TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1916, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

ANNUAL MEETLNf The statutory annual meeting of the Council was held in the Council Chambers yesterday. Present: Crs. J. Brown, J. S. Connctt, D. McAllum, A. E. Lawrence, C. Andrews, J. It. Simpson, W. Binnie, J. Andrews. A. Morton. Mr. K. Ellis (clerk) -was in the chair. Cr. Gannett moved that Cr. J. Brown be re-elected. Cr. Brown, in declining nomination, .-aid he would like to have carried on for twelve months, had it been the will of the Council, but things had not gone too well at home. He recognised that the next 12 months or two years would be a strenuous one for the Council, especially as regards labor. He did not mind doing his bit but it would not be fair to the Council or his family to accept. He had been in public life for SI years and had done, his lit, and he had made up hi:;' mind to resign liia seat on the Council, hut for economy to the Council he would not create a'byelection just now. He had hoped a week ago that he would be able to carry on, but circumstances had arisen which made it impossible to do so. Cr. J. Audrewa: Could you see your way to carry on the chairmanship if the supervision were taken off your hands. Cr. Brown said he recognised it was going to be a hard term. They were experiencing great difficulty now in getting rid of their contracts. They had n tremendous amount of metal to get out. Ik felt he would not take the chair and leave the supervision. Cr. McAllum said the Council would snstain a severe loss. They would find it hard to find n chairman as efficient and as diplomatic. Cr. J. Simpson moved that Cr. Connctt be elected, but in declining Cr. Connctt moved that Cr. Morton take the position. Cr. Morton said lie had not the time nor the inclination to devote to the position. The only alternative whieli would relieve the chairmanship of a lot of worry and time would be to revert back to the old system of engineer. In view of the responsibility and worry involved upon the chairman he could not see his way to accept. Eventually Mr. Coivnet! was persuaded to reconsider his decision, and was elected chairman.

COMPENSATION CASE. Cr. Lawrence brought lp the questior of payment of the ret-eni Simmons' com ponsafion action. Hi understood the ridings bore thcii v.-. ,011s charges, but moved that the )i Hiding pay CMI (damages) and tin: 'lO legal costs bo a charge on the generii fi'nd.—The motion ■ was lost, the rldin-. ';o bear all costs. TF" its. The matter c eiiders for Junctior j road metal war ; with the chairman and Riding iner 9. The action 0 .he late chairman in letting a contrac o Thos. GrylU for 340 yards at the W :puke wac- confirmed. W. Thomson',- tender for metal (7s (Id per yard) froi: At/.:"».on's depot wa» accepted, I ,V .'.mCTQRY. Cr. J. And ' 's moved "that this Council place? on record its appreciation of the faithful services rendered to the Council by Mr. Joseph Brown during the ten yeara that he has occupied the position of chair.'' in of the Council, and its recognition ol the ability and zeal dispayed by him in conducting the Council's business."

C'rs. C. Andrews and Morton spoke of the good work which their late chair man hrl put into his term of office,'and of the genuine regret all the members felt at him leaving the chair. There was one point which relieved them somewhat, and that was that the conditions which left Mr. Brown unable to afford the time was that the oon was doing his bit for the Empire. Cr. Brown, in reply, caid he, had been 1(1 or 17 years in the Council, ten of which had been in the capacity of chairman. He reminded councillors that when he was first elected there was the question cf toll-gates or no toll-gates. He was, and always bad been, a staunch supporter of ■toll-gates and he. maintain eri that if they had stuck to them they would have b:\d roads and bridges. Ho had been told be had a mania for concrate, but he thought he was right in the bridges being erected. He took some credit for getting the crusher and the two road rollers now in use. Ho complimented Cr. Connett on bis election As Cr. Connett bad said he was practic. ally a new man but be was satisfied be would get on. One had to learn, and it took more than a day.