COUNTY COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 633, 8 February 1870, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

(FROM OUR SP3CIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Hokitika, Feb. 7. There was a long and animated debate on Thursday on the subject of constructing the Arahura road on the system of deferred payments. On the tenders being opened it was found that they were all much higher than the price at which it had been alleged the work could be done. Mr Reeves, who is the prime mover in this matter, had assured the Council the road could be made for L2OOO or L 2500, whereas the lowest tender was close upon L4OOO. After the tenders had been read out Mr Harrison moved that the consideration of : them be postponed for six months. He said he had only consented to tenders being called for, in order to ascerta-n a' about what price the road really could be made, as he and his colleague had already been supplied with an estimate of the cost of a road from Greymouth to the Coal-pits on the deferred payment plan. After carefully considering the matter, and having regard to the effect which an indulgence in the specious temptations of anticipating the revenue was likely to have on the financial position of the County, he said he had made up his mind to oppose by every means in his power so dangerous and improper a course except | in cases of the utmost urgency, of which this road was certainly not one. When his colleague (Mr Lahman) brought forward a similar proposition with regard to the Grey and Coal-pits road, he (Mr Harrison) expressed, when seconding the motion, his objections to the deferred payment system as proposed, on the. ground that it was wrong for the Council to incur further liabilities before its present debts were paid. That road was most necessary, for there was no beach upon which to travel, as was the case I between Hokitika and Arahura ; and besides, the Arnold road; until this was completed^ was almost useless. Yet, although both he and his colleague were most anxious to have the road made, they withdrew the proposal in deference to their own convictions of the proper course' to pursue. He pointed out that the County was already in debt to the extent of over L 13,000, which micst be paid off during the ensuing six months, and that it was the duty of the Council to retrieve the credit of the County and free it from its present trammels. He referred to the ill-considered haste with which the Council had, in spite of the earnest protestations of himself and others, rushed into debt for the Greenstone road, which was likely to be, and had been, most unprofitable, and had been the chief means of bringing the County into financial difficulties. He foresaw that if the policy which some members appeared desirous to initiate in the present case was adopted, it could only end in great financial emlvimissments and disaster. He questioned, also, if it were legal under the amende! AU '»f last session. No doubt' the n >*<.! » tui a desirable thing, and should be made as soon as funds were available,: but there were other roads and tracks of ; positive necessity,, urgently required for 1 developing the resources of the country. | Then r part frtim the quesfoxn of necessity,

look at the tremendous premium they had to pay to contractors for deferred payments. One contractor had told him (Mr Harrison) that he should put on an extra charge of LSOO for having to wait for his money. Supposing they did not pay for twelve months they were thus indulging in borrowing money, for it amounted to nothing else, at the rate of 12£ per cent., ... when they ought to get it at Uttle more than half price. He urged the Council - most stronuly to pause before again in-volving-themselves in farther debt, and that too for a work which was reallyfiot an immediate necessity. , A* long debate followed.; Mr Harrison wai supported by his colleague Mr Lahman, who, however, stated that if it had been shown that the road could have been made for L 2500 he would have agreed to its being done. Mr Lahman is strangely inconsistent ; he knows or ought to know the exact financial position of the County, and yet whilst with one breath acceding to the force of Mr Harrison's objections to the principle of further anticipating the revenue until present liabilities are wiped off, he is rpady with the other to consent to a violation of the principle, if the extent be only L 2500 instead of L4OOO. Most probably he found himself fettered by some pledge which he may have given in an unguarded moment to Mr Reeves and his friends. Probably seeing that if Mr Harrison's motion was not met by an amendment it was likely ti > be carried , Mr Beeves moved that fresh tenders for the road on a more modified scale be called for. This amendment answered the purpose of securing those who were not prepared to support the acceptances of any of the tenders just opened. Mr Robinson and the Chairman were the only two who supported Mr Harrison. On Mr Beeves' amendment being