proposing it could, he felt sure, bnve no idea. Such a step on the part of -ithe Government must almost entirely alienate aP the faith and trust that local bodies should have in the Executive of the colony. It would make them believe that the Executive of fcho country was ad easily swayed by petty and minor considerations 0.3 the smallest local body. Such a shifty policy as thai; shown by the Ministry made the status of the Government fall very low. This piece-meal and desultory treatment of a great subject was also mischievous, because it was initiating a system which would hardly be undone by the most herculean action of Parliament for many years. Parliament v/ould never be able to overtake the amalgamation into one uniform system of the different interests of the provincial districts. They now had new counties municipalities, electoral areas, harbor boards, river boards, and probably water-race boards, the area of one overlapping that of another, as the Drainage Board overlapped the municipalities, and each of these bodies had power to tax and to borrow. The confusion must be very great in a short time. They _ were asked to take over hospitals and charitable aid, the consequence would be that there would follow a hospital rate, a charitable aid rate, and possibly a poor rate. The whole thing was to be cut up into disunited merits instead at in 'u philc*3 Bt - Bo far fwim maiJll lb development

•pting-'r., handsel-;' necessitate Bold country fti rates, &c. HKombine ''as merit, and Bt"^ T bodies Hfto Jar ■ o Bfc e duty

upon which the rates should be levied, and assistance from Government should be receivable. Thus the entire administration could be handed over to the local board upon a principle laid down. In a Bill such as he had indicated, which might even go the length of giving power to borrow, they would have a guide. The localities ought to face the difficulties of the position, and say that they were not only willing to expend the rates, but ready to pay interest and principle of loans necessary for the construction of institutions which may be found to be required. But the conducting of such institutions was not a mere local concern. It was a great national difficulty. This should not be forgotten, and he said a national difficulty should never be thrown as a burden upon localities. Local bodies were unable to grasp the whole idea. Some would leave their lame and sick to become more lame and sick, and would shut. their eyes to the fact of suffering beiug among them. There should be a governing act, which should first tempt local bodies by the offer of subsidies, and failing these should coerce them. He would instance ,Great Britain itself—and they could hardly realise the extent to which Government had gone in the matter of national difficulties. Take the growth of State support to education. The Imperial Government in 1840 gave £30,000, in 1878 it gave £2,327,730. This enormous amount was given because education was recognised as a national difficulty. In addition to that the loans amounted to £5,500,000. In 1875 the loans amounted to £4,000,000. The Imperial Government support for county and borough police at the present date was £900,000, yet the management of this was in the hands of local bodies. The grant to the police in Ireland was £1,086,168, to the London police £433,000, to the Dublin police £136,000 a year. Ignorance, poverty, and crime had, though only of late, years, been recognised in Great Britain as great national difficulties. Within the last quarter of a century the Imperial Government had risen to the occasion, yet in this young country they had a Government thrusting upon local bodies, which must inevitably fail to cope with them, the same difficulties. He, therefore, entirely agreed with the resolution proposed by Mr Rolleston. He just wished to make one or two more remarks. If the colony had taken to itself the revenues set aside by this province for the purposes of primary education— Ths Chairman—'fhree-quartera of them. J

Dr. Turnbull continued—lt did not matter. If they hud that as a definite fact before them, they should put this also before them with regard to the charities of the colony, which in some places were endowed, that such endowments should go to a central body and not be kept for local purposes. The endowments made for local charities, hospitals, and lunatic asylums should go to the whole colony. That was the principle he would like to see adopted as it was a just one. As matters now were they had seen so many mistakes made that they were almost justified in Baying "Whatever is, is wrong." The taking over the lunatic asylums by the Government was a mistake. The Government of course should care for those who were unable to pay. Many lunatics had been placed in asylums when their parents or relatives were unable to pay for them, but these had within the last few years risen to great wealth. Patients were sent in on the most trifling grounds ; he did not mean that there were trifling grounds for believing them insane, but that they were able to be paid for by their friends. The expense fell upon the country when it ought to fall upon the friends, who should be made to support such patients. Therefore he said that an enquiry should be made, and in his opinion a definite period, two, three, or five years, in the future when the parents or relatives should be compelled to keep their insane. Such an interval as he had mentioned would give time for the erection of private asylums. If it was the opinion of the meeting that Mr Rolleston's resolution expressed the feelings of the Council on this question he would ask leave to withdraw his amendment, but if Mr Rolleston had no objection, he (Dr. Turnbull) would like to have his amendment seconded and discussed before being withdrawn.

