Chairman of Taranaki County Council.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7941, 3 October 1905, Page 2

Chairman of Taranaki County Council.

t. „ v VALF.DICTORY REMARKS BY C MR OKEY. « At Monday's meeting of the County: ir Council, live Chairman (Mr H. Okey) n announced thai he iliil not again intend to stand lor the position, and in ■d what might he termed a valedictory speech he traced the work and prok gross of the Council during the twelves l- years lhat lie had been in office. He ■p mentioned that Cr. McDonald was the 'h only oilier member who had served in s- ilie Council lor a similar period. Men n lie (Mr Okey) was first elected the [)- Council was in a very/.Kid financial i- position, and the roads and bridges •d generally were in a stale of distfr 1, pair. The.Council was hard pushed ni lo meet its obligations, and mem'.iers d- vvenl so far as lo make themselves personally responsible for the ovcr- «" draft. The members set themselves ie out to re instate the finances, and the a tol'-gale system and the wheel tax were brought into use. The system 't of employing foremen and having the d work carried out directly by tlm )' Council superseded the old system of, ls Keeping roads by contract. When the ' s Council had succeeded in getting the ''■ roads into something like repair, there was a good deal ol objection ■I- raised to the toll gates, and there „• were two parties in the Council. Dis- ,. sension arose, but those who opposed - the system were eventually ejected by ;, the ratepayers. He (Mr Okey) then r saw his way to promise the abolition . of toll gales in two years' time, a nd i that promise was fulfilled to the lett. tcr. The Council had gone in for a fairly progressive policy, which he s thought ib c beneficial results now cue joyad fully warranted. The widening |» ol the road at Fitzroy was admitted t lo be a very good work performed by' the Council, and Hie purchase ot a stone-crushing plant, now one of die I; best in the colony, had been a wise 0 move.. The Council had also gone in ,1 for bridge loan moneys, and he believ- ,! Ed it was the first county in tliccoli- any which had taken advantage of 0 ( this account tor progressive work. So r. far the Council had only had £300(1, „ bpil- by, special rate had ensured 4 •- fund of £12,000 to draw upon from g tunc to time for the upkeep of bridil ges. The Council had started with e the erection of steel girded bridges ii and cement piers, ami had replaced i the wooden culverts with cement and i- piping culverts. A good bargain had, t he considered, been made bv the Coun.l cil in connection with the Henui bridge. Referring to the sound position of the Council a t Uie present' tune, the Qhairmaii mentioned that ;1 last year lie had brought forward a r scheme for reducing the overdraft ;by 3 £2OOO, and the figures showed thai ~ this had twii realise*. The overdraft , in .September, 190-1, was £7728 7s 3d, . -nd on Sept. 30 of this ye a r it toUl- , ltd £l9(ili 10s, wiih little or no out- - standing liabilities, and a'l the . year's rates still,to come in. He was - pleased lo think that he Dad always • held the confidence of the Council, -for , lie had taken considerable personal re--1 sponsibilities -in ih e interim between meetings, and his actions had al- - ways been confirmed. He had taken great interest in his work, and being the largest, in, the county ~ had always felt a personal interest in its affairs. Ho was leaving now to 1 make room for new blood,'as he con- . sidercd it unwise for one man to monot polise these positions, and believed he I, could claim a fair record, never hav- . nig missed « meeting in 12 V ears , One work he would like future 'coun- . cillors to take in hand, which h e was . sure would indirectly pay was to - provide suitable foolpatlis on doth 1 sides of the road as had beenvdone at - i'ltzroy. Ihe road out to the lireak- ' water should be made as pleasant as 1 that leaning t„ Fitzrov. 1, was only by giving u u . ratepavers facilities that .residence would be encouraged- Ho long as the ratepayers of ■ hese places were considered therii wouni be no movemenl for them to l(>iu the borough. i„ conclusion, the Chairman referred to the fioo( | ' , C ';!/!.« foremen who had ten with , (-ounc.l a long period, Messrs Homes (20 years), Kvetls (.3 years) j Walkei (0 y P ars), and Urn-. He ! thanked the Council for their hear(y I co-operation with him, their hard i work 111 the interests of thc rat- ! payers, and their remarkably fine re- s cord 01 al tendances.

There will be another meeting of the Council before the election, when tile Council propose to pass a suitable resolution recognising Mr Okev's long .mil able service to the county.'