PRESENT COUNTY COUNCIL RISES.

Shannon News, 11 May 1926, Page 3

PRESENT COUNTY COUNCIL RISES.

CllAlliMAjN);.R|l3yiji'W^; r l,i;§ WORK. CR. HARK NESS’S RETIREMENT. The last meeting of the Hoirowheliuu County Council elected in 1923 took Place on Saturday and was the occasion of valedictory remarks hy the retiring councillors. The Chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) said they had arrived at the end of their Parliament as it were, for this was their last meeting, and after it they ceased to exist as a County Council until after the election. He offered congratulations to those gentlemen who had been returned unopposed. One of them had remarked to the speaker that it was rather a doubtful honour and he would much rather contest an election. However, in this world one had to take things as they found them and the unopposed councillor's might well blow out their chests and say: They must be satisfied with us, anyhow. The Ridiiig balances at the ’ end of the financial rear were: Tokomaru £BBI (a little less than last year); Wirokino £1636 fa little more than -the previous year). Otaki £537 (about the same 'and the Otaki representatives would now see the benefit of the id on the rates);. Te Horo £1789 (.works were provided for in this Riding that were not carried out and that would have to be faced this year). “I appreciate title action of the ratepayers in Te Horo in returning me with Cr. Jensen as their representative,” said the chairman. “because if there is one part of the County that I have neglected in the past 12. months, it is mv own Riding. Cr. Jensen lias had to do his best for it. That' is the result of the work I have had to do in other parts of the County.” NO LIBERTIES WITH FINANCES. The balances were bigger than they expected, continued the (Chairman, partlv because they only expected to get one-third of the maintenance from the Highway Board, but actually received £1 far £l. He hoped that the new Council would not be carried away with' the idea that the County finance® were over healthy. They, were going to reach a position for a number of years when they would ■have a good deal of interest and sinking fund to meet and they would have to keep the rates at. their present level to maintain that side of their finances. Their greatest difficulty was .that they were reaching a stage where they bad got construction going on with sinking fund and interest to be met, mid at the same time there was a great deal of maintenance to be provided. It was only by keeping the finances ol the County healthy that they could overcome that difficulty. No. liberties could be taken with the finances during the next lew years. _ CRITICISM OF SMALL THINGS. They had had a good deal of criticism thrust at them over matters that appeared small to the speaker, hut that may have appealed rather large to those people who put them up. Some of those filings were unavoidable. Some might have been avoided. but it should be remembered that they were inaugurating a. very big work—one of the biggest undertakings that had been attempted by any County Council in New Zealand, and to appreciate its size they had to understand something of the inner working of the scheme. The man m the street had no idea of the -magnitude of the scheme or of the vast amount of work it had entailed on the administrative and engineering staffs. Not. one night, a week, but night after night they had to come back and work to 10 and 11 o’clock to. keep the undertaking up to the efficient. stage. He . felt he could not. eulogise their energy too much and lie wished the ratepayers to know it. CHEAPLY RAISED LOANS.

Coining to ttu: loans, the chairman said the" Finance Committee recommended raising the machinery loan locally. 1 1 was problematical whether they would get the £12,000 they required, but they actually received £II,BOO at 51 per cent. The cost of raising it was 8s per cent., which covered everything, advertising, printing, debentures, etc. if they had gone to a broker it would have cost 1 per cent, with tire other charges on top of that. This loan was repayable. part in five years and the balance in twelve years, it being felt that the machinery would need renewal !»v then. Another loan of £lB,000 had been raised from the Government Fife 'Department, for which they were paying £6 15s 4d per cent., ami which would extinguish itself m Bb, vears. Tire actual cost, was about at. The balance being the sinking fund. They had about £I3OO of the money left. MACHINERY SF.I.F-SIJPfPORTING. The ‘chairman (Aplained that a scheme had been adopted by winch each piece of machinery stood on its own bottom in the County accounts Thov ascertained what was derived from the hire of. each machine whi n t wa“ engaged in riding or mam Lhwav work arnl that « clebito,! 'E‘«h. 1 attar accounts and Lillis machinery account. They took the rollers or the omsfter wany othu piece of machinery and the rich « or Main Highway paid® ™f ot th i,. rey^unlt^^c^ 4 the plant had been £7633, had received £9402, giving a balance of £1769. The interest and sinking fund for the machinery was £l4/ j. That showed that their machinery , was m-ore than paying its way. M>tnjng more satisfactory had been done during the whole of the present Coutncil’s existence than the placing, of their machinery in that position. They knew exactly what the machm-

ary;ytvpa?? ep£ihng#nd d f ) ' mg." “The"- chairman *sa;id" lie had j : a definite,:.;(prpp ; isb‘ 'from 'the „C2itef 'Engineer J that fai*' frs ‘the * H-Orowbje-nua, scheme. iVaSTCopoenied.the Highways Board" wouid find'thear share of the money sO that the work could be carried out according to schedule. J / CONDUCT OF AFFAIRS. The affairs of the County, to his mind, had been conducted as well as those -of most local bodies, and—lie did not say it boastfully—perhaps, a little better than some. They had iiad their differences of opinion, but these had always been discussed at the Council table along the lines that each councillor thought- was right, and were never carried out into the street. He thanked the councillors for their support in the Main Highway scheme. This had been the most strenuous year he ha|d known in County work. He would not like to try and reckon up how many hours he had spent at. it. The knowledge that the scheme was proceeding satisfactorily was their reward. The officers of the Council had been very loyal indeed and so had the councillors. He hoped those ivlio were going out would borne back and occupy their seats again for many years. Finally the chairman acknowledged the cordial support of the Press In reporting the proceedings of the Council. NO TAME DOGS.

