AUSTRALIAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 925, 15 November 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

Sydneyj Nov. 14. Sutter, Postmaster' General,- takes the portfolio of Minister of Education. The small pox is now sensibly decreasing.; M

COUNTYtfSHjEOTIONi ' ■ am c . ;. —T THE MAURICEVILLE 31EETING. Yesterday notice, .Messrs McGregor, Renall, Vile, an d Chamberlain, met the settlers at Mauriceville. At 10 a.m ;! the hour appointed,, riea'rl/all ihe residents in the district were gathered near the school-house, and a requisition waFmade.to. the toaoher for its use. He;' : ;h6wove^f, , 'clid'not tbink he was justifiedJn dismissing, the children to : facilitale'lif? : pirtftic" 'meeliiVci,' iind an adjournment was made to a bush glade near the main road, where, under a leafy shade some fifty settlers forming them' selves into an impromptu order of Druids, made a ring'reclining on mother earth, the candidates being accommodated with the seat of hunor, viz., tho large surface roots of the biggest tree;'- . . ! . Mr Gunder Gunderson having been voted to an imaginary chair, called upun Mr McGregor to open.the proceedings. Mr D. McGregor that he appeared before them not only, as a;candidate fur the coming : election, hut also as one who had served .them; in tho past. Hitherto, the County elections had-been somewhat tame, but,the present contest was likely to stir them all up, to find out what tho requirements of-the district were. Mr Renall and himself did not agree on County, questions, artd.'consequently tliey would have them presented to them from different aspects, and the free discussion which would take place would be calculated to bring about'a better state of tilings. They would admit that jhe had always; taken a deep interest in their welfare 1 , and at this stage he desired to accord a meed of praise, to his late colleague, . Mr, Moore, for the integrity, industry, and ability; which he had displayed in the Council.' (Hear. 'Hear). He much regretted ,that Mr Mobre had decided to retirenfrom county work. In conjunction with Mr Moore he had always pressed upon the consideration of the County and of the Government tho requirements of the district. Their great wants had been roads and bridges. In his opinion railways were to a certain extent luxuries, but roads and bridges were necessities, In the Mauriceville district good work had beeii done by the County, atid he could not admit that it had been a failure. He would show them hpw.the County have been of service to the district. The Government asked the County to open up laud for them by means of bridle •'tracks-bridle tracks were then tlie means -the Government relied upon'for opening : up new settlements. The Government did not understand the conditions of settling land, but the County did, and refused to construct bridle tracks., The County advised that lines, a chain wido, Bhould be cleared and proper roads formed prior to laud being placed in the market. The Government were stubborn in adhering to tho bridle track policy, but the County fought them till it gained its point. Since then the Government had admitted that on this question it was wrong and that the County was right. The good results which had attended the substitution of proper roads' for bridle tracks, were sufficient to stamp the County administration as a success, Another great service which the County had rendered was in obtaining an alteration of the method adopted iii laying off road-lines. Formerly surveyors laid off roads in straight: lines, taking them over hills and in all sorts of impracticable directions. When the land came to be settled, in order to construct such roads, deviations had to be made, and fresh land had to be purchase! for these purposes,'-involving considerable expense and, 'inconvenience. The County Jiad insisted upon proper lines being laid off and in consequence of the representations Which it bad made to the Government instructions had been issued to_ surveyors to lay off improved lines- with easier grades and to make reserves wherever deviations were likely to be required. He next referred- to the future of tho County. It could levy rates but it did not levy them., if again returnedto -the Council he would oppose a County rate, as he had done ip the east, on the ground that the Highway rate was asufficient contribution for settlers to make tor road construction. (Hear! hear! I) The question might he asked: What could the County do if it did levy a rate? He would point outthat they required an intermediate body between the Highway Boards and the Government, so that the wants of outlying districts,.(night;be fairly represented at head quarters, and brought prominently under the notice of tho Government; It was the duty of the County to tell the Government what blocks of land required opening up, and what rosils wanted to be made. The County could exert: for' the benefit of the district a considerable influence with the Government. If the County had not exerted this influence in the past, much of the good work which they saw around would, not have been accomplished. He .hold that in opening up waste lands the Government and not the County ought tb find the money. The sale of the land provided tho means for opening it up. -(Hear I hear I!) The work of,opening up waste lands could and . should be done without a County rate, Before opening up lands for settlement the County made inquiries as to tho methods adopted hy individuals who made it-business of plating large blocks of land in the market. The result confirmed the opinion of the County members that before putting- any land in the market bush lines should be cleared, a cart road made, and in some instances that the road should be metalled. He pointed out that if that system had been adopted in the settlement of Mauriceville, many of the hardships which those around him had sustained would have been modified, and that the progress of the settlement would have been much more rapid, Mr Renall held the opinion that the powers of Counties should be extended, and that they should be allowed to legis-J late on scab, rabbits, and dogs, While' he believed Counties to be useful institutions, he did tint believe in their being allowed to make laws—if they were they would have.plenty of bad ones; they would have one law on one side of a river and another law on the other side of it. Litigation would flourish, and they would be constantly at the R.M. Court., Multiplying legislation meant multiplying'expense. The abominable system of the old- Provincial Council led to many of- the' evils from which they were suffering, The County system, if nothing.-.else. could be said in its favor, was a cheap system, and they should guard against chancing it for an expensive one. It had been suggested that the land revenue should be made a County fund, but, if this revenue were transferred to the Counties, what guarantee : would the Government have that it would be appropriated,for its- legitimate' objeotj the construction of roads—for which purpose it should be absolutely reserved. Another difficulty in handing the' land revenue to tho Counties was. that in seme |Oounties there were no waste lands; and'yet a go'od many roadß to he made,,whereas in others there were plenty : of "waatp.'lands,' and llittle road ' construction f required. It j would be impossible- for: the',Government in this way to apportion the land revenue fairly between different district?. Be 1 did. not contend that the. present County system was perfect, butheconsidered it with its imperfections woHh'woiikiiiL' out j and.reoommendedjvorkina: itiaiid inlbro-l ving it. -; Mr Renall then addressed .the meeting,

