PIAK0 COUNTY FINANCE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2057, 12 September 1885, Page 3

PIAKO COUNTY FINANCE.

iii i in; i Dirnii. Sin,— Mr Halcmibe in lus clnige agunst the Piak.j County Council, show ■> a case of hndship, but he might liavegone fuithei and sho.vn tint m-tead of the UIO.OOO of debt whicli the council purposes to guild out of tho geueial latcpayci*, the goldheld e\pendituro for tramway, ke, .it Waiorongomai has been ncaier £30,000, piovided by the snid £10,000, county funds and general Government giants. I'iist they p ud about ten shillings per yard for survey of tramway. Second they appointed a " consulting enginei ' at a hirthei cost of five bhillmgb per yaid, in all son. c £1500 to £1700, then the results being not satisfactory, the Battery Compuiv s manager was- dubbed engineer, and employed to do the work by rule of thumb. Then one and two expensive locomotives wero specially constiuctod, an 4 one .it great cost was got to within a fewyaids of tho tramway to rust like old iron. Tlieie seemed to be a continued bungle and series of mishaps, and yet membcis of tho council weie so pleased with themselves and the management, that at one of their meeting, after one of tho many so-called completions of the tramway, they indulged m a vast amount of mutual self-compliments and congratulations, and besides paying the batteiy manager a liberal salary, voted him a bonns all out of public funds-, and elevated him to th° dignified position of " consulting engineer." A natuial inquny is, why ahoold the gonoral Govern muni vote Viwt sums out of loan and geneial tavation, and why .sho-ild faniieio bj deputed of money which they so much need for moie beneficial purposes, to be given to bolster up milling speculition-,, even if they aio owned in part by lnrluenti il councillors ? Farmcis might as justly the Government and c uiucil to grow turnips for them, and piesunt them with stock to cat the turnips. Hiving established a pernicious piecedout, the council must it soeuis grant money to other mining speculations, and I hear thun one pirtygot £500 to refund to him what he asserted he had expended. Can this bo afl individual who some time ago was constrained by tho council to advei ti->e his in veracity (sic), it ao the canned seem-, toinmea.se m faith if liofcgrow in giace. A 1 * tfio Government inflicted oh the -ettlers this costly complicated sy-tem of local government, it should pay iU debts and not permit uufoitimato settlers to bo plundeied. If a. fanner, wishes, to his ow u cattle and sheep-as beef und mutton, he must incur much trouble and expend, for advertising, &c, besides paying the council a yearly fee of £5. If he has useful dogs he must pay annual tubuto on them, while the mongrel cms of Maoris and others aro seemingly exempt to worry his sheep without restraint or taxation. He is tixedfor his sheep. He pajs propeity ta\ to the general Government, rates and speci il rates to the c >nntv council rates and special latos to the road boauls while the general Gov eminent has devised it-< cuf-toin taiiflf and its railway man igelißiit lather to &queezo than to s>«>rve him. So tli.it with low pi ices for all ho can soil, with du.ir 1 ibom and money, the f.uintr has less tiiju nothing foi his own and lus f iniilj's woik and money iuvu-.ted, and thus tins fan 1 md is fant Im.ng i educed to wliat Daniel Webster Hiid of the stiteof Veimont "it is one ot the be-t ]>laces for a fellow to etnurate from." Liko Mr Halcouib •, I tiiiiik th ' Puiko latapaycrs should combine f"r mutual protection, and you vi.iv give him my name, for I have, also the inisfoitune to be AR\rEPA\EK.

Mr N\ I urn s <if t'.ie Commercial Hotel, le Ay nn it ii , him re. i Uus iv ss notice. vlr | s IN. kh <1 -.ill soil at the Wnk-ito t ittle I nr O i n "<>, on 1 uesday next 750 he.id miM'd nllle >ml WK) sleep bur tul' list ot lots, m n> ot them supinoi, st-c .nUi rtiiiMjicijt.