COUNCIL CRITICISED.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4366, 16 January 1922, Page 3

COUNCIL CRITICISED.

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY. ADMINISTRATION ATTACKED. AN INDIGNATION MEETING. About 20 or 30 ratepayers in the Hauraki Plains County, as well as a few interested individuals, assembled at the Ngatea Hall on Saturday afteri noon In response to an announcement of the fact that an indignation meeting was to be held to discuss the administration of County affairs. Among County Council supporters present were Cr. J. C. Miller (chairman of the Hauraki Plains County Council) and Mr E. Walton (clerk). Mr Hallyburton Johnstone, as convener of the meeting, called for nominations for chairman, and Mr W. Hale was elected. Mr Hale declared that he took the chair on condition that the proceedings were carried on under the ordinary rules of social debate and reply. THE ATTACK. Mr Johnstone said when the County was formed the ratepayers signed a paper and paid £l, and were called on to pay another pound. The money was to be refunded, pio rata, if not required. A dinner had been held in the hall, but the givers were not invited. A few farmers bought a quarry for about £2OO and the Council took a fancy to it. Thames County had turned it down. This County broke a lot of stone and bought a lot of punts. He declared that no metal was brought across under a cost of £1 per yard. Now the Council was selling it at 15s per yard. Roads were to be taken from the Government, "but the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know,” lie declared. At the present time there were no roads at all. The Council then bought a roller, which was lying at the Paeroa Railway Station, and which cost £2BOO. It then bought motor lorries and a scarifier. The latter was now lying on the side of the road, rotting. The punts were sinking, and would soon be under the water.

Wilson’s Road w,as one of the most. f disgraceful things of the Ipt, continued Mr Johnstone. A number of men were employed tihere, but only a few worked consistently. The Council only had £3OOO per annum in revenue, but paid out £lOOO in salaries. It cou,ld not afford to spend any money on the roads. He heard that the Council was tired of motor lorries and was buying horses. It had bought one for £7O, and it could not pull a dray. Some of his (Mr Johnstone’s) friends had asked him to get the County balance-sheet, but it had not yet been published. They (evidently referring to the councillors) • remindL ed him of a lot] of kids with toys. They were running amok. The councillors going round said %d would be the rate for the coming year if the loan were carried. In his opinion that could not be sb. l)f the Council “ thought it could mislead the rate* payers like that it was mistaken. COUNCIL’S OVERDRAFT. Mr D. Green said the ratepayers put the councillors into power, .and asked who had to foot the bill for the ■machinery. Mr Johnstone: Somebody has to pay for it! There was a lull in the proceedings for some minutes, and then Mi* Johnstone broke the .silence with, "There*? one’ good thing done by this meeting. The engineer has resigned on the strength of it.” Another lull, except a few mutterings between individual members. Then, Mr Johnstone: There’s one thing I forgot. I have a sample of metal they are putting on the roads. It disappears as .fast as they put it on. Mr Green: It is not worth paying ' for-carting away, is it? Mr Johnstone: Certainly not. Mr Green: They did not pay tor it. It Was given for some other metal that was no good. Mr Johnstone: They got something worse. Take the man with the pig. Mr Green: How are you going to remedy matters ? Mr Johnstone: By turning down the loan. The Government has spent a little money here, but the Council has spent none. We made the mistake of our lives by cutting away from the Thames County. Mr N. Kneebone: How much overdraft has the Council go', from the bank ? Mr Johnstone: Perhaps the chairman will tell you. Mr Miller did not rep’y. Another lull, and then Mr Johnstone said, "Come bn', Mr Kneebone and Mr Wheeler, have you nothing to say?” Mr Kneebone: I think you have summed the position up. Then after a little thought: "Say the loan is nnt carried, what will they do r.bout the deposits put down on the machinery?” Mr Johnstone: They won’t get it back. They wanted to trend the Money . DIFFERENT KINDS’ OF RATEPAYERS. Mr Johnstone said he had been told that the Council only got 50 f er cent, of the rates struck. Mr Johnstone (after a short pause) How about you, Mr Louch ? Mr Louch: I think you’ve said it all. Mr Johnstone, in reply to a question, said there was not a road In the district a chain wide. If we had no Hauraki Plains County Co. noil, he said, the Government would keep them all. Lull for 15 or 20 mi iTer>. Mr Green (to Mr Johnsicne'.; Could you explain the different classes or ratepayers ? Mr Johnstone : There are those who pay Hosiptal rates, and those wlio don’t pay rates at all; and then the soldiers pay rates. Mr Green : I believe there are about five different classes of ratepayers. THE KOPU KILLER. Sfr Johnstone : We are mrgs to pay rates for the Kopu ferry. It is a white elephant. Mr Johnstone: I don t see what