He . eoiniAfcucu oy accusing the Wairakapa Daily of having repotted him to nave said things -which he had never uttered, but did not apeoify in what, instance this had been done. He next referred to Mr McGregor saying that Borne yoars ago he had great hopes of-hira,"-but that they had been disappointed, and he had never heard a more begging^speech• than the one he had just listened to. The J County he admitted had done justtaV much as a good Road Board.could do, and no l . llore ' As for an extended County makitig'one lav? .on,-oiip' wde;ot : the'rivejt; ant. another on the other, were the people such fools aa' to make .mistakes of" this' sort I They had never made them in the past, and they were not likely to make them in the future. He advocated local legislation, because the. laws made inrthe Hnuso of Representatives in accordance thrown out by i He advised making laws tor themselves instead of begging other people'to make them for them. The County was a mere skeleton, with 110 soul to be Baved and 110 body to be kicked. .He believed- in,the' people when they were properly. and honestly instructed. When lie' was'a member of the Provincial' Council more had been done for the. people thaii had' ever since been accomplished.' The Provincial Government did not sell land at £3 an acre by auction, putting one settler against another. Land was sold in Masteiton at 10s an acre.. He himself'got Sir George Grey to shut the Masterfon Block against other purchasers than.the working people, The County had not been able to get on its legs, because it had no mouey. The rovival of the Land Fund, however, had given it eight thousand pounds for distribution,

