The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1917. COUNTY COUNCIL STEWARDSHIP

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 321, 26 October 1917, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1917. COUNTY COUNCIL STEWARDSHIP

The term for which the Franklin County Council as now constituted was elected is fast approaching its end and prior to the approaching triennial election the members will hold their final meeting on Thursday next. The past three years has been characterised by steady and consistent progress although by reason of war contingencies no works of any vast magnitude have been carried out. Everywhere, however, devolopsettlement have been assisted to the highest possible extent of the Council's financial ability and the Council have the satisfaction of knowing that the main roads, as also many bythoroughfares, are now in a condition vastly superior to their state of three years ago, whilst the Council are further in possession of a plant that will be capable of substantial achievements on the termination of the war. And all this has been accomplished with comparatively little Government aid in the way of grants or subsidies, the Public Works Department's expenditure having necessarily been reduced to a minimum. At the same time the members of the different ridings have been distinctly attentive to the wants and requirements of their respective districts and their applications for Government assistance will doubtless be acceded to when the Dominion's finances are once more buoyant and are available tor road making purposes.

hi Cr J. Flanagan, who has been the County Chairman since the election of 1 *> 14, the Council have been able to claim a leader that has spared neither time nor trouble in furthering the interests of the county as a whole and he has been loyally assisted by each and every other member. The popular supposition is that Councillors' duties arc mainly confined to attendances at the monthly meetings but these assemblies in reality only form a minor part of a Councillor's activities for beyond meetings, both ordinary and special, as well as of committees, a Councillor, if justice is lo be properly done, necessarily has to frequently .tour k riding

which be represent';, and in this not a single member of the Council now in office has shirked his obligations. However assiduous a Councillor may be in laying the foundation for works to be executed their efforts would, however, all be in vain if the administration was in any way defective. In this connection the Franklin County Council are particularly fortunate for few more able Clerks are to be found in the Dominion than Mr Alan P. Day, whose appointment to the post some two years since showed wide discretion and judgment on the part of the Council. Again in the person of Mr J. F. McArthur the Council have a County Engineer whose expert knowledge and masterly skill have been ably proved by the consistently satisfactory results of the many undertakings put through. Critics are always to be found buf geuerally speaking the work of tb.e Franklin County Council has met with widespread approbation and the fact that all the Road Boards have merged or are about to merge in the County is in itself testimony to extreme public confidence in the Council as the local governing authority. One or two changes in the personnel of the Council may be brought about at the coming elections but we have no hesitation in saying that the ratepayers could not wish to be better served than by the members at present holding office.