The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 91, 30 October 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1878.

The election of two members to represent Temuka Riding in the Geraldine County takes place on Wednesday, 13th November, and the nomination of candidates on Friday, l s t November. We wonder if, in the event of the old members being elected for the Geraldine County, they will still as stubbornly resist bringing the full Act into force without giving any tangible reason. We have long advocated bringing the Act into force as being an absolute necessity for the protection (financially) of the interests of the County. We could never see anything to be gained by taking advantage of the permissive clause, which we agree with the Hon Mr Buckley in considering was a mistake from the first. These half and half measures seldom work well. There are always some spirits who cannot live unless by being in opposition to all others. These always take advantage of such clauses. The only reason worth naming that the three or four members who were opposed to the Act in this County brought forward was the fear of leading into heavy working expenses. Will any of these be able to prove we have saved anything, even in this way ? Who knows what portion of the County’s funds the Government has disbursed during the past two years (judiciously)? For who knows how much has been lost through neglect in collecting, &c? The Government will give us no information when it is asked for. It tells the applicants to adopt the whole Act. It is to be hoped the ratepayers, not only in this, but in the other ridings, will not fail to obtain a pledge from the candidate whom they mean to support, that they will vote for bringing the whole oxdinance into operation. If it had been fairly tested it would have been found long ago that the great mass of the people were in favour of the Act being brought into operation, hut, le+ting bygones he by-gones, we do trust the ratepayers will now bestir themselves, and demand that we do not remain any longer a bye-word amongst the other Counties of the Colony. The Counties Act is far from being perfect we know, but so are other Acts. Are we, because we do not find in it all that we want, to throw it aside altogether ? Apply this test to any Act, and what would be the result? The County’s arrangement is now a part of the Constitution of the Colony; almost every other Act bears upon it to a greater or lesser extent, and as has been well said, it is needed as a form of local government to take charge of works which the Road Boards have not power to manage, which we do not wish the General Government to manage for us. To those who would say there are many Counties that have not adopted the Act, we reply not many. Cn the 20th of August last, of the sixty-three Counties, only fifteen had not fully adopted the Act. The last that adopted it being the County of Waipa. Since that date four out of the fifteen have adopted the Act in its entirety, leaving only eleven Counties that have not, of which Geraldine is one. Nearly all speak well of this form of Government in the various Counties where it has been tried, and, therefore, we say it is the duty of the ratepayers to see to it that it is brought into operation at once. When we hear of such men as Messrs Hall, Waterhouse,

Buckley, Whitmore, Campbell, Bonar, Grace, and many other members of the Legislative Council speak highly in favour of the Act, we cannot help exclaiming, “ What superior intellects have we in our midst, who could more successfully try their hands at law making !” ’Tis true we have well organised Road Boards. These, we, in the meantime, see no need for disturbing very much, but there is some room for improvement even here. This brings us to another point that has often been argued, that it wfill involve the districts in heavy expense. In reply we say, what need 1 What need is there for incurring heavy expense ? This County is not going to follow such Counties as the Vincent County in paying the Chairman some L 350 to L4OO a-year for merely presiding at its meetings. What is needed is a secretary who is a thorough good book-keeper and correspondent. With such an officer the Chairman would be able to keep things straight, to conduct carefully, punctually, and in a business-like manner the voluminous correspondence which must spring up between the Council and the General Government, other Counties, and the various public bodies with which it will have to do business. The Chairman’s office would be in such a case comparatively an easy one. We would suggest that the salary to be given io the Chairman should be a guinea a day for each day he should attend the meetings, and the same for each day spent in visiting the works going on in the different ridings, •with expenses added. This, we feel assured, no one would grudge, and no good business man could be expected to work for less. It is a poor business that will not give its head a guinea a day. With a good business man as secretary, and a good business man, who has some stake in the County, as Chairman, we would have no fear of waste or blunder, or neglect of duty. If however, it is the mind of the County to have an engineer for the whole County, and only retain a foreman of gangs for Road Boards, this we will most readily fall in with. We do not approve of this and that overseer being dubbed an engineer, and entrusted with works that he knows little or nothing about. It would have been well for this County to have had one thoroughly competent engineer for the five Road Boards long ago. It would have savea the Road Boards and ratepayers many heart burnings. It is not too late now. One other point we will slightly touch upon. A question has arisen—who is to call the first meeting, and who is to preside ? We confess we do not see much difficulty here ; if we only read the 209th clause of the County Council Ordinance we will find that any difficulties that might arise as to the right working of the Act has only to be referred to the Governor, when he can call a meeting, appoint some one to preside, or do a hundred things more if needed, under the clause we have just named. The Governor has only to call a meeting, have the same gazetted, ana within ten days of its appearance in the gazette the County Act could be brought into full operation. It will be argued that there is now no hurry, as the County cannot receive any money till June next. This is true, so far as regards the subsidies, but not as regards Publicans’, auctioneers’, hawkers, slaughter-house license fees, and the dog tax, but it is important for other matters than these that the Act should be brought into force immediately. There are the various disbursements of money that will take place between now and then. We say unhesitatingly it has been too long in being brought into force already, and we again say to the ratepayers, look out for men that you can trust, who will support the Act, and men who know something of the business they will have to engage in when elected.