OHINEMURI COUNTY ELECTION.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 229, 19 November 1887, Page 2

OHINE MURI COUNTY ELECTION.

On Monday hist, November 14th, the following Extia was issued to our Obiuemuri subscribers mid a^e .ts :-— "To-day we publish for (he information of tin 1 j.iU'i'ityt rs of Ohinemuri Owunh', ucojiy of the Statement recently prepared by Air Kenny, the county clerk, showing i ho total ainu'int or money that i. as been received by (ho County Couikil, from the time they entered on their duties in November, ItfBs, up-to September 30ta last; also from what sources these monies have accrued, and how exponded, together with a statement of out- 1 standing nssets and liabilities of the Council. So many conflicting repons are in circulation respecting the amount of money received and expended by the Council, that the ratepayers must be sorely puzzled what to belierp, and we are ibeieforo of opinion tli.it they will appreciate our placing the matter before them in its true light. We recently heard Mr O.F.Mitchell, (Editor of the Uaoiaki Tribnno, published at Paeroa), deliberately make the following assertions at a public meeting: 1. " That from twenty to twenty five per cent of the receipts of the Council] had gone — not in county works, but — in j dividing the spoil amongst t.ieuiselvee."] 2. That "J6 10,000 to Ll2,ooGhadj passed through (heir him Is — that tlioy I had pretty well £100 per week to 1 *pend." 3. That u £xcossive rating ii|»pearoil to h&v* been ca'riad an fur tho ( purpose of putting «an)!»? off tho County Uoll/'— and that *• tho last act is the imposing of it *siX furUtiug r.\te, imaio«.!i*U'ly after "pnyiiig "five, other rates in

the same jeor." 4. Tbnt " They were represented by men who are not Inmost," 5. That " Neither the Qovernment or Thames Ccuneil wanted to saddle us with an award of £2,000," etc. Tite add^ss i ('furred to principally cpn--sidled of a tirade of uUisa against the ontgoiim Council, and in fnct the object of the speaker appeared to be to represent the members of t'.:<» Council sjener<mllv as I". if wor<f.an ' mo!>t untm-t worthy men to he found in Hie whole county. The very vindictiveue-s ot I/he speech, | wrg howevr in itself ooivinmtiHtory. ) Perhaps it was nothing more than might have been expected, seeing liqw much Phinimuri li.is already hid to suffer from previous attempts to vilify member of the Council, and generally to hold that body up to public ridicule, and ivpr< sent them as utterly nntiust- i worthy. Surely following out such a course as I hi-*, and when the mining, industry h languishing putting matters \u fore the public in the very wor^t possible »ii,'ht, is not the way to advnnce the inteiests oF the distiiet, or to inspire.. confidence from the outside public, or from Government. Within Ohinemuri County perhaps, such statements may be taken for what they are worth, and do little harm ; but that they are calculated to greatly retard th • progress an. 1 prosperity of the distiiet, fiere surely can be no two opinions. We hope the Editor of the Tribune will therefore lay these remarks to heart, tu.'n over a new leaf, ami in future adopt a new policy, viz , of saying and doinir all he can to suppoit and advance the progress of the district in which he resides; and with respect to the new Council about to be elected, not magnify as much as possible every little error, and do all he can to discourage thorn. Returning to the charges laid against the Council mentioned above : With reference to Nos. 1 and 2, it will be seen tli.it the total sum actually received by the Council has been a little over £6000; that is omitting the £101)0 advanced by Government, and Mr Mitchell in his address said, " I do not include in any way the £'2000 award, that is only a loan from Government that will have to be repaid ;" and the amount expended in salaries, travelling expenses, etc., is also clearly set fo.th. 3. With respect to iat ing : We believe the only general rate levied and collected by the present council was one of f d in the £ for the financial year ending March 31it, 1887. A late of |d in the £, levied prior to separation, by Thames County Council, to mo»t the payment of Debentures under the the Roads ami Bridges Construction ! Act, was not collected by Ohineinuri County Council for the financial year j 1885 6' ; the amount falling dv« being paid out of general County revenue, the rsite for Miat year being collected together with the genera] rate of |d during the financial year 1886-7 Then in .July of the present ye.nr it was decided (o levy a general rate of 0 4 i in the £, as thy uinount payable to Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board alone had increased to about £BGO, and would therefore necessitate a special rate ot Id in the £ being levied to meet it alone ; hut by levying a special rate Conned woul I not be entitled to a subsidy fron 1 Crown ;in I Native Lands.whereas uy levying a general county rate Council could lay claim to the usual subsidy from this source — Was not therefore the step taken with the object of idieviiii>: instead of oppressing the ratepayers ? Further the Council when levying tiie 6 4d rate resolved to defer collection of the annually recurring special rate for 1886 7 and 1887 8 and to temporarily p-iy the amount falling due on converted Debentures under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act out of general county revenue 8o much for the charges of excessive rating 4. This charge needs no reply, and in our opinion is a disgrace to the man who made it. 5, This charge also is so utterly unreasonable ; so opposed to common sense, that it is unworthy of further notice. It were just as leasonable to say that the Ohiuemuri County Council alone are to blame for the proposed repeal of the Crown and Native Lands Rating Act, by vphieh Ohinemuri County Council will lose some £600 a year. Now we do not for one moment pretend to say that the Council have in all things acted judiciously, or that they have not made mistakes. But we believe as a body they have throughout been animated by the desire to discharge their duties faithfully and honestly, and that in the face of many and great difficulties. I and much to discourage. We know of no County Council which have come into office under more trying circumstances, and who are therefore deserving of more consideration. If the ratepayers are net satisfied witn the. members of the outgoing Council uho offer themselves f<>r re-election, it is open to them to return other men, who will have had the great advantage of learning much afc the expense of the outgoing Council. We repeat the piesenfc Council havo had everything against them. Apart from the great, the very great disadvantage of having to learn everything by dear experience, (and an entirely new Council woul 1 have to repeat the process of experimenting, to a greater or less extent) tuo.) caiuu into office afc a time when goldfields revenue began to diminish moat seriously, and iinca then the revenue derivable from goldfiolls leases has been reduced from £8 to 10s per acre, whilst Hospital and Outfit ante Aid charges have been increased beyond a-ll reason ; to say nothing of the drop \\\ prices of pro-luce and the depression generally. In addition to which the county is handicapped with a debt of £2000; and yot, according to the statement, published,: were it nut for fiis

"award, the? would actually be in credit. Their task U&9 been by' no means mi enviable one, and tho county they reju-t?-aent is, with its 40 miles oFmai'i roa I to keep open, ivn exceedingly dilfienlt anil elusive one to work, W,e say then to tlic electors, do not allow yottr letter judgement 10 he un luly lapsed ftgaiast those who have served you ihirinir the past two ye.. m, bub n passing judgement on them take into eon ? i <eration the many difficulties tfypy have h;i<l to contend wiHi — and mmc thdii that, do not imagine that by simply plccfiii'j a new body of "nen — all dillictiliies will vanish, au«i everything on iusr. as you would wish in the future. We repent, in i^sning this Extra we ''o not seek to influence electors as to how th< j y shou-'d vote, but simply to afford them information it is riifht they should bf» in possession of. After carefully considering all sides of the question we say to every elector, vote for those you believe are best calculated to seive yon; and wo trust after results will piove the wis loin oi your choice."

The Statement ieftTre.l to will be found on page four.