The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 693, 23 November 1876, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men. Ot whatever itutc orpeuuasiou, religious or political • * « • * Her* +hti[\ the Preri tUo Peoti.e'«» right maintain, Unawe<l bv influence and unbrihed by pain.

THURSDAY XOVEMBEIItt, 1876

Thk funcions ami dirties of County Councils cover a wide range of operations, fioni the construction of public roads aud works of the most important character, to the erection and maintenance of a public pound, and from charge of asylums and hospital-* to the regulation of hawkeis' and pc liars 1 licenses. And first of all, we find th<it the Council will take control of the County roads Theie will be three seta of roads or works in the colony ; namely, Govern men t works, County work*, and district or Ro.td Board woiks. ihe County worl'B and roads, as defined in the Public Works Act— which, with the Rating Act, Local Elections Act, and Financial Arrangements Act, mut>t be read as a whole with the Comities Act — comprise every bridge, ferry.

or ion! aoioss a riwr, at u point ! win re (he two banks aio in different disrupts, hut in the airne comny. W4»<*iv, however, the two banks n»o in <jhff rmt counties, the hiidgeor frrry will either bo under the control of the Colonial (1 >vprrnnunt, or of fdcli of the two C .untie-, as the Jiinister for Public Works urny'de termine, bub tho cost- 1 of its construction, or maintenance, m»y be recovered in equal moieties/ in the lirst case, by th^ County Coancil from the road districts on either side, and in the second case by the General Government, from the Coanty on either side. As legnrds roads, it is provided that, in any part of the Colony which is not included in a road district, all the toads shall be deemed to be " County roads;" and if, in such part, the whole of the Counties Act is not brought into force, the roads shall be deemed " Government roads." The County Council, however, may, by an order publicly gaetjtte.i and notified, from time to time, declare any district road within such County to be a County road, and may, with the consent of the Road Board interested, revoke such order, and again mak« it a district road. The Governor may, in like manner, declaie any county or district, road to bo a Government raid, »nd revoke Buch a proelnmation by a counter one. The County Councils will also have the same control over public drains as over toads. Thus, until main roads shall, from time to time bo proclaimed County roads by the Government, the County will only have to make and maintain the 'roads contained in outl\ ing districts, thatis.portiowsof theCounty, if there be such, outside the boundaiies of anyroad botrd. Where such, however, is the case, the main roads will, doubt le.-s, be sooner or later handed over to them. This, as we have shnvn, the Government has the power to do of its own will, by proclamation. Cliuse 180, however, provides that tho Councils shall h.ivc full power to form, construct, improve and repair all such roads as are county loads, and all bridged and fenies thereon, and, to make sure that they use this po.\er, the next clause authorises the Governor, from time to time, to oider any road or bridge to be made, maintained, or repaired ; and the Council so 01 dared neglecting to do so, the Governor may cuu->e the same to be done, and charge the cost of it to the Couikjil, deducting the amount from a«y subsidy co'u ing to it from the Colonial Government. Furthermore, the Councils may contract with tho Minister for Publio Woiks for tho prosecution of any public work they may undertake, and iv like manner may agree with any road boaid within the County for the execution by such road board of any publio work within that district which the Council is empowered to undertake, and may pay the road board, out uf the County fund<, the cost, or such portion of the cose of the uoik, according to agreement, or, a* they may think fit. Iv addition to this, "County Councils may even subsidise road boards, where they think it necessary, granting money from the general audmnt of the County fund, by way of subsidy, to bo expended in such work within the road district as the roud board i«> empowered to execute — that is, niny grant County funds for ex|iendituie on other than county roads. Clauses 190 and 191 give the County Councils the power to establish and maintain their own hospitals and asylums, and relieve poor peisoiiS in their own homes, or elsewhere, but they do not render such duties compulsory. A similar permissive power is given in the case of public libraries, mechanics institutes, and other such ntsociatiouu. Reserves and pluces of public recreation may bo vested under the Act in the County Council, or jointly in the governing bodies of a county and borough. Reserves so vested iv c. Council, which are not set apart as places of public recieation, may bo letsed for a petiod of twenty-one years, but in the case of recreation grounds, the term must not not exceed one year, and the letting of it not interfere with the use and enjoyment of it by the general public. Iv respect, of all such lands, the Council can make its own bye-laws for the proper control and management thereof. Slaughter-hou&ee, maikets, and public pounds may be provided an tne Council thinks fit, and the necessary bye-laws for their management and control be made from time to time; and generally the Councils may make such b)e-ldws>, and alter or lepeal the same from time to time, as may seem necessary to them for the good government of the county. In our hist issue, we spoke of the rating and borrowing powers of the County Councils. It will be seen, therefore, that their functions and powers sire very consideiuble, such, indee I, as are wot thy of being exercised by the best representative men atnougdt us.