THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, JAN. 18, 1909. COUNCIL POLICY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 123, 18 January 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, JAN. 18, 1909. COUNCIL POLICY.

: It is gratifying to recognise that the members of the Waitomo County Counj cil evince every desire and intention of pursuing a course of sound progress, and of systematically providing for all the requirements necessary to place the Council in a position to efficiently exercise its numerous functions. The Council is now faced with several distinctly important obligations, and the business of the local body is increasing by leaps and bound. In the cir- | cumstrnces it must be manifest to all that the acquisition of a County office, equipped with proper facilities for ' carrying on the Council's business in the most efficient and economical manner possible, is of the very first importance. This well established principle was affirmed at the first meeting of the new Council, and a committee was appointed to deal with the question and report on the matter. The report submitted at the last Coum-il meeting could 1 hardly be railed satisfactory, and sul--1 fered by comparison with the more detailed irfor:::atn-:i furnished by the commit?.ee .::tru fed with the work <>f n-portir.fr on th«- <]'•'>• -stion of acquiring a ,«to:-.e < :i.i.-h'-!-. It i - t*> be sinct-reiy hoped that r.n tiny wiil b<- lost in attending to the first necessities of the Ci.\ir ; eii. It* r- sponsibiiitie,-, already large, an- rapidly increasing, «'«""! any dei.'iy in dealing with the office question wii! undoubtedly furnish material for widespread dissatisfaction in future. Moreover, it is obviously unfair to its officials to expect them to carry on the County business without being provided with proper facilities, and accommodation. The promoter of any private business, however small, would be roundly condemned if he endeavoured > to conduct his affairs without first sei curing the initial essentials in site and j

system. Infinitely more imporant than any private enterprise is the public businei-s of the district, and the spectacle of the- Council being content to meet casually and promiscuously, in any private place, snd to employ officials to conduct its business in a like casual manner, is not calculated to inspire outsiders with a sense of respect for the dignity of the Council. Every-

thing considered, common sense, and every other sense, dictates that the first businesslike step of the Council shall be taken immediately. Then and not till then, can the ordinary routine work of the County be carried on efficiently, and without interruption; and then, and not till then can the public be satisfied that the Council is being conducted on lines calculated to achieve the best results in the interests of the ratepayers.