GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 133, 2 April 1879, Page 2

GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The adjourned annual meeting of this Council was held in the Road Board Office, Temuka, on Monday. Present —Messrs C. Gr. Tripp (chairman), E. Acton, J. Mendelson, T. Hardcastle, and A. Wilson. The Chairman said they had met that day, under the GBth clause of the Act, to distribute the funds. He found that the Attorney-General’s opinion was against them in passing the resolution which they had done. He himself, at the suggestion of Mr Hardcastle, had telegraphed to the AttorneyGeneral in the matter, and had received the following reply V “ Wellington, March 28th. _ “ -A- 3 there are seven members in the Geraldine County Council, I am of opinion that four must vote for bringing the Act into force before the provisions of section 13 are complied with. The resignations would not affect the matter if four voted. “ (Signed) Robert Stout.” The Chairman stated that Messrs Hanmer and Harper, of Christchurch, and White and Jameson, of Timaru, had also been requested to give opinions on the matter. The following are their opinions:— “ Timaru, March 26. “We are of opinion that the whole Act cannot be brought into force without a resolution for that purpose being passed at a meeting specially convened by at least four members of the Council voting in its favor. “ (Signed) White and Jameson.” “ Christchurch, March 31. “ Opinion posted on Saturday. We do not agree with Attorney-General. Consider Act legally in force. “Hanmer and Harper.” Letters wore read from the Christchurch City Council, requesting the co-operation of this Council in getting the nest sitting of the General Assembly held at Christchurch ; and from the Winchester Cricket Club, asking to have the Recreation Reserve there vested in trustees. The Chairman and Mr Mendelson were of opinion that the Council could not deal with these matters. Mr Wilson contended that their first Chairman had answered such letters as those before the meeting now, and he failed to see why the present Chairman could not do the same thing. After a little more discussion on the matter, it was allowed to drop. With regard to the statement that appeared in the ‘ Timaru Herald,’ as to Mr Wilson resigning his seat as a member of the Council, the Chairman stated that Mr Wilson only spoke of his intention of resigning, and he had no recollection of any written document being given in to him. Mr Mendelson said he really was not sure whether Mr Wilson handed in his resignation in writing or not. Mr Wilson here denied that ho had ever put his resignation in writing at all, and characterised the statement to that effect in the ‘ Timaru Herald’ as a gross misstatement. The matter then died a natural death. Letters were read from the Mount Peel, Temuka, and Levels Road Boards, giving the information required by the Council regarding their financial position. No replies were received from either the Mount Cook or Geraldine Road Boards. The Chairman, after expressing his regret that all the returns asked for had not come to hand, and at two seats in the Council being vacant, dwelt at some length on the advisability of making extra allowance to those Road Boards which had within their boundaries main arterial works, such as the Orari, Opihi, and Rangitata Bridges. He would be prepared, in making the distribution of funds, to advise the Government to take these matters into consideration. Mr Mendelson here informed the Chairman that the Council last year, believing that the Rangitata road bridge was in the Mount Peel Road District, had made that Board an extra allowance, but it was afterwards found that they had been calculating erroneously. Mr Acton dwelt at great length on the fact of no response having been received from the Mount Cook and Geraldine Road Boards to the Council’s request for information regarding their financial position. He would move that the meeting be adjourned for seven days to allow of the other Road Board returns being sent in, Mr Mendelson disagreed with Mr Acton regarding the interpretation 'of the Act. He would, however, be glad if Mr Acton could convince him to the contrary. Mr Acton said he was afraid it would be a task of great difficulty, if not a matter of impossibility, to comply with Mr Mendelson’s request and convince him to the contrary. He would move, “ That this meeting adjourn till noon on April 7th, to enable returns to be received from the other Road Boards.” He pointed out that the Council had no power to adjourn for a longer period than seven days. Mr Mendelson said that he must vote against the resolution. The resolution was then put and lost. The Council then went into Committee to consider the distribution of funds. Proposed by Mr Mendelson, seconded by Mr Wilson, “ That in the opinion of this Council the money arising from the surplus Land Fund, payable to the County of Geraldine during the current financial year, under the Financial Arrangements Act 1876, and amended, 1877, or any other Act, should be divided among the various Road .Districts in the County in the following proportion ; Temuka, 19 per cent.; Levels, 19 per cent.; Mount Peel, 19 per cent.: Mount Cook, 24 per cent.; Geraldine, 19 per cent.” Carried. Proposed by Mr Acton, seconded by Mr Mendelson, “ That the County revenue, not being surplus Land Fund, be divided amongst the various Road Boards of the Cohnty of Geraldine for the year ending June 30, 1880, as follows : —ls per cent, to Mount Cook, 15 per cent, to Geraldine, 10 per cent to Mount Peel, 27i per cent, to Temuka, 32£ per cent, to the Levels.” Carried. The Council decided that all the papers and legal opinions on the matter of bringing the Act into force should be sent to the Government, with the view of letting them decide she matter. The Council then adjourned.