The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1884. THE COUNTY SYSTEM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1785, 11 September 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1884. THE COUNTY SYSTEM.

Our local contemporary in advocating the suspension of the Wairaropa North County says : ■" Mr Hawkins quite overlooks tho fact that the Biispenaion of the Counties Act, which 13 all the petitioners require, by no measß implies abolition. If the petitioners succeed, the County will still remain in full posesskm of a County Council composed of the chairmen of the now numerous Road Beards, in the formation of some of which Mr Hawkins has taken an active cart,"

We would be glad if the simple process of manning the County Council with the chairmen of the Road Boards would solve the difficulty of local self-govern-ment in Wairarapa North, Practically for some time past the Council has been recruited and dominated by Eoad Board wardens, and we fail to see what difference it would make if it were exclusively composed of this material. Out of the eight Councillors who now sit at the County Board, six have been 'connected with Road Boards as chairmen H! of these bodieß or. as wardens, the the other two who have been free' from,Road,Board responsibilities, would not strengthen the Council. Depriving the County of the services of Messrs ,G. BEETHAJi.and.D., McGregor would, in our opinion, be.a decided blunder. The great point of vantage which is held out to induce the public to Bupport the suspension of the Countyis theabolitionof a County rate. The successors of the County whoever theymaybe cannot make bricks without straw. If thej\ happened to be a council of Road Board Chairman they would still have to find money for through lines, and to do this a special rate would have to bo levied. A dual rate is objectionable, I 'but until such time as the Government make abetter provision for local bodies'it is inevitable and the alternative suggested by our contemporary means leapiug out of the frying-pan into the fire. T ' The County, as now constituted is not as vigorous as we should like tosee it, but the men who are working under the threat of suspension and abolition are not likely to put much heart into their task, Administering County affairs is, as things now are, no labor of.lpve, : and were it not that the gentlemen on whom the responsibilities fall of carrying on the work /were actuated by a senso of duty, things would be in a worse state than they are..-. No doubt l the coming County elections will bring about some change, We would like to see an alteration ourselves, but one in the direotion of infusing how vigor into our local Beltgovernment institutions. We wpMJd gißdly wfeltomY » united'

Wairarapa County if it were possible to obtain one at the present juncture. The leading publio men of the Wairarapa are however all.pulling indiffeVeqt .directions, and, .while this is the ease, real iunion' and concerted-action is .: .>',''•'.■.