The Chairman thought it would be well not to have the amendment discussed. Some of .the local bodies had agreed to accept the responsibility ; the Council, therefore, by adopting the amendment, might interfere with their action. It would be as well if the Council only expressed what its own intention was. Dr. Turnbull then, with the leave of the Council, withdrew his amendment, and Mr Rolleston's resolution was agreed to. registration of dogs. The following resolution was agreed to : " That the chairman be requested to apply to the Government for the appointment of the clerks of Road Boards as registrars of dogs in those casas where the Boards have consented to their so acting." ROAD DIVERSIONS. The Council adopted the report of the standing committee on road diversions, and resolved to confirm the decision of the ratepayers of the Rakaia Road Board district for certain road diversions. MALVERN WATER RACE. This committee obtained an extension of time in consideration of their having only recently received some necessary information from the Government. SHEEP AND FENCING BIMS. The Council adapted the recommendations of the Conference lately held, "with a modification in the latter as to the distance apart of standards in wire fences, and requested the chairman to forward the report of the select committee of the Council on the subjectof the alteration required in the Impounding Bill. COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE. The following resolution was agreed to :

The following resolution was agreed to : " That for the information and guidance of the representatives at the approaching Conference of County Councils in Wellington, this Council expressed its adherence to the resolutions adopted at a meeting of five members of the Council, held in May, 1877, on the subject of the changes which are required in the Counties Act, so far as those resolutions continue applicable." In speaking to the resolution Mr Bollesion said that his opinion bad been that: the counties wsw too small, but the course which should now be taken was to form a Council which should be a kind of federal council for the different counties, and which would perform their higher functions. Ho feared it was impossible to re-unite the Councils, he was going to say into a Provincial Council, but for the rabid hatred felt for such a term by yome. But that there must be some kind of a substitute for a Provincial Council was proved by the fact of the several conferences which had been recently held, and wore really Provincial Councils under another name. They could not be dispensed with. It waß absurd to suppose that a great national subject, such as had been alluded to by Dr. Turnbull, could be dealt with by counties. The larger the area the better its administration would be. The tendency of sill living organisms was to develop themselves. The counties would split up, especially when the question of taxation came on. / His opinion was that some kind of federal/Council would be developed from the county System. With respect to the provincial district of Canterbury, he was still of opinion that two such councils —'one north and /the other south of the Rangi.tata—would fairly represent the common interests. He staid this because he believed that the country south of the RangU fata would not consenj/to one council for the district, though he believed'there was a good deal of late repentance in that part of the country on t&e subject 6£ the unity of interest between the tracts of country north and ooufch" of that river. That would be a . sufficient explanation, of the ' modification •'which his views had undergone, not that he differed in opinion as to what should have been, but a change having ta'kon place, any further change would be no more than a development from what now existed. APPOINTMENT 03? TREASTTBEE. Mr W. Jameson was appointed treasurer of the Council, he finding security to the amount of £IOOO. the premium for which is to be paid by the Council. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount'of £B.O 9s 8d were ordered to be paid.' j ' ' APPOINTMENTS. The Council went into committee to consider fcbi applications for the offices of. «ngi-

neer and of inspector of slaughter yards. Mr Webster was elected engineer, and Police Sergeant Walsh inspector. GLBNTUNNEL BRIDGE. Mr McMillan moved —" That a committee be appointed to report on the best means of of carrying out the views <of the petitioners, and report at the next meeting." Mr Matthias seconded the motion, which was agreed to. TOWNSHIP, It was resolved that the Council should request Government to take the steps necessary for laying out a township adjoining the Horndon railway station; the land to be taken from planting reserves Nos. 1748 and 1749. LEGAL ADVISER. Tt was resolved to request Mr Joynt to undortake the duties of solicitor to the Council, and the chairman was requested to ascertain from that gentleman upon what terms he would act. ADJOURNMENT. The Council then adjourned to Saturday, 13th July. SPE.CIAL MEETING. A special meeting, to consider the by-laws regulating public pounds, was then held. The Chairman read the by-laws, which were approved of, and the special meeting adjourned to the 13th of July.