COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81872, 23 October 1906, Page 3

COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

MR OKEY AM) HIS DETRACT- x UKS. I Mr IJ. Ukey. late chaiiman of the j J.\iiuuuki Cuuuiy Council, writes x hliows:—l\ly attention has been j diauii to your repon upon the couniy j b: thai luok ])iace at Hie last imciing of ihe County Council, ami tu statements nude L'y Councillor iJunvn that tin- fault lay wuh tiplate chairman in nut raising *uliiuent lunds io rebuild all the bi'dges and ai>o a statement made by Ali' llopson liiai he had been misled by the lulu cnaiirnan who had assured him thai /.ju.ouu could bii raided. The pruocure ihe council took in raising thiii bridge loan in kjuj was to get j an estimate from it* engineer of the j amount thai would likely be required j lor the erection of bridge> in the , coumy during the next ihv years, j The cngineci » which is • n , record in ihe office, was from /Jio . ouo to /jij.ouk). Tim was the ba- u is for ihe amount the council a>k»*d the • ratepayer to agree to, and although v Mr Mi own may have mggebted a | :aiger amount, it would not have bcin wise in introdueing this new policy to have gone to the ratepayer* tor their consent iur an amount far in excess of the engineer's estimate. The Council have done their wiih the amount at their disposal. They will when the time arrives give them iuiuier borrowing powers. A-> lo misleading Mr Jlopson, 1 am -.!,rry that 1 had io do the thinking lot him and for him to have been mi-Vd thereby.- but the position '> this: When r;ii>in« this loan th< v rate estimated to pay the interest upon ihe valuation of the couniy at thai time was one-lwelveth of a penny

ill the pound. In the proposal that : \va- placed before the ratepayers and - for which they voted, no amount was mentioned to be burrowed. They j simpl'y voted to give the council the right to rate them up to one-twelfth . of a penny in the £, and it was the general opinion at thai time that the - council would be able to burrow up to J tin- cne-twelfth of a penny on the ' ini reased valuation of the county, which would now allow the raising ol /JiX.ooo, nut jCzo-oou as stated by MMlopson. I When in Wellington on county business 1 discussed this point with Mr Ih'ywood. Scc'eUtiy to the Treasury, and the ruling was that as no amount had been mentioned in the proposal the amount allowed to be raised , would be such amount as the one ' twelfth of a penny rale would have raised upon tin- valuation at the lime of raising the loan. I'pon my remrn 1 reported this, interview to the council, and a few months ago when 1 saw bv the neuspapcr reports ol lie: proceedings of Cic present council that ihev could raise £\X,wo.J\ , wide to them pointing' this matter \ out, and have received a letter from I lhe clerk thanking me for the Idler 1 and Mating that it had 1> 1 "-'" c ""- t hi lied bv the Treasury Department. 1 think ton will tigiee that the See- . rotary to the Ticasury's nung is the correct one, a- the ratepayers aie the safety valve with legard lo local bodies borrowing. If the Trea-ury : had allowed the borrowing on ti:e in : ,-leased valuation, it would mean j that thecounili would have le'cn able I to have borrowed /ibouo for winch the latepaycts had not given their consent. Whlist upon budge loan matters. ! might be excused lor pointing out the liilieien! ways, the pre.-ent council has hi regard to admi-islration o what the hue council had. The laic. Council, upon geitmg the estimate of ihe anion ill n quiicd lo etecl ~ bridge from i's engineer would ,pplv tothe Treasuiy for provisional coVen: io ihe lean, and il|)"o get ting that om-enl. would let tin- coiin iking pii'u'ress payments from time ",' i'im'c "iit'of their general necouni. and upon getting the amount ol loan. would transfer it from the Bridge loan account to ihe general account. liy this p:o<cdure the full amount of ji'- loan would I)'' speco upon the work for which il was intended. Tho present Council, after gelling provisional .onsen! to a loan, ajiplulo have the amount placi'd io ilo'ir ciedit—as for in-'lance, the Tapunc ' and Oakura loans ui iiw, uhhh ' were g.ii in full about December U,si. ' On the -,,,; Ma'.h the balance ;.|,e,.t 1 ,hows ove, / Mill laying at ,he ■ liiidge. loan a.-.00i.t (not bearing inteiesi). and 1 hud there U st,H be ' -ween /:.(!») and/."500 of that loan slid ' lay'ng in t!ie bank, and we find from notiee s in liic paper.- i'ois wocK that " ■■ ftii'ihcr ainounl "f nearly has ' come io l.aoci o : r bridg, ' to ihe Moo riding that have not been starOe; ' and so i, goes o„. The way the r T,„eo,'V Heats ,|,es, ; |„ans is a. 1..1- : 'o\\s:_npii[i paving over the amount ' ii chares inter, M estimated dai 'v e f„ r :|,c loinil-.erol'davs Ui- local body - has ,',. |„.„, precious m ins,-,ibine

ii "II the i-i "!' I-Vl.m.ry a< I, y;.i. ■|-|.i- amount i< added I" ihr loan y.cre inscribed, -i, that ill' Tapuar ..lid Oakum l";m of £:■"<«> will !>'■ iii-■■i-p|)i'il at about /:"5" and liii' 11i'i- .,,., jiir m>v.cr< I'xlured l.v that am-! "iml.and ..iilv /:.'...!,, rer.ived. S<; if i!,i.. K oo- mi v," will find a sum wasird ui n.i- v.ai ihal urniM have bud; au.iiiic: fni-ly. Jf the < n.ii- • i : l- (1 '. :\hh "■ irnich <it t|,-u ::hti';il are; mil why do iluv not K "t li" ir c'lyinn'r tn icpnil monthly upon pavmems in >t miinili. and ihon apply !.. ilv •haasiiry i„ liaiv t|,; lt am 'i.jnt plac'd la their 1o;m account r T am soii'y In hav taken up m> mui'li of your valuable spare oyer this nia'.-i.-r.' but the import:.,- ,-c ~f i; ,„ t !ic county must b- my x-