good it can do carrying on tnis meeting. He suggested calling another special meeting and invite the councillors. COUNTY CHAIRMAN. Mr Miller said that Mr Johnstone had been consistently trying to get one on to him. A notice had appeared in the papers that an indignation meeting was to be held that day, but no one seemed to care anything about it. He did not come to make an explanation, but to hear what had to be said. Mr Johnstone: It is the balancesheet we want to get at. Mr Walton: The balance-sheet is in the printer’s hands. I told you that the other day. Another lull of about five minutes. The chairman urged that somebody should speak, or- he would declare the meeting closed. Mr McDuff: It appears to me that they haven’t any real grievance against the Council. I suppose I am one of the spoon-fed ratepayers. The Council, he thought, should not have bought the machinery without a loan to pay for it. The councillors', however, were not all to blame, as they were new at the game. The ratepayers should assist the Council all they could, and if their representatives idd not do what was wanted, they should be fired out. (Applause.) Another pause in the proceedings. The Chairman: Come on. gentlemen, the reporters are out of work again. But nobody spoke for over a quarter of an hour. RECOGNISED MISTAKES. The Chairman: Haven’t you any resolution, gentlemen ? Silence. Mr McDuff recognised that the Council was only a young council. It had made mistakes. All ratepayers should give it every help to do better in the future. He moved ’’That this meeting of ratepayers recognised that the Council had made mistakes in the past, but we pledge ourselves to help the Council in future.” Mr G. Clevely seconded. Mr Wheeler said that Mr Johnstone had made some serious charges, and he thought it better to call a meeting at which the councillors could attend. Mr McDuff’s resolution was defeated by 17 to 4. Mr Wheeler moved that another meeting be held, and the Councillors be invited to attend. Mr Louch seconded. Mr Wheeler suggested that the meeting be held on Monday. Chairman: You' are giving them a limited time. Mr Wheeler: It is of vital importance to the machinery loan. Mr, McDuff: If th® ratepayers won’t assist the loan they will have no roads. Mr Johnstone: Are you in favour of taking over the Government roads? Mr McDuff: No. THE RATES QUESTION. Mr Johnstone again alluded to the circular sent to the ratepayers during the week, saying that the statement that the rates for the coming year wpuld be %d could not be correct. The chairman thought Mr John-i stone had misconstrued the meaning. Mr Johnstone : It is not correct that rates struck in the Plains County are less than in adjoining counties. If the loan is not carried the Council states that it will increase the rates. It could only increase the rates by *4d. Is that not so? Mr Walton : That is not correct. AU the statements in the circular were correct. The could only refer to the loan. The rates in the adjoining counties were lower than in the Hauraki Plains county. Mr Johnstone: What are the rates in the Waikato County ? Mr Walton: I don’t know. Mr Johnstone : That is an adjoining county. Mr Walton: That is over the hills. The Chairman: The adjoining counties which this County is connected with are Ohinemuri and Thames counties. Mr Wheeler asked if Mr Walton could give a few particulars re the bank overdraft. The chairman said he would ask Mr Walton, but Mr Walton was in a queer position. He would not blame Mm if he was not prepared to answer It. Mr Walton said the meeting was called by no one In particular, and until the Council was invited to make a statement he could not make statements without its sanction. Mr Wheeler’s motion was carried by 8 votes for and 2 against. The meeting was fixed for to-day. LIST OF COMPLAINTS.

Mr Walton would like to know when Mr Johnstone would hand in the list of complaints and objections.

Mr Miller said that the meeting merely required the amount qf overdraft from the balance-sheet, and he would ask the clerk to give it.

Mr Walton said that on December 31; 1921, the debit balance was £7013 10s lid

Three persons then tried to speau at once, but were called to order. Mr Wheeler wished to withdraw his resolution, but the chairman pointed out that it had been carried.

Mr Walton asked if Mr Johnstone was prepared to put in a list of complaints.

Mr Johnstone, said he would come to the meeting and ask the questions, but was not prepared to make a list. Mr Walton: Do you think that a fair thing? Mr Johnstone: Yes.

The chairman was of the opinion that Mr Johnstone should compile a list of complaints. He was out for fair play.

Mr Johnstone: Hear, hear! I am out for fair play, too.

The chairman thought Mr Johni stone should spare half an hour to make out a list.

Mr McDuff said that 1 ' questions could be answered without calling a meeting.

Mr Johnstone: I want to know what the Council has bought, and what the Council has spent. Mr Walton: Could'/ou tell me offhand what you have spent during the Continued In next Column.

Continued from previous Column, last 12 months ?. Mr Johnstone: If I had my books as well kept as you have I could. Mr Walton : That is a very big “if.” The chairman thought that if the ratepayers went to the clerk he would give them any information they required. If the derk received the list asked for he would answer the questions at the meeeting, but he other i wise could not be expected to answer them. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman for the able manner in which he had conducted the meeting. Mr Johnstone and Mr Wheeler drew up a list Of complaints at the conclusion of the meeting and handed it to the clerk. [The County balance-sheet is being printed at the "Gazette” Office, and will be completed within a few days. —Ed. Gazette.]