The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1903. THE EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 98, 23 April 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1903. THE EGMONT COUNTY.

The ratepayers of thi new Egmont County are to be congratulated on having secured a really good working Council. Several of the members elec ed have had considerable experietc3 on local bodies. At least two of theno, Messrs Foray the and Maxwell, have had considerable experience in the chair, the former as chairman of the Hawera County Council and the latter os chairman of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, and whether as chairman or member of the new Council may be depended upon to do good service in guiding the destinies of the young county. The result of the elections, notwithstanding thj delay and apparent apathy since the county was constituted, goes te show that the ratepayers were keenly alive to the importance of the election and extremely careful in their selection, and the Council is undoubtedly a strong one. The question upon which the election | turned, particularly at the end of the county, was the very existj ence of the county itself, and the vote was very decidedly against those who J have opposed the county or are anxious to reduce its area. In the Geo Riding Messrs Conaglen and Limbriok retired I to prevent any split, although not soon eoough to get their nam°s withdrawn from ihe ballot papers, and the fight was straight out between the progressive or new county party and the noa-progressive party, the latter being signally defeated. This argues well for the success of the ne'v county, whioh evidently has the BU' f port of the ratepayers. The admirable arrangement made by the returning officer (Mr A. H. Moore) enabled the election to pass off without a hitch, the result bsing to hand soon after the poll closed. The new county has not been elected a bit too soon, and will have a very busy time during the next few months. The neglected state of the roads throughout the county, owing to the delay that has taken place, will tax all their energies. The ratepayers will need to exercise considerable patience while the Council is getting things put on a proper footing, both financial and general. It will be our endeavour to assist the new Council in every possible way we can, at the same time to keep the ratepayers well posted with reports of their proceedings. The result of the formation the county will, we feel 6ure, prove extremely beneficial to the district embraced therein, and give self-government to an area that has long been the comparatively neglected fag-end of two large counties, whese interests were in a different direction.

The first meeting of the new Council takes place at the Opunake Tows Hall at 1 p.m. to day, when the chairman will be elected,