Untitled

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1713, 4 June 1886, Page 2

If sufficient inducement offers, the Union Steamship Company will despatch the s.s. Hero — a comfortable boat, to King's Sound, the nearest harbor to the Kimlerley goldfields, leaving Wellington on 13rh June. The steerage passage from Westport is £17. His Lordship the Bishop of Nelson will reach lleef ton from the Grey Valley tomorrow afternoon, and will 'preach on Sunday next as follows; — St. Stephen's Church, Reefton, 11 a.m. ; St. Luke's Church, Boatman's, 3 p.m. Bishop Suter will leave for Westport on Tuesday morning. The coming of St. Leon's Royal Palace Circus and Menagerie of Wild Beasts to Reefton will now provide a counter excitement in family circles to the everlasting Kimberley rush. The great show will arrive here on Monday afternoon, and open in the evening for positively one night. From the highly flattering references which the' exhibition has received from all the leading newspapers of the Colonies, as well as the enormous crowds it bas attracted in the metropolitan towns, there is no doubt it is all the announcements claim for it in magnitude and completeness. To the attraction of one of the most perfect circus organisations that has yet reached the shores of New Zealand, ia added one of the largest collections of wild beasts that has probably ever been shown under canvass in the colonies. Tin. following memo was attached by Mr W. A. Spence, District Auditor, to the last balance-sheet of the Westland County Council .'—"To |the Chairman and Members Westland County Council, Hokitika. — Gentlemen, — Ihave the honor to report for your information, that I have audited the Statements of Accounts for thy year ended 31st March, 1886, and compared the same with Cash Book, Ledger, Vouchers, Bank Pass Book, Rate Collector's Books and other documents, and ti nl the same to be correct with the following exceptions viz : — Voucher No. 188.— A sum of £1 2s was paid to a member of the Council for putting on a man to do this Councillor's work, so as to enable the Councillor to attend the meeting of the Council. This payment, I consider, does not come under the addendum to Section No 73 in the Counties Amendment Act, 1877, which provides that the Council may vote such reasonable sums as it shall deem sufficient to defray the travelling expenses of Councillors coming from a distance to attend the meetings of the Council. No travelling expenses were incurred in the case, consequently I consider the payment illegal :— Voucher No. 237. A sum of £l was paid on the 18th November, 1885, for hire of hall and bell-ringing for public meeting re East and West Coast Railway. I do not consider this a legal charge against the funds of the Council. The meeting was not connected with the County business, and I can find no clause in the Act which authorises the payment : — Voucher No. 483. A sum of £'3 ls was paid to the Councillor for meeting the Governor at Kumara on the 4th February, 1886. This payment does not come uuder the conditions of the clause <i the Amendment Act quoted with reference to Vouchor No. 188 ; and furthermore I am informed that there was no meeting of the Council (special or otherwise) held at Kumtira on that day : Voucher No. 484. . sum of i 2 3s was paid to another Councillor for meeting the Governor at Kumara on the 4th February. This, also, I consider an illegal payment. — Vouchor No. 485. A sum of !.3 ls was paid to a Councillor for attending a Special Meeting held at Kumara on February 4th . I find there was no special meeting held there on that day, nor was a special meeting ever called 'for that day; therefore I consider the charge illegal. Vouchor 490. — A sum of Lv ls was paid to a councillor for going to Kumara with the Governor. This trip was not authorised by the Council, and I oven if it had been, I doubt very much ! whether tho Council has power to vole sums to councillors except for travelling expenses incurred when travelling to attend meetings of the Council. — I would beg most respectfully to draw the attention of the Council to the above-men-tioned clause in the Counties Amendment Act, 1877, which distinctly states that the Council may vote such "reasonable" sums as it miy deem sufficient to defray the " travelling expenses " of councillors coming from a distance to "attend the meetings of the Council." I find that the Council is paying councillors for attend ing "Committee" meetings, such as Public Works, and it also pays for attending adjourned meetings, and it also pays mem hers who are resident in the town for attending ordinary and committee meetings. All this I consider to be outside the meaning of the above-mentioned clause, consequently I feel it to be my duty to bring it under your notice."