THE COUNTY YEAR.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 10 November 1917, Page 3

THE COUNTY YEAR.

4 POSSIBILITY OF TOLL-GATES. AN 'EFFICIENT CHAIRMAN. Speaking at the last meeting of tlie Horowhenua. County Concil: to-day the retiring chairman Cr. Monk said this was the l:ast meeting before the election. "Yon will agree with me," he col.'.<mied "r, i it, we have paa'-'ed t!.r"ugh a very trying time in the last two yean--." Council matters had been allowed to drift and they had reached a point when the council was being run by the staff. However a climax (•■ame, things looked very black, and there was a smash. That taught Councillors a lesson and they decided that tho County affaiiv must be put on a good footing. They were mort fortunate in obtaining Mr Goldsmith as County CJerk. He liad' worked veny hard and longer hours than was ever expelled of him. He had applied him. selif to the work of re-organising the council's affairs .and the result must be very pleasing both to him,'-elf and the Comic:'.l. The chairman said six years ago (lie county had on overdraft of £5000 or £0000, and while an overdraft was very useful sometimes, it was badi poiicy to • nvo so large a debit balance. Howover tlie Coum-'l last year had only paid awaiy, £2 8s in interact on overdraft, showing what a financial dm. provoinent had been made. The Council could, go out and congratulate themselves thai'j the incoming Council would have nothing to quibble at. During the past two years they had raised a number of loans for roading, but had entered into no wild-oat schemes. He pointed out .tlhiit in regard to the increased road mileage, they raised loans, built more roads an dthen wondered why their charges for maintenance were increasing. In To Horo for instance they had 43 miles otf read in 1903 ami 70 miles now. They must remember that everyone of t'h'ese roads openedi up fertile lands, which meant more produce coming out and greatly increased traffic. A few years ago Te Horo waa one big station. Now it liiad one of the most flourishing factories in the country. Afll t'hii< meant increased .traffic and greater maintenance charges. Referring to the main County road he said that in 1911 the ten miles of roadl cost £100 to maintain. Now they were spending £800 a year on it. That was largely due to tlie through motor traffic from flit North to Wellington, and' he considered the new Council should early apipljy itself to the problem of making t'hesc outsiders pay something. His own opinion was that (xiil-gates were the only way to get at these people.

Continuing the chairman, said it had been a big expense to take out the old wooden culverts and put in con. crelbe, but that had been amply justified, because there must 'be an end to

they were Teaching that condition. The Council couldl congratulate itself on having secured severance from five Wellington Hospital! District and Cr. Venn, who had fougHit for this for twenty; years ought to he very pleased that "before he left the Council 'he had seen t'his brougV: about.

It was a unique thing that the four older-'t Councillors, Or. Kebbell, Venn, Freeman and Stephenson, should decide to retire from the Council in one year. If they had gone one by one the Council would not have fel)i it so much, but to go at one fell swoop as it were, was too much. He quoted a report of a meeting filed by 'his father in 1898, and said, that the last Councillors who were present ':hen were now retiring, leaving tlie speaker, th youngest Councillor present, as the senior member. He wished to thank the Council for the courtesy and suppirt accordied him as chairman. No man could always be right, but he had felt that ho had had the support of litis Council in whatever he had done. He extended to t'lie staff his sincere thanks for the support given him and 'ihe position of the County to-day was largely due to their efforts. Finally he acknowledged the assistance of the press, mentioning Mr G. P. Brown, Sately of tlhe "Chronicle", who had always given 'the Council fair reports and "had criticised where he thought it needed;. The chairman wished him

w,ces9 in his future undertaking and briefly welcomed the new representative of the "Chronicle." In conclusion thanked the Otaki Mail for its re. ports of Council meetings. Cr. Kebbell said l there was no doubt the chairman was the be>-t chal'rman tlhey had had and lie strongly urged that the oldi rule that the office slum]'' go round should be broken. They wanted only the ablest men iin the chair. Hemoved a hearty vote of thanks to the chairman for 'his able work during the past- two years.

'Or. Freeman seconded the mot.ion and added a few words of appreciation of the chairman.

Or. Murray .said he had! sat under a good many chairmen but the present chairman conducted the business in a most fair and impartial manner.

Cr. Catlev endorsed the previous remarks. The idea of the chairmanship going round was largely responsible for the indifference that resulted in 'bhe muddle the Council got into.

Cr. Ryder said that one or two meet, iiigs were sufficient to show him how efficient the chairman was. Cr. Stephenson as one who had sat under a dozen chairmen, said Cr. Monk wan quiitc the best he knew. Cr. Venn spoke in a. similar strain, and 1 said that the changing of tho chairman every year was a handicap to finance but there were also disadvantages in having one man in the chair too long. Cr. liroadbelt considered the new Council should lose no time in putting the chairman back in the chair. It was perhaps better for the Council to have had. to contend with its difficult, ics early in i'is term. The motion was then put by the Clcrtk and carried by applause. The chairman acknowledged it and Maid' he had only done hf's best for tho County. Cr. Catlev referred to the Clerk'u work. He had not voted for Mr Goldsinii)':h believing they; should have a younger man, but he was now thoroughly satisfied with tho choice the Council had made, and if he continued a.s he had! been doing and the Council did tho same they would keep their heads above water.