Town Districts and the County.

Patea Mail, 4 March 1882, Page 3

Town Districts and the County.

A question of some interest came up at the County Council meeting on Wednesday. Waverley made a claim to have the main road metalled through the township at the expense of the County. Waverley Town Board gave notice at the same meeting that if the County sends its agent to collect the dog-tax within that township, as scheduled under the Town Districts Act, the collector will be resisted.

The new Act gives to a town district •‘all the powers granted to a boiough council for any enactment relating to auctioneers, cattle trespass, cemeteries, dog nuisance, licensing publicans,” &c. If all these powers are given the same as to a borough, these powers must include the collecting and spending of the usual taxes, rates, and licenses within the town district. The point is said to be in doubt, and wo suppose it has been referred to the law officers of the Crown for a decisive opinion.

It is curious to observe that while the language of the new Act gives to town districts “ all the powers ” enjoyed by boioughs for certain specified purposes, yet the main County road running through a town is not to be controlled nor maintained by the town district. That seems inequitable, because if the town takes all the County licenses &c. collectable in that town, it ought therefore to take over and maintain the high road through the town. The Act as it stands puts town districts on the same footing as boroughs. Therefore Waverley will be able to take from the County revenue the present local publicans’ licenses and the dogtax. The notice given to the County appears to be a proper one. But coming before the same meeting as the other claim, they were viewed together; the one demanding the expenditure of £250 or £3OO on the main street through Waverley, to metal it for the future town district, and the other notice intimating that the Council must collect no more rates or taxes in the future town district. It turned out, however, that Waverley was right on one point, and probably on both. The incident is instructive as showing that the County funds are dwindling, that the new Council have been in office since the 17th November—more than three months—and that the old rate of expenditure for County officers is still maintained at the same large expense as when the County was twice its present size. Monthly meetings continue to be held, and the “ travelling allowance ” to members continues as before. Of course this payment for monthly attendances cannot be supposed to influence any Councillor in allowing things to drift as they are. The real complaint is that things do drift; that no energetic action is taken such as ratepayers expected would be taken to reduce an expenditure which all can see is wasteful; and that while Councillors go on in an easy routine—come a meeting, go a meeting —the County revenue is decreasing.

Councillor Taylor moved, at Wednesday’s meeting, that tenders be invited for gravelling the main street through Waverley as soon as the formation is finished. He had sent a letter to the Council on the same subject. Councillor Morgan ; Where are we to get the money, providing a tender is accepted ? Chairman: I suppose we shall have to get it as an overdraft. Councillor Bridge: I think that in this matter, as in some others, “justice should be done though the heavens fall.” If that motion is carried, the Town Board will have to push on with the formation, or winter will be here before the metalling is begun. To put gravel on mud would be waste work. If we find that the Waverley Board do not get the road prepared in time for us to metal it in dry weather, I would rather sec the work held over till next season. Suppose that becomes neces-

saiy, the Waverley Board will only have themselves to blame. The formation should be settled firm before we put metal on. Councillor Taylor : The Board meet to-night, and will probably call for tenders at once.

Councillor Bridge : That will leave only a month of fine weather for the Council.

Councillors doubted whether any promise had been given to metal the road the full width through the town. Councillor Bridge said the Town Board had submitted plans, which were approved by this Council, and by adopting the plans the people of Waverley distinctly understood that the Council would do what had been done in other townships—namely metal the road to the full width when the formation was done and footpaths made. The same had been done at Hawera and Patea. How could the Waverley people make their footpaths unless the road was also made ? It follows that the Council must step iu and metal the road.

Councillor Wilson: This Council have spent money on similar work in other towns, and the Waverley people can reasonably demand that the contract be carried out.

The Clerk referred to a resolution passed August 6th, 1879, to the effect that when the Town Boards of Hawera, Patea, and Waverley were in a position to fill up the road to the full width, the Council would metal the road.

This was considered a complete answer to any doubt as to the promise. Councillor Taylor’s motion was seconded and adopted.