VINCENT COUNTY COUNCILLORS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 419, 19 April 1877, Page 3

VINCENT COUNTY COUNCILLORS.

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Chhohiclb.) Sib, —In your last issue appears correspondence from Blacks, in which allusions arc made about the sayings and doings of our County Councillors. I will endorse what your correspondent says about some of the members, who would be better employed at home than at the Council Board ; also, that there is a Minis-

terial party and an Opposition. I also consider private feelings are allowed to sway some of them, but at the same time will not'be quite so vulgar, us your correspondent in alluding to the grunting of a pig &c. I am certainly sorry to find that our model Counties doings will not bear the of day— vide their doings at the last meeting, as reported in the ' Dunstan Times.' Anyone carefully reading over the report can come to no other conclusion that that they are actuated with very strange notions of what is honorable, as in some instances, in the matter of tenders, they accept the lowest and in other's do not, although the parties are the very same in both cases, thereby squandering the funds of the County in an unwarrantable way. If it was their own private business they were transacting would they act in this way? No, and a thousand times, no! And if they call for tenders in one instance, why not call for tenders in all ? and not give the squatter just what he likes to ask for —keeping certain roads in repair, and then a condition in his (the squatters) contract that he shall not be bound to keep the road good if anything extraordinary occurs. In the other maintenance contract is sucli a condition entered ? no ! Then why give it to the rich man, and not to the poor. Then, again, the dog tax, in my opinion, is a job from beginning to end. It Provincialism was bad, the County system is worse, ten times over; and if there is not a stop put to this sort of thing, we will have to petition Parliament for a return to our old love at once. I was certainly suprised when reading your correspondents letter to find that he did not mention a little incident that cropped up at the Appeal Court here some months since. Mr. Davidson, (Mr. Glassford's manager), who is a member of the County Council of Vincent, appealed against the assessment of the portion ot run situated in Manuherikia lliding. The facts arc these—The County Clerk had sent to the valuators the acreage of this portion of run as 30,000 acres, and they assessed it accordingly; the correct acreage being 3,000 acres. Mr. Davidson appealed, and the County Chairman agrees with Mr. Davidson, without going into Court, to reduce the assessment in this (Manuherkia) Hiding nine-tenths, which was accepted, and entered in the assessment book by the Judge of the Assessment Court. So by this clerical error this squatter saves paying rates on £9OO, or, in other words, saves £3O, which the County looses, as this 27,000 acres should have been added to the acreage in the Matakanui Riding. This will give your readers a little idea of what some of ovu* County Councillors are made of, and the Chairman is not free from blame; and could I have my way, I would make someone " ante up " £3O to the County funds. Apologising for troubling you, — I am, &c, Eatepayeb. Blacks, 9th April, 1877. * NASEBY NUESERY. (To the Hditor of ike Mount Ida Chronicle.) Sib, —There can be but little doubt that the last few years have effected a change for the better in Naseby. Calico tents and solitary bachelors have given place to comfortable homes and prattling children, while handsome banks and substantial stores are becoming standing witnesses to the profitable investment of the gold which our earth produces. As any place becomes settled so does the necessity arise for certain institutions to be built and supported by public subscriptions for the public good. It has been so in Naseby. Three sacred edifices continually remind us of our religious duties ; while our Hospital is now ready to receive those in bodily pain. But there is yet another institution which might be started, and which would, I believe, immediately support itself and be of immense value to our community. Tt is a Public Nursery, or, rather, a Children's Boarding House, Orphanage, and Nursery. Not only is Naseby itself developing, but the desolate plains around us are becoming gradually populated. Families, increasing both in number and size, are to be found miles away from either church or school, while the inhabitants of many of the neighboring townships are too scattered to be able to engage the services of a schoolmaster. Thus a mass of children are growing up in total ignorance. Their parents cannot find time to instruct them; and, if it is suggested to board them near a school, then 12s or 15s a week arises as a mountain of difficulty. A central Boarding House, under the care of a good married matron, could collect a large number of these at a cheap rate, and also swell the numbers and efficiency of our District School. The second object of this Nursery would be, the care of those who arc left motherless at an early age. A widower with a young family must either board his children out or engage a housekeeper at home. Both of these arrangements are surrounded by difficulties and expense, especially at a time of so great trouble. An institution of this kind, under good supervision, and regularly inspected by a committee of ladies, would take the children at little expense and no delay, and thus meet a real want. The third use of our institution would be the nursing mothers are never able to leave the house on account of the children, and whenever they are specially busy those children are especially troublesome. Sometimes, on " washing days," for' instance they cannot be attended to, and tiien one of two things must happen : either 'i'pnimy must have a grand holiday, bathing hnzjself with dirt and water, getting into mi&chief and hurting himself, or else one of ti»e elder children must be kept from school (it calamity by no means duly appreciated) to t£ke care of the baby. A third alternative will be offered in our Nursery. Any child over six months or a year old could be received l'tfto it; and, if properly conducted, the heart of the most anxious mother would be at rest. The sister would take the child in the morning, and call for it in the evening l , while baby would receive care and meals tor a small daily or monthly charge. And yet another advantage would be gained, from such an institution as I have described. The matron would naturally require some assistance from the girls boarding with her, and they would receive ." Technical Education in the useful arts of cooking and nursing—two or three of the elder ones, who in ordinary cases would have left school, being retained by turns to look after the younger children. This could not, of course, be started without some outlay ; but, if once started, it would, I think, require only proper management to be among the most useful of our establishments. A house suitable for the purpos« might b» rented

not far from the school, and the only expenditure would be the petting up of boys and girls bedrooms and sitting rooms; and a day nursery for the babies. Voluntary subscriptions, or the inevitable bazaar, would-soon cover this. As to the success of the plan I have not the least fear, for such nurseries are very common at Home, and answer admirably, proving the greatest of blessings to both mothers and children. Hoping that my suggestion will be deemed worthy of the consideration of those most interested, or be taken up by privata enterprise,—l am, &c, Alpha.