The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 195, 21 February 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1877.

County Cotiuci ;.s nil over the colony may now hecomudared ok fairly launched. 'l’ii 3 preliminary meetings oil mind niton! food for reflection. Tu very few

cases has the business been commenced iu a business-like way. A large proportion of members of the County Councils have shown themselves to be quite unacquainted with the duties they would be reqrdre.il to perform. Many appear not to have given tho slightest consideration to tho subjects likely to be brought on for discussion, whilst some have acknowledged to not having read tho Act under which they have boon elected, and seem to Imre put themselves forward as candidates, not from any idea of special fitness for representing their follow settlors, or understanding the. requirements of particular districts, but from a kind of vain-glorious notion' that to be elected a member of a County Council would redound to their honour, or would in some way prove profitable. Borne, of course, have pushed themselves forward with a view to securing a good share of the loaves and fishes, and have taken cure to grab early for oflico, or fur grants of money for locallics they might be supposed to represent. It is astounding to note the number and amount of money votes asked for iu some cases. No thought appears to have'been taken as to where the money was to come from, or what tho revenue of tho Council would amount to. Even in our own district there appears to be hut a vague notion of what amount of cash will bo available. Proper stops do not appear to have boon taken to ascertain tiie probable revenue. At all events it was' clear from the report of last meeting that members of the Council held very different opinions as to what the income would be. One member calculated that there would bo at least £2,000 available. A gentleman, resident in the northern part of the county of Taranaki, who from the position formerly hold by him as a member' of the Provincial Council, and is capable of gauging the resources of any district between Moknn and Wanganui, lias set the probable ,animal income down at £SOO. Before voting any further salaries or honorariums it would be well to ascertain the probable

- ■' ,s ■. eat. Ms,. there dom; iMA;;. 'cu..,e (Acnciihms may ted’: a ! w r:v>;A! A.m.-,. A wads A c.u’cbxA :’ee a ■■■:;, i' , ; e,e .■., ■,hy St r h.-Hy. A,, ji. A., a'. As te: a, smug asm ! am! a mmsim:’ of returns were k.-'.i a-a (uni vie vuv.vw Ikwd lb e:t as aad cibar aoarwa, steps at the a,Am.: i> mg lak,m to secure Are a,mi:', and to sawnAdn the extent and -sale ol’roads, bAdges, r.n.l such ohicr aataei’s as came within the jurisdiction of tim (Journal, wb.h temporary services of r,’! clncic.it surveyor, tim result oi winch v.:! Ibe Umt mumbars will nave good oidc lo work upon, and will be at once eicddou Lo commence useful work, avoid much useless expenditure and unnecessary ijj.pointuu.-nts, and will ]• now what works arc most urgently required, ami wid bo enabled to aim pc tii.-ir cxp-uidKiirc. lo suit their mesas. \v o cojir.ucnd the following msiarks from the Tunr.KiLi Ileiv'd lo the serious cimsidomLioit of members of tho bbAea. G-.-unly Council :—“ Tin.' County Councils were brought luio existence by the Government with a view to lightening the governing expenses of the country, but if we are to judge by the advertisements that arc appearing all over the conn try for engineers, surveyors, valuators, collectors, clerks, treasurers, secretaries, sui(l si host of other officials sit high salaries, it looks us if they intended lo spend the whole of their revenues m management. Tins; kind of work cannot go on for more than a year, and their -first annual balance sheet will, wo have no doubt, bring the members to their sem.es. Acme of these liberal-minded Councils no doubt imagine they will he able to ily to the General Government for relief in their distress, but, if we mistake not, the Ministry will refer them hade to the ratepayers, who, when they iind they have to pay those high salaries out of their pockets, will decidedly fool inclined to kick at it, and then a spirit of economy will at once set in, and a change take place which will ho for the boiiclit .of the country at large. This lavish expenditure cannot be laid to the charge of the Taranaki Councillors, who have not yet even named the am on nt they propose to give their secretary and treasurer. As they have a gentleman as chairman who gives his time gratuitously, wo think the ratepayers here will have no reason to complain at the economical manner with which the management of tho County will be conducted..