EXPENDITURE OF "THIRDS."

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 75, 27 March 1908, Page 3

EXPENDITURE OF "THIRDS."

The question of " thirds " and the relative positions of County Councils and the Crown Lands Department in relation to the expenditure thereof, is frequently the medium of considerable controversy, and during the recent visit of the Minister for Lands to Te Kuiti, the matter was the subject of a deputation from the Waitomo County Council. The following reply has been received from Mr Jennings, M.P., from the Minister of Lands, regarding the subject of the deputation: — " Sir, — Re • " thirds, " Waitomo County : —Referring to the representations of the deputation, which you introduced to me at Te Kuiti on the 28th January, and their complaint re the expenditure of " thirds " in the Waitomo County, I find the facts are as follows :—As no application had been made by the Waitomo County Council for the expenditure of" thirds " accrued, nor any proposals for expeniture submitted by the Council in acwith section 121 of the Public Works Act ,1905, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland instructed Ranger Jordan to draw up proposals for .the expenditure of the "thirds" which had accrued. The County Council through its Chairman (Major Lusk) then protested against the County not being entrusted with the expenditure of this money. It was then pointed out by the Commissioner that the " thirds " must not be allowed to accumulate beyond eighteen months without proposals for expenditure being received from the Local Body. The Council then replied that they had arranged to offer the accrued " thirds " as part security for lo.ans under negotiation. They were then informed that in the case of offering " thirds " as security for loans, certain steps were necessary in accordance with section 131 of " The Land Act, 1892," and that these steps had not been taken by the Council. The Council was also informed by the Commissioner that if proposals were at once made for the expenditure of the " thirds," that the provisions of section 121, of "The Public Works Act, 1905," would not be carried out, and that the whole difficulty arose through the Council not submitting proposals for the expenditure of the money in question, in accordance with the provisions of " The Public Works Act, 1905," and "The Land Act, 1892."