Gr. Harkness (Wirokino) thought all could congratulate the chairman on his summing up of the work. The speaker would not he. ■with them in the coming Council as he was not again a candidate. It was with feelings of regret that he made the decision not- to seek re-election. - but having once made a decision one always felt better after it. He came on the" Council six years ago with no private motives or axes to grind, and he had adhered to that determination throughout his term of office. His dream had been to see a tar-sealed road from one end of the County to the other and that had now been started. He congratulated the Engineer on the progress that had been made. Inportant works had been carried out since he came on the Council—most important of all being the Main Highways scheme, with many other roads that, he enumerated as'having been made. It had been a pleasure to work with the Council. They had had differences, but that must- take place amongst men who formed their own judgment. We have been told outside that the chairman leads here,” continued Gr. Harkness, “that what he says is law, and we. like a lot of tame dogs, follow. r ha.t has nor nee-i my experience. M they think they are going to send a man here to upset- tins Council, they are making a big mistake. ... I have just travelled through the Auckland district and would like to dump some of-our growing ratepayers down ou some of the roads u.p there. Many of the main roads are simply shocking and it is impossible to travel on them. Our roads are Queen Streets to them.” Continuing, Gr. Harkness said they would go a long way before they would get a more efficient treasurer and clerk than they had in Mr Hudson. He was not only a capi able* clerk, but be had a legal mind. ! The speaker also eulogised the Engineer as judged by the way he had I built bridges and was carrying out the main highway scheme. Both were right and t-lie only fault 'he had to find with him was his temperament. If he cOuld change that, be would assist tlte Council, assist the ratepayers and assist himself. Gr. Harkness -thanked councillors and chairman, the staff and the press for courtesies shown him. Referring to liis reason for retiring, Cr. Harkness said he was a struggling farmer, with a growing family and a small holding, and he found tliat he had to move to make provision educationally and otherwise for his family. He could probably have to move out of tiro district. it 1 that in view be thought it better not to contest a seat on the Council, since if elected; he might have to leave it 'and put them to the expense of another election. COUNCILLORS’ REMARKS.

Cr. Ryder (Otaki) congraiiuaiuu Harkness on. his straightforwardness and plain speaking. He had put the matter correctly in regard to the Engineer. Cr. Ryder felt that love of his work Was wrapped up m their chairman. They would have to go a long wav before they got another clerk like Mr Hudson. He felt they were a happy family dispensing Cr. Catley (Wirokino) said local body work had been a sort of fetish with him and he would like to keep in touch with ft until the completion of the main highways scheme, though | he felt he was getting to a time of life when it was beginning to pall on him He spoke in appreciation of multitudinous duties carried out hv the chairman and staff. Cr. Broad belt (Wirokino) thanked the councillors for their hearty co-op-eration in any works carried out, and the chairman for the manner in. which he conducted the Council. He moved about, a good deal and was in touch with a number of different bodies, but he always came to the Council meetings with a great deal of pleasure because he knew the business Avas going to be done expeditiously. There was no- cause for serious complaint as to the way in which the work of the County was beng done. Thov beard a good deal outside, but i 1 anyone took the trouble to trace the complaints to their source thev would And there was very little in them. He felt that he would like tousOe the end of the Highways scheme. Cr Whyte (Tokomaru) thanked the chairman for his good wishes. He ■ ,thought the fact that there was gomg

to be an• election in bis riding would help to clear the atmosphere. He congratulated the staff upon the work done and regretted Gr. Harkness would noft be with them again as he had been a very keen\ and active councillor. . . The chairman expressed regret that they were losing Gr. Harkness after six years’ service. He was a zealous man, who was always ready to express an opinion. If he sometimes missed the mark ho was always there to assist.. If all the councillors who came on to the Council had the same zeal they would have very little to complain of. He quite appreciated his position. He did not want to raise the question of town versus country, but in the County they had not the same facilities educationally as hi the towns.. He thought that in ten or twelve years’ time Gr. Harkness would be able to sa.y that whatever sacrifices he was making now they were justified. If Horowhenua was. lasing him, some other district would be gaining him. lie moved to put on record the Council's appreciation of Gr. Hiarkness’s (services as a Gourdy Councillor and his zealous interest in the affairs of the County. • This motion was carried by hearty acclamation.

Cr. Ryder referred * briefly to the setting up of the Works Committee, of which he is chairman and the effect of its consideration of matters referred to it. The chairman acknowledged the' assistance the Committee had been to the Council. The Clerk (Mr F. H. Hudson) spoke briefly and thanked the Council for the appreciation expressed of the work of the staff, after which the Council rose.