COUNTY OF AWAKINO.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 511, 23 October 1912, Page 6

COUNTY OF AWAKINO.

METHOD OF ELECTION. During the present session of Parliament the necessary steps were taken for bringing the County of Awakino under the operations of the Counties Act. In respect to the method to be pursued with respect to electing a council to administer the affairs of the county, Mr C. K, Wilson approached the the Minister of Internal Affairs and has received the following letter on the subject:— "Referring to our conversation on the subject of the Council for the recently constituted County of Awakino, I find on further looking into the matter that the Governor has no right of appointment in a case of this kind. The Governor is empowered, by sections 11, 12, and «7 of the Counties Act to divide a new County into ridings, determine the number of members to be elected, fix a day for the first election, and appoint a Returning Officer. The election then follows in the ordinary course. There is a provision in the Act of 1910 that in certain cases where the electors fail to elect a Council, the Governor may appoint a sufficient number of suitable persons, but that, of course, has no application in the present instance. —H. D. BELL, Minister of Internal Aaffirs."

The chief object in making Awakino County operative at the present time was to facilitate the project for metalling the roads which serve both Awakino and Waitomo Counties in order to have the scheme carried out on a comprehensive scale. It is highly probable that steps will be taken to have Awakino County absorbed by the surrounding counties of Waitomo, Kawhia, and Clifton and there is little doubt such an arrangement would be to the interest of all concerned. In the meantime as indicated by the Minister's letter it will be necessary to elect a Council for the new county until satisfactory arrangements can be completed.