9

A.—lo.

Inangahua —Yes ; would suggest that anyriding of a county not having at least sixty ratepayers should be merged in that riding adjoining it having the next smallest number. Grey —No. Marlborough —No answer. Awatere—Yes ; they should. Omaka —Yes. Pelorus —Yes ; I think for every purpose. Picton —Yes. Spring Creek —Yes. Wairau—Yes. Lower Wairau —Yes. Pukaka—Yes. Kaikoura —No answer. Kaikoura River Board —Yes ; they should, generally. Ashley —-No answer. Byre ton—Yes. Mandeville—Yes. Oxford—Yes. Waipara—Yes. West Eyreton—Yes. Selwt/n —No. In this county, should each Road Board be a riding and return a member, the Council would be unnecessarily large, while great inequality exists in the size of Road Board districts. Courtenay—No; as some Road Boards are too small. Heathcote —Consider section 36 of "Counties Act, 1876," sufficiently provides for fixing the ridings of a county. Lincoln—No, not necessarily. Riccarton—Yes.

Question 3— continued.

Templeton —Yes ; but when two or more small districts join each other, let the boundary thereof form one riding. South Waimakariri —Remain as at present. AJcaroa —No answer. Little River —When too large should be re-divided into two or more ridings. Pigeon Bay—No, except in case of nearly equal valuation. Port Victoria—Best course to follow. Ashlurton —Not necessarily. Wakanui—'Yes, if suitable to fair re presentation on the Council. Mount Somers —If possible. Geraldine —Yes. Geraldine —Yes. Mount Cook —Generally; but it should be competent for the local body to make any alteration in this reBpect which a particular case might seem to require. Mount Peel —Not of nocessity, though generally most convenient. Temuka —Yes. Westland —No Road Boards on the coastWaitahi —Not necessarily ; when practical it is convenient. Kakanui —Not necessarily. Waiareka —Not necessarily. Waitaki —Not necessarily. Wailcouaiti —Not necessarily; but, when practicable, boundaries should be coterminous. Palmerston South —The riding to be

apportioned of equal annual rateable value as near as practicable, Waikouaiti—The road districts should not necessarily form the boundaries of county ridings. Maniototo —No road districts in this county. Peninsula —No answer. Peninsula—Yes ; road districts should form the boundaries of the ridings of counties. Taieri —Not in all cases. Waipori—Road districts should not necessarily form the ridings of counties. Bruce —Yes, as far as practicable. Crichton—^No. GHenledi —The road districts should not necessarily form the boundaries of Council ridings. Matau —Not necessarily. Mount Stuart —Eoad districts should, as far as possible, form boundaries. Tokomairiro —Yes ; as far as possible. Chitha —Should not always, form the ridings of a county. