The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1890. THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2059, 14 June 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1890. THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

They say that "the burned child dreads the fire," but we suppose the reason this trite old saw does not apply to the members of the G-eraldine County Council is that they are " not chickens." They do not appear to be possessed of the wisdom «f the child who profits by experience, but seem to glory in running their heads against the brick walls of the law. Net long ago they went to law with Silcock, the contractor, for a water race near Eangifcata, and lost it. Their engineers and their law-advisers supported them in their contention with Silcock, but, notwithstanding this, they lost the case, and thus wasted about £IOOO of the ratepayers' money. Mr Howell made some noise about this in the council last Wednesday. He said Mr Tripp's statement was incorrect; that only £6OB had been paid in law costs, and £466 was paid for work done. If we remember rightly this £466 was the sum over which the council went to law, and it was due to their loose and unbusinesslike way of doing business that they lost it. We have not hitherto commented on this case, as we took it that it was bad enough for the council to lose the money, and that there was nothing to be gained by talking after the harm was done. Now, however, when we find them obstinately refusing to profit by experience, we do not hesitate to tell them that they have not the sympathy of ratepayers in the steps they are taking with regard to the Pareora bridge, So far as we understand it, this bridge is out of repair, and some of the settlers who use it are taking action against the council to compel them to make it fit for general traffic. The council refuse to do any more than make it a sheep, &c, bridge, and hence the lawsuit. The case is now before the court, and it is not within oup province to comment upon it, further than to say that if the council lose the case, they will hear of it, We may, however, Bay that with increased production, increased industrial development, and consequently increased requirements, it is a strange thing for the council to think of decreasing the facilities of the settlers to communicate with the centres oi population. All the people that we have ever heard of have increased road and bridge, and railway facilities ae traffic demanded it, but the Geraldine County Council have evidently decided to act on the very opposite lines. We find ratepayers in Pareora so thoroughly in earnest to get their bridge made passable that they have undertaken to bear the cost of an expensive lawsuit to test the matter; we find ratepayers in the G-eraliine and Mount Peel districts intimating their willingness at public meetings to pay rates for keeping the Orari bridge in repair; yet in the face of all this the council refuse to do anything, notwithstanding that their legal I advisers tell them that they will be responsible for any accident that may happen. It is a most extraordinary attitude for any public body to take up, but the reasons given by Mr Howell for it were more extraordinary Bjill. He wishes the case to go on so that the law may be altered. Mr Howell is a great man in his own estimation, but great and selfimportant, he is very small in the great economy of a nation, I and laws are not going to be made to suit his exalted and superior views. The law will, we trust, still aim at being useful, and no law which will relieve local bodies of responsibility for the due performance of their duties will serve the purposes of the general public. It is a monstrous thing for any body of men to think that parliament will pass an Act to render local bodies irresponsible for keeping roads and bridges of which they have the charge in order, and Mr Howell may rest assured that it will not However, time will tell all. At present we are not in a position to say more than that the ratepayers do not in the least sympathise with the stand taken by the County Council in going to law on every opportunity they get for doing so.