EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1917, Page 5

EGMONT COUNTY.

YHREE YEABS' PROGRESS. A 1 last meeting of the pretest council, the chairman of the Egmont County Council on Tuesday gave brief County Council (Cr. M. Fleuery) gave a brief resume of the work done duririgits term of office, which lie cohsidere v d mIW justified their election. When they toapc office three years ago they were faced with a big handicap in the shape of ak overdraft of £0278 5s 2d,, and ottojir liabilities, including one of £2SBG, which raised their total indebtedness to £IO,OOO. They had certainly increase)! the rate, but lie submitted that there was no comparison between the stfttb of the roads now and three years ago. When he attended the first meeting he had difficulty in getting there, the road* were so bad. Besides keeping these ik repair, the council had built 19 bridges permanently in concrete, some large and some small, among the former being itS eluded Warea, Waiweranui, and Kdfpoaeae. They had also built,the county 1 offices, a piece of work of which he wis very proud, The' previous Council had just let a contract for a large building to cost £2588, and the present council had to cancel this. The present council had also divided the Rahotu riding inio two, creating the new Opua riding. The advantages of this might not be apparent to the ratepayers at but its importance would be notlcett later, ip the trend of local traffic altered ifor tic first time the council had received a subsidy from the Government for rebuilding a bridge, namely, £Boo* for tlie Puncliu bridge. There was another large bridge t6 build, and when the time canjp they should ask tiic Government for p. eubaidy to re-build this, tor he believed the Government adopted a policy of helping a local body that helped,itself. The council had also taken the necessary steps to place before the ratepayers ft proposal lo raise a bridge loan <tf £15.000. This, lie felt) sure, would Ijß Carried by a largo majority, as all tijfe ratepayers recognised that it was necessary to renew the bridges in concrete. Their financial position was now sound. In March, 1917, their overdraft was reduced to £ 1577, whereas now thor assets exceeded their liabilities ny £3OOO. All councillors who stood again could confidently go before the ratepayers saying that they had done good work and would continue to do so. If the ratepayers studied their own inter* ests all would be re-elected. • Personalty he was not seeking re-election. He ha 4 only consented to stand for on© ternL He.-however, felt a twitch at severing from the council, because during his 33 years' .experience as ohairfljan o£ racing clubs, dairy factory directorates, school committees, road boards aQd county councils he Ijjd never met better members, and hoped all would remain to continue the good work on behalf of tiiq ratepayers, who could not fail td ap. preciate their efforts. Cr. McNeill said he voiced the sentiments of the council m expressing regret at the chairman's retirement. • Wtyen elected three years ago they had considerable difficulties to f»ce, but all had worked in the interests of the ratepayers and not in their own personal interests. .There had occasionally been little arguments among them, and he claimed that opposition was good, but they never took their arguments outside. He spoke in high terms 'of the uniform courtesy extended by the chairman and thm impartial manner in which lie had carried out the business. He also paid a high tribute ,to the work of the clerk, find stated that they had a good clerk, engineer, and office, mid in three years' time would have n good plant. Cr. Wright stated that he recognised the present chairman was tlio .best man in the county for the position, and he had unsuccessfully tried all jie could to get him to accept nomination. It was, he considered, the good fellowship (prevailing in the council that was responsible for the success achieved, as one side did npt pull against the other. Internal friction was often the cause of failure. .

Cr. Campbell, as the oldest CQiyifjllor, also expressed his regret *t ih« chairman's decision,

Cr. Mcßeynolda, who was not welting re-election, also considered the purpose for which they were elected had teen achieved. Four yars ago the financial position was so bad that thejr werothree months behind with their -hospital and charitable aid levy. He felt eonJMent the chairman would again come to their rescue if neteteary, Cr. Young pointed out that the chairman had always given all parts of tha county a fair deal. His retirement would be a loss to the ratepayers. The speaker was not seeking re-election, as the chairmanship of the Parihaka Road Board took a considerable portion of his time. Cra Harvey and Forsyth also spoke in eulogistic terms of the chairman's success, and also remarked on the improvements in the roads.

The chairman, in returning: tanks, remarked that lie hod only done his best in what he considered the interests of the ratepayers.