THE C Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. C SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1871. B

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 950, 12 August 1871, Page 2

THE C Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. C SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1871. B

- C < Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat." fj Che greatest enemy of the County 0 Council of Westland— or rather, we y. hould say, of the men who compose that c >ody — could not have wished for a better j >oint of attack than that which the r >uncil itself afforded at its sitting on I Phursday, If there had been anything \ salculated to preserve a last remnant of t •espect for the Coancil, it was the parade * >f "economy" which every member in * iis place in the Council and out of it has j jaunted in the eyes of the people. The x inancial position of the County has long i been anything but colouer de rose. It has { been with the utmost difficulty that the ] real exigencies of Government have been ] met, and the members of the Council i have individually impressed this fact ] upon their constituents whenever they < have consulted with them. Prominent i amongst these condolers and promisers is '< Mr Guinness— the gentleman who, un- ! fortunately for the interests of the constituency, happens to be one of the members for Greymouth. He, like others, made " economy" his grand stand- point. He delineated in forcible terms the waste of public money which existed, and in the most calculating manner showed how this unprofitable state of things could be changed. He was determined to reduce the standard of pay in every branch of the service. The Wardens, down to the meanest officers— especially the police — were all overpaid ; living was cheaper now than it used to bts, &c , &c, and it was only fair that corresponding reductions should be made. As for the members of the County Council he— magnanimous patriot— was, on principle, opposed to any payment in the light of recompense for services. All that the members were fairly entitled to was the payment of "reasonable expenses." After all this sham, which hoodwinked those who did not know how hollow such promises are when made by sweet lips, the County Council, whilst carping and cavilling about, a few pence or shillings on the salaries of the workers in the County service — after seriously debating the cost of the rations for prisoners and lunatics — the pay of hard-worked constables and of other subordinate officers — has wound up by voting to its members sums of money which are not by any means earned, but which makes the position of a member a thing to be striven for on acccnnt of its remunerative character only ! Last session the public did begin to think that there was some conscience in the County Council when it reduced the amount of " honorarium" and other salaries in its department. These reductions were made on the express ground that the revenues were falling off, and that it was the bounden duty of the Council to exercise economy where economy could be anything, it is on the decline ; but whether the public service is to suffer or not, the members of the Council must be paid. To Mr Hoos, the most successful political adventurer in New Zealand, belongs the credit of this action, in which he was thoroughly backed up by Mr Guinness and his blood-cousin, Mr Barff. Arcades ambo. We are glad this scandal has happened. It required something of this kind to open the eyes of the people to the utter rottenness of the Council, and to the necessity of giving authority only to those who have some real interest in the County, and not to men who simply regard politics as a profitable trade. If anything were given as an equivalent for the hundred pounds a year which the Councillors have voted themselves, the public might not complain. But there is no such return, and the Council, in voting the high remuneration it has done, is simply robbing the public. We are completely and thoroughly disgusted with the late conduct of the Council. What mockery it has been to go through the farce of considering estimates of revenue and expenditure, when the crowning act of the Council is to cast all considerations of economy to the winds, and pass votes which they know are far in excess of the revenue to be available. But men of the Hoos — Barff— Guinness stamp aye wise in their generation. They "for pretence make long prayers"— are political Pharisees of the " most strictest sect," They make a parade of the wants of their constituents. They secure the passing of votes for public works, which they know canuot be carried out during the half year— they throw dirt in the eyes of the confiding fooh who returned thorn, and the only thing they do absolutely secure is the payment of the money they vote for themselves ! This las f . act of the Council has, we venture to say, placed the last nail in the coffin of that body. The account of the proceedings of the Council on Thursday was read here with amazement and indignation. Some few believers — whose faith was based on the evidence of things not seen — insisted that at least Mr Guinness had not voted for the extra payment to members ; but their childlike confidence was rudely upset by the record of the division. Upset ? we said ; we should rather say : utterly destroyed. Mr Guinness was ready enough to ask the advice of his con- '■ stituents before he went to the Council ; ( but we venture to predict that he will be : more cautious than to ask their approval ■ of his conduct on his return. j But there is one consolation — and that i is, that the session of the County Council 1 lias supplied one of the most powerful 1 weapons that could be devised for sweep- ' ing away the present system of ad minis- \ kration in Westland, and substituting a machinery which will not be op6n to so \ much corruption. We would not give j much for the reversion of the seats of the ] lonorable members who now enjoy fifty j rounds per session for doing nothing. j ===== 1