carried, Mr Harrison claimed the right to move a further amendment to the effect that the fresh tenders be not opened until July next, but the Chairman very erroneously ruled that it could not be put, and so the road ia to be made. The Council in consenting to the course which it has, is committing a ■ grave error. Anyone who reads the Atiditor's report will see how necessary it is for the County to get out of debt. He lays this course down as the very first duty of the Council ; and yet, with all the .experience of the past before them, and with liabilities to public creditors of nearly L 14,000, all of which mnst he paid during the current half-year, a majority of the Council deliberately rushes into a repetition .of fresh mistakes ; but it is no mistake this time : it is a positive and deliberate act. You can have little idea <if the delicate position of the County — . sound as I believe it to be, if it is allowed to recover itself. 1 will give you an instance, the facts of which I have on the very best authority : The first of our deficiency bills, for LB4O each, became due on one day this week. It was not met exactly at the due date ; but between that day and the following morning the bank threatened proceedings, and intimated an intention vo refuse any more cheques until the bilk were paid. It was paid ; and probably the bank was well assured of the fact that it would be met ; but it shows the position the County "is in. The 'impropriety °f the Council incurring any further liabilities will be seen when I teil you that, the last overdraft of LSOOO was only given on the distinct understanding th*t the expenditure was not to exceed the esliiael meipta for the current half-ye ir. This fact was well known t« several of the members who voted for the Arahura R >ad. Mr Harrison's reaolnlution, for reducing Mie price of the unsold town BQjti:>:u in Greyiuapth, south of Seftun Bridge, and south of the Tramway . Bridge, aver Sawyer's Creek, as far as. Marlbirongh street, has been carried, Singukrly enough, Mr Lahman, who had seconded a previous motion to the sameeffect, opposed I his ; and, with his usual logic uvjiied iLrat that there was no necessity for lowering the price, as nobody wanted it to be reduced ; and second, that if it were reduced at all, it should be class id as suburban land, and sold at L 5 per acre! The Chairman strongly supported the motion, and pointed out, as an instano > of its ti nation, that an application had heeu made to lease a portiou of it for .-i cattle run. It is, I think, unfcns tunr.t) tha 1 . Mr Harrison's original motion with regard to this subject was not adhered to. It will be remembered that when he first brought tie matter forward, he proposed to make some allowance to those who had previously purchased at ttos higher prica ; but Mr Lahman objected to the proposal, and the question of compensation was allowed to drop. Mr Barff has evidently missed his true vocation, and should have confined his labors to the study of animal instead of political subjects. He appears to know something, not only of all the ills that human flesh is heir- to, but of every ailment in the category of veterinarydiseases. He revels in vaccination ; and contagious diseases exercise a special charm over him. At present his weakness, is pleuro-pneumonia, and his study of this pleasing appears; to have had a morbid effect on his mind. According to him, death in the shape of ptenro-pneumoniao virus is concealed in every round or sirloin in the butcher's shops, lurks in every steak cooked or uncooked^ and ia held in suspension iv every basin of soapor bowl of milk— in short, that there is " death in the pot" generally. On Thursday he asked the Council to give him a Special Committee, in order that he might be allowed the opportunity of proving his' cheerful assertions ; but Mr Robinson, the only member who knows anything of the subject, told the Council that it was all bosh, and so Mr Barff, in dudgeon, withdrew his motion with a solemn warning that before long they would regret it. On Thursday evening, a resolution was carried recommending the withdrawal of a certain portion of the town of Greymouth from the Borough, in order to allow it to be brought under the operation of the Gold Fields' Act, Some opposition was raised against it by Messrs Carreraa and Lahman, who evidently had a misapprehension that it was something opposed to the interests of the Borough Council. On Friday, the memorial, or whatever it may be called, from Greymouth was presented by Mr Lahman. It appears that the document with which he was entrusted wa& very informal and difficult to deal with. In the first place it was not a memorial or petition at all, but was just like the document which the Road Boards sent to the General Assembly last session. It was merely to the effect that a certain resolution, passed at a. certain public meeting, was forwarded for the consideration of the Chairman and members of the County Council. But even supposing it had been a petition it.

