ABOLITION OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1116, 3 July 1883, Page 2

ABOLITION OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

TO TUB EDITOE. Sir,— There is, I believe, a rumour going the rounds at the present time that an effort will shortly be made to abolish the Geraldine County Conncilas a useless institution (except for spend, ding money in salaries), and, as far as can be gathered, the ratepayers are under the impression that the Council will be entirely swept away, and the various Road Boards will perform all the functions of the Council. Now, sir, is the information correct, or otherwise, that has been given to the electors, or will it not be thus :—The Counties Act of 1876 and its amendments will be suspended, four sections excepted—namely, the thirtieth, fifty-fourth, fiftysixth and sixty-eighth sections of the Act of 1876—which refer to alterations of boundaries, election of Chairmen > resignation of Chairmen, and distribution of County funds to the various Road Boards. The present councillors would give place to the Chairmen of the Road Boards and Town Boards, who would constitute the Council for the purposes named above, but it must be borne in mind that the whole of the Act may be brought into force again and suspended again by Petition—but the old Councillors would not be reinstated again. The Chairmen of Road Boards and Town Boards would, by virtue of their position, always constitute the Council, if more than six Boards ; if less, the number would have to be made up to six from other members of the Boards, unless such is revoked by special order, and tho Councillors elected as formerly. As far as the suspension of the Counties Act is concerned, much may be said for and much against, and before suspending the Act it would be wall to consider one or two things : First, years ago the late Titnaru and Gladstone Board of Works erected, at considerable cost, several large Bridges over- the rivers, I believe, in each Road District in the county, but in some Road Districts very large bridges have been erected, on the main lines of road. Now, I ask, will the Road Boards be in a position to renew these works when required, single handed, (some bridges will involve the expenditure of thousands of pounds) or would it not be better for the Council to take over these bridges ? and when one of them require* renewing, a rate be levied over the whole County, which in all probability would not exceed sixpence in the pound, but if left to the Road Board in whose district the Bridge happened to be erected it would cost perhaps feurshilliugsin the pound, and more i» some cases. Which would the ratepayers prefer to pay (together with other Road Board rates) sixpence in the pound for eight years, or four shillings in. the pound for one year ? Not that I am in favor of rating at all, but seeing that one or two things will have to be done when the bridges need renewing, namely, either to close them to traffic or sell them for what they would realise, and go over the river as in former day*, for I feel confident that the amount that has already been spent on the Orari traffic bridge in lengthening it. and protective works would not have been expended if the amount had to be raised direct by a rate, and I am given to understand that a considerable sum has just been spent to open the bridge temporarily after the late flood and from the set of (he river some substantial protective works will have to be erected, involving a large expenditure, and I certainly should like to know who will have to pay the piper for the recent works constructed at tho Rangitata Bridge ? My own opinion is that certain members of the Council, living on the south side of the Opihi, would be most happy to suspend the Counties Actjust now, before the accounts are adjusted between the Ashburton and Geraldine County Council re the Rangitata bridge, and then I should make a prediction to the effect that the Geraldine and Mount Peel Road Board* would have to pay one half the cost, which wou'd absorb more than a shilling rate in the pound in each district. —I am, etc. Look Before you Leap,