THE COUNTY ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 94, 9 November 1878, Page 3

THE COUNTY ELECTIONS.

Two candidates were nominated for the Rankapuka Riding last Tuesday before Mr Sherratt, returning officer. These were Mr R. A. Barker and Mr T. Hardcastle seor. Mr Barker stated that he was not in favour of the Counties Act being brought into force in its entirety, but considers that a financial and a political body is re quired to mediate between the Lem ral Government and the various Road -Boards. He expected, however, to find himself in a minority on this matter of adopting, oi not adopting the Act. He did not know of any great objection to its being adopted, provided it was administered as carefully as it was by the Seiwyn County Council. Mr Maslin asked Mr Barker, whether, in the event of the Act being adopted, he would be in favour of building large offices, 'and employing an extensive st ill of officers, and which he thought should be made the county town, liniaru or Temuka. Mr Barker replied that he would bo in favour of making Timaru the county town, should that be the wish of the majority of the electors in the riding he represented. Mr Hardcastle said that Ids views respecting the working of the Act wire similar to those of Mr Barker. He came forward at the request of a number of the ratepayers, and as a resident in (he riding. He was willing to give the Art a trial, and should he be elected, and the Act .fiddjjtecl, he would endeavour to keep down expenditure. In reply to questions, Mr Hardcastle sain that he considered that much depended on where the Chairman resided, in choosing a place for the Council to meet. If the ChaTman resided in Temuka 1 hat should he tiie county town. Otherwise he might bo in favour of the Council sitting at Timaru, because it would he possible to rent offices there, and thus save the cost of building. He did not think that thei’e were any works required in the district that a good overseer could not undertake, and therefore an eminent, and expensive engineer was not required. The Returning Officer stated that the the polling would he taken on Wednesday, the 13th instant, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 pi in., at the Road Board Office, Geraldine, the schoolroom, Kakahu. and the schoolroom, Waihi Bush, and that plurality of voting would he allowed according to the 19th clause of the “Canterbury Read Ordinance, 1872.” unless special instructions were received from the Go’ eminent in the meantime, directing the voting to he otherwise taken. In the event of such instructions being received, prublic notice will be given thereof. There being only two candidates for the Levels Riding—Mr E. Acton and Mr J. Macintosh—the Returning Officer declared these two gentlemen duly elected. Mr Ostler was elected, unopposed, for the Mount Cook Riding, and Mr C. G. Tripp, also unopposed, for the Mould Peel Riding.