Mr McGregor, "No! for expenditure through our own Engineer aud staff." Mr lteuall said he would not differ from Mr McGregor on a mere term. The Counties were originally intended to absorb the road boards and to be at the mercy of the Government, having no powers of their own. He admitted that the Government had considered the Counties 011 two or throe occasions, and had the people known that this would have been done, they would have been nioie careful as to the persons they sent into the Council. The County when the land fund was low slept, and it was only when it increased that'it was aotive' aud then it wasted its money in bridging rivers, citing the Waipona' as an instance. He gave at length his own plan for the road near the Waipura, which was to foim it so low that the water, in flood time would flow over it, whereas- Mr King s plan was to put the road up two or three feet where it could be washed away, ihe Waipoua bridge works were in his opinion a confounded blunder from first to last. Ho could do 1)11 that Wits required to be done at the vWaippua for £250, and render Mr Ring's hrid«e unnecessary. When the rivor Sr.it Wan to break through a very little Would haye stopped it, but the County was snoring and the Highway Jjnard had become inefficient. A man was wanted in the Council as a clipck 011 the Ennineer, and it was for that reason that heliad come onvard. He would have great hopes of Mr King, if lie worked under his direction. It was no use their taxing themselves if their money was not economically' expended. The money now being spent on the W aipoua bridge was sufficient to protect the road there, and to stop the encroachment at the Pirau, the County if it aared would follow ud folly No 1 by «lly No 2, viz., pattin« a toll gate at the bridge. County Councils were mere boards of works, and they wanted pracleal men 1,1 them, He. next contrasted Mr Kings engineering labors 'in,.the Borough of Masterton with his own, giving,a decided preference to the latter. ut! ut m 5," est ' un n f. survey referred to by Mr McGregor, he contended that the 0 per cent reserve for roads on all sections •old-met the objection raised. He-passed oil to complain of the Fercing Act and of 1 1 ut?," 0111 ' legislation being superseded by the General Government. Act of las session (M r J^crhorn: The new C is a better one), Ho complained that he new Act did not deal with rabbit fencing, the clause referring to it havin® been throw,, o»tby the " Upper Crust," If returned for the County he would, before bringing the new Act into operation, como before them and- consult their Wishes on tl lß question. He recurred to . . aii, auapa Dait,t accusing it of having thrown mud at him; It could not hnd a vote of his during the past twenfylive years wluuh it could challenge, but raked up his private affairs, , and violated Mm s-uictities nf his private life. The Wairakapa Daily accused him of alienating his supporter by his own misbehavi. our, and to ihis he gave the lie; Coming back to the County question he proposed to mane them as efficient as possible by giving them as much power as could bo given to them, He would, not like Mr IcGrreyur, '° 'he Government for bread and get a stone. He also declared that Counties had been starved by statepensions and the cost of the Legislative Council, He characterised as a deliberate falsehood' a statement made in a letter published in the W'airahapa Daily that he hnd soiled his hands with public .money. He concluded (the dinner hell having sounded and symptoms of impatience having been manifested) by advocating the union of the whole of the Wnirarapa in one Countv, and advising his audience to return men whom they could trust. During the past twenty-five years he had never fallen out with his fellow ■ creatures on political matters. He complained that the electors should have to seek the services of a worn out stumi) like himself, ins'ead of those •of a hright young man like Mr McGregor, but then Mr McGregor had got into bad company.

' Mr J. Vile, who apoko next, said that after the full addreases from Mr McGregor and Mr Renall very little would be required from him, Ha was in favor of the amalgamation of tlio two Counties, as placing all salaries under one management would be a saving. He also considered that Counties should have more legislative powers—such a question as Hiat of fencing could be decided locally, It was not, in his opinion, desirable for Counties to exercise their power to rate, the Highway Boards being the proper bodies to construct roads. If thoy did him the honor return him he would do his utmost lo serve them and the County generally. Mr T. E. Chamberlain was not a great talker, but if returned hoped to prove a good worker. He admitted that the County had done good work in the past, but considered that it had spent too much money over bridges. He would be opposed to a County rate. If returned he would endeavor to get a vote for the overflow of tho Waipoua near John Harding's, which threatened the road, and would in every respect do his. best. to. promote their interests. He had served them three years in the Highway Board; their rntes h'ad not been very heavy. (A voice—The roads have been vnry heavy.) The' Board had spent more in the district than it had received from it in rates. Nevertheless', they were about to spend another £3l} in Mauriceville.

Mr McGregor briefly referred to some points raised by Mr Eenail. He wasin favor, of cheap' land, enough revenue should be got out of it to pay for roads and bridges, and no more. He defended Mr King from the charges made against him, He endorsed hiß actions in-every partcul&r. They, as practical msn, knewthat he-was ar able and efficient, officer. He held that the County bridges and roads were a credit to their Engineer,

They eertaihly,. unlike many amateur works, would not have to be made over again. Mr King's works were constructed on sound engineering principles. Mr Renall's platform was year " oue," his model bridge, a plank laid across a creek I whereas Mr King brought to bear on his work the results of the experience of n As to the hogging question he had spoken of showing : ine-®vknment'what Bhojld be done, and • tel lihf|;their - require naents. Tlwt was not begging. He aWiwis in favoij and would support it in thelfjitureuho had dofie"in'the past. t § J Mr Benell rose again to'-show that an average family of five persons pajjl £8 a year in Customs duties, ttiaf/'sj&pit judiciously expended ouglit;t|t) UjKfor all their wants. I ".lj | ;' After votes of thanks hat! l&en accorded to the Candidate and the Cihairman, an extremely orderly and interesting meeting dispersed. THE OPAKI MEETING.

. The meeting in the 1 evening at the Opaki was : well attended, and Mr Everett was voted to the chair. Long) addresses were given by Messrs Dr McGregor, and A. W. Eenall, and short by Messrs. T. E. Chamberlain aud J. Vile. On the motion of Mr J, V. Smitli, a vote of thanks was accorded to all four candidates. . ;