WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2023, 23 June 1885, Page 2

WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Wairarapa East County Council was held this morning. Present-Crs Mackay (Chairman), Meredith, Chamberlain, Dagg, and Maunsell.

The object of the meeting was to consider matters connected with the Local Government measures, and the proposed conference of County delegates. By way of instruction to the representatives of the Council Or Hawkimi moved the following series of resolutions -.—That without an effective system of localGovernmenttheadmiiiistrationof local affaire must inevitably fall under the paralyzing control of the Government, and the powers of local authorities, instead of being increased and extended, will be continually encroached upon by the bureaucratic forces of the permanent administrative staff in Wellington. ■

That a central County authority, independent of Road Boards, is essential to such an effective system of local Government. v

That such County authority should be endowed out of territorial revenues only, and to an extent to enable it effectually to discharge the duties imposed on it, without any necessity of recurrence to the ordinary colonial rovenue,

Thatsuoh Gounty authority should have borrowing powers to such an amount as will charge one half only against income, and that the Government, under due restrictions, should recognize it as patt of the public policy of the Colony to provide loans for the local authorities at rates for terms of years which shall limit the repayment of.the loan with interest to an annual payment at the rate of £8 per cent,

That the construction of all public works in the County, other than railways, district roads, and drainage works, administration of all Acta relating to fencing and rabbits, be vested in the County Councils,

That the foregoing resolutions be a guide to the delegates of this Council at the intended conference as to the views they should urge on County government, The Council was left sitting. AN OUTSPOKEN LICENSING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. At a meeting of the St Kilda Licensing Committee (Dunedin) the chairman, Mr Gourley, went on to make some remarks as to the general working of the Licensing Act. He thought that the proceedings of different Committees showed that the Act had been a failure. It was at least satisfactory to know that the Act, as amended at South Dunedin, would not be brought into oporation in any other borough but that, According to the interpretation of the law by the Soutli Dunedin Committee a person must goto bed. at ten o'clock on Saturday night, and Hot rise until six on Monday muriijug, When meiioutstoppcd the bounds of discretion he thought they were open to public criticism ; so he might be pardoned for also referring to the action of tho Chairman of the Soutli Dunedin Committee aiid-tho police in going to a licensee and asking to see his bocks. A greater piece of impertinence and presumption he had never heard of, and ke would adviso anybodyinSt. Kilda who was similarly treated to bring a bucket of water into requisition. Anotehr thing he to, enter his protest against was the sweeping, uncalled for, unmanly, suid \vntru.e statement of Sergeant Macioneii in reference to tlie women of South Dunedin. A charge of drunkenness had been made not only against the low women of the district, but the respectable women. It was uncalled for, because no man had a right to meddle with the private character of a citizen so long as he or she kept within the bounds of the law; it was unmanly to speak lightly of a woman ; and it was untrue, because Sergeant Macdonell could not bring a tittle of evidence in- support of such an absurd statement,. He cohered that Sergeant Macdonnell, in making the statement, had abused his public position of trust, Looking at the vagaries of the South Dunedin Committee and the unfairness of the Dunedin Committee, ho must say that it was time the public at large got up a petition asking Parliament to do away with the Act. It was quite apparent to him that they were not all fit for local self-government. [Mr Lloyd—"Quite true."] The petty tyranny shown by both the Committeo and the police of South Dunedin. was sufficient to satisfy him that they should not be trusted to govern themselves.

Sergeant Macdonell said that the police of South Dunedin were not responsible to any person present for what they had done. Tho Chairman had erred in saying that he (Sergeant Macdonell) had made an untrue statement, He had evidence to support everything he W said.

_ The Qhairman,; That the whole community gets drunk?

Sergeant Macdonell: I never said such a thing,

The Chairman said that if Sergeant Macdonell's mental capacity was only equal to his physical he would get on very well. He only wanted a little more '"ballast."

Sergeant Macdonell replied that he did not think that his qualifications were in any way inferior to the Chairman's.

Tho Chairman: I daresay you have got presumption enough to think that you are the best judge in the country. Sergeant Macdonell said his conduct would bear-inquiring into at all times. The Chairman.: I would like to, krjo,w

by what right ycmwent to ask a publican to show hfe books',

Sergeant Maedonell said the remarks and. inquiries of fcho Chairman were quite out of place. It was a fact that there had been a lot of drunkenness in South Dunedin, and he might inform thejpn- , mitfcee that several married men inwluth Dunedin had thanked him for hia action. The Chairman said that from what he knew of the ladies of South Dunedin he could say that their conduct could compare very favourably with that of the ladies in any other part of -Dunedin; v Mr.' Gore said he hoped thafty/fte remarks of the Chairman would not be taken as coming from the Committee'as whole. He looked upon them' as outside thieir business altogether, The*' way the South Dunedin Committee were administering the Act had nothing to do with them. ..As. far as the police were concerned, he.wished to give an assurance that any aspersions had not emanated from the Committee. •

"Mr Irving said the members of the, ' Committee had no knowledge that the .> Chairman was going to make thereinarks he had.—Dunedin "Herald."