was most irregular, and in three notabl* respects contrary to the standing order! of the Council, and, indeed, of every othei deliberative body. First, it was noi written, the greater portion of the texi being a slip cut out of a newspaper and pasted on. Second, it contained a threat, and third, it contained written matter ai the end of the signatures, nor were the signatures all on one sheet. Now, any one acquainted with the proper mode oi doing these things must see that if any member of the Council raised the point of order the so-called memorial must be rejected. This was painted out to Mr Lahman, .and he was advised not to present it as a petition, but give it to the Chairman, in order that he might lay it on the table in the same manner as any other public statement. But Mr Lahman, who possibly did not clearly understand the point, insisted on the document being "received" as a 'petition, and consequently the point ef order was at once raised. Every member of the Council expressed the fullest desire not to raise any mis- . understanding by absolutely refusing to receive the document, and finally, the only arrangement which could get over the difficulty was adopted, and it was " laid on the table" for the information of members. Of course, during the settlement of the point of order, the merits of the Greymouth resolution were freely discussed. Mr Hrrrison fully sympathised with the grievances of his constituents, but he was quite opposed to the remedy they proposed, which he thought would be ou _ a par in wisdom with that displayed by m the frogs when they elected the Stork as ▼ their King. There could be no question, he said, that the Grey district had been continuously neglected, and the efforts of its members to obtain it justice frustrated. It was now becoming the most important part of the County, and it was time it received better treatment. At the same time he drew attention to the many and serious errors which had been made by the speakers at the meeting and by the local press, when talking of the revenue. The hon member then proceeded to show that the General Government charges and interest on debt absorbed three-fifths of the whole portion of the consolidated revenue allotted to the County, and that 80 per cent, of the local revenue was actually required for maintaining the efficiency of the machinery of Government. He instanced the following items, the cost of which must be borne by the whole revenue of the County before any local appropriations could be made : — County Chairman's department, L6OO ; Treasurer and Clerk, L 360 ; County Council, Clerk, and printing, L 40 0; Administration of Justice — Wardens' Courts, Police and Gaols, L 856 0; Waste Lands Board, L 17 5; Mining Survey, survey and engineering, LI 945 ; Harbor Masters, L 75 5; Inspector of Weights and Measures, L2OO ; Hospitals, L 372 5; Education, L 1150; Maintenance of Overland Road, compulsory by Act, L 1875 ; Solicitor, Surgeon, and other officers, L 553 ; fuel forpublic ofnces^LlOO j printing, &0. , L 600; postage, L 25; travelling expenses of officers, 1-300; Insurance, L2OQ ; Telegraphic Communication, Ll5O ; Contingencies, L7OO-r-making a total of about L 22,500, against a total estimated revenue of L 28,160. Mr Harrison proceeded to show that, comparing the revenue; of the Grey district with that of the' whole County, he found that after its proportion of the general charges he had enumerated were deducted that district showed a surplus for local application of about L4OOO forthe half year, thus :— Customs, L 6265, Jess three-fifths for General Government departments and interest on debt leaves a balance of L 2506 ; local revenue, including;gold duty, L 6857, which, less 80 per cent, for County charges, leaves a nett balance of about L 137- Thus, although 1 the Grey district was entitled to an expenditure of about L4OOO during the present half-year, supposing the County to be free ; fro^o debt, yet the present liabilities % of the County (L 13,500) would absorb that amount. . , ; The sums of L4OO and L3OO for tfaaks in the Paroa district, it has been agreed should be handed over to the Paroa Road Board for the construction of -the said tracks • but I don't suppose the money ■will- be paid until the work is done, for fear of accidents. The change which I indicated in' a former letter as likely to occur in the arrangements of the Warden's Courts in the Grey district have been decided upon.. Mr Re veil is to hold a court once a week at Maraden^ where the clerk now at the Greenstone is to reside, and Mr Schaw will go once a week to the Greenstone, the clerk from Marsden attending there two days in each week. Mr Warden Keogh's status is now decided, the Colonial Secretary having intimated that Mr Keogh having received notice from the local authorities that his services were to be dispensed with, it was not fm necessary for the General Government to 0i communicate the fact officially to Mr Keogh.