WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1883. THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN AND THE GOVERNMENT GRANTS.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 204, 7 March 1883, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1883. THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN AND THE GOVERNMENT GRANTS.

i A NY confidence the l'atepayers feel m [the County administration must surely depart after reading the report m to-day's paper of yesterday's meeting. It will b.e renv.'in bcred that at the. special meeting; held on Monday week, two letters were read from the GoveiMiment m wnioh it was stated the Council had made "two separate applications under section 18. of the Roads Construction Act, one for the roads, the other for the Foxton-iSanstm tramway, and the Government proceeded to grant the applications undertnose .sections, subject to certain conditions. It was at once seen the principal condition could not be complied with, viz., that the Council should spend £1 for every £a supplied by Government, as per .section 18. Members natu-. rally asked how it was the applications had been made under section 18, and then ensued a scene which at the. time we veiled, but which we arc. now compelled to refer to, A 'more humiliating and pitiable spec* tacle than the Chairman of the Council presented it would be impossible to conceive, Firat he said " iiie. Government had apparently come to the conclusion that the Council had applied under clause 18, whereas the applications were made under, plause 11." Then, when the copies of the applications were demanded, he fenced and hedged m a manner which intensified the suspicion created by the letter ; notwithstanding two of his party, Messrs Sanson and M'Lennan, also' demanded the applications ; anxt after, dinner he. produced . a penoil copy of a letter he said he sent to ;the Goverament, as follows .__« (Undated.) On behalf of the Manawatu County Council I hereby make application undo* sections. 9, 10. arid 11 of "The Roads aud Bridges Construction AyJ.fc, 1882," for forming and constructing a tram-.' way from Carnarvon to vSanson, as per plan lodged at the Public Works office by the Public Works Depart merit, and for the amount named. m the estimate furnished by the Public Works Department, andlodged with the said plans on the 2<jt-h and 27th December, 1882." Messrs Fry and Bruce questioned the Chairman so closely upon the matbtr-r that, they could go no further ; but the Council went further. It. was about to puss a resolution asking for the Government to be applied to for c pies of the applications, evidently to tost the veracity of the Chairman, when -the latter said it was uniiL'ces-tary to pii.cs a isolation, as he would wire for copies, and on this distinct-undiM-standing, that/ Government shfttiid be askod for copies of the applications, tho Council loft tho matter. What did this pnu-.ious Chairman do then, f Councillors Sanson and McLeunan, evidently seeing the business was a dirty'one, declined to w o with the Chairman to hang about Govern* mont Buildings ; so the Chairman packt-d up his traps, and, aooom-

{ panied by his poodle, Cr Gray, "who evidently sprang at the chaiiGe of a cheap trip to Wellington, went off to hang about Mr Johnston's office to try and get the dirty business patched up. From Wellington he telegraphed, " Blunder arose h«re," &c. 3s r ow mark the sequel. At yesterday's meeting-, a letter was read from the Government m which it was stated that " the clause that the County would find o?iefmirth of the cost of the tramway had been misread to apply to the whole of the applications," &c. This letter was not handed to the reporters for publication. Now i£ the letter Dr Rockstrow copied m pencil applying • for the tramway under sections 9, 10 and 11 was really sent, and it is our firmconvicthat it never was sent, m what letter did he tell the Government that the County would find onefourth of the cost of the tramway ? The finding of one fourth is the essence of clause 18, and it is madness for a man to aay h,e sent a letter applying for a grant under sections 9, 10 and 11, and yet told the Government the Council would pay Q"e fourth ? But his condemnation was completed when Mr Bruce yesterday demanded tha copies of the applications, and the Chairman had the unblushing effrontery to sit m his chair and tell the Council that he having seen the originate at Wellington, had not got the copies ! Why the man was on his trial for common truthfulness, and, — well we could hardly expect him to get the proofs of his duplicity ; but his duty as Chairman required that he should at yesterday's meeting lay on the table the copies of the applications and leave the Council to decide. It is with deep regret we notice our principal representative institution thus degraded m the person of its official head, and wo demand m the name of the ratepayers that he should either produce the copies of the letters he sei.t to the Government, or that the Council should ex™ press its opinion of its conduct m uninistakeable terms. The subterfuge he, now takes refuge m (as per the report) that he sent m two applica^ tions, one under sections 9, 10 and 11, and one under section 18, will not be believed by us at any rate, unless he produces the copies. Besides, if he did .so, why did he not tell the Council so ten days ago ?