WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1934, 27 November 1884, Page 2

WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL

Thi? first: meeting of the newly-elected council was. he}d at fchp ph.ajnbei-ri, Efannlton East, yesterday. Present : Ors. A. Frimro&e, Jas. Runciman, S. T. Se,ddon, S. S. Graham, J. J. Smith, J, R. S. Richardson, J. J, Barugh, and F, J. Johqson. Tho Clerk reported the mints qf the general elections, and stated that the first business of the meeting would be the Election of Chairman. Cr, Johnson had much pleasure in moving fcha^ Cr, Pf"WW *® elected chairman for the ensuing yeav. Qr, primrose was thoroughly well acquainted with the business of the county, and >vas in every way well qualified for the post. Cr. Runchnan had much pleasure in seconding the motion. There being no other nomination, the motion was put and carried unanimously. Qr, ]?f impose, on taking the chair, returned his sincere thanks to tne members qf the council for the great honour they had conferred upon him. He was very sorry that it should have become necessary to look around for another chairman. It was a matter for general regret that their late respected chairman, Captain Steele, should have'tound it negessary fo re|ire for a while from county business, qwing tq ftie pressure of his own private affairs. Captain Steele had been a most energetic chairman, and had always taken a lively interest in the affairs of the county, and be felt that he was only expressing the feeling of the-, whflte PQWlMsft m tyy'WZ ti^ 1 the retirement qf pieip late ghairma^ was a mafjtsf for regret, (Heap, bear,) Hp was ple^seO tq find that he possessed the oonfidenoe of the council, but in taking the chair he was not unmindful of the responsibilities laid upon him. He was satisfied that county councils were destined to liecome very important bodies', arid it behoved them to look vety oarafully ' rifter local interests* v Judging bV Whit 1 bad Jr»nspired in Parliament

evidently contemplated investing the council* with largely increased powers. Hitherto the greater part of the local works had been done, and he would say well done by the road boards, but the day was surely coming when the county councils would be called upon to relieve the 1 boards of many of their duties. He again thanked the members of the council for the i honour conferred upon him, and promised I that his best energies should be devoted to the cause of local government. On the motion of Cr. Seddon, Captain McPherson was re-appointed clerk, collec tor, dojj registrar, inspector of slaughterhouses and returning officer for the county, and his residence was made the county office, the hours of which are to be from 10 to 4 every day, except Satmdays and Sundays. On the motion of Cr. Runciman it was resolved that the next meeting of the council be held on the 19th December, at 2 p.m., and that all future meetings be held on the fourth Friday in each month at the same hour. A petition was received from a number of residents in the Rangiriri district, praying that the distiict be constituted a road district. The clerk was instructed to reply, pointing out the proper course to be pursued in such cases. The following letter was read from the member for Waikato :—: — Wellington, October 27. To Captain McPhkuson, Clerk Waikato I County Council. ! Sir,— l duly received yours of the 20th, stating that the Council regretted that T had not introduced the 13th section of the County By-laws into the Slaughterhouse Bill, and also saying that it would be the cause of a lois of revenue to the county. My reason, or rather our reason, for Mr Mr Lake had the chief hand in the matter, for not having it inserted, was that after consulting the Minister for Justice, and others, and also looking up the Acts, it appeared that it was unnecessary. We also ascertained that farmers and rimholders were in the habit of killing for their own use and for that of their men all over the colony. We therefore concluded that such a clause was not needed for the protection of fanners. As regards the loss to the county revenue, we were not aware that the council desired to tax the farmers. Referi ing to your other letter of the same date, the Government decline to interfere by means of the police in the matter of the registration of dogs except as regards the penal clauses of the Act. They say that they do not cave to make the police a means of collecting county revenue.— l am, yours faithfully, J. B. Whyte. After considerable discussion, it was agieed that the clerk hhould take a test case to court, with a view to proving thu validity of the by-laws, the whole question to bo considered at next meeting. Several tenders for works in the Rangiriri district were accepted, and after the transaction of some other routine business the council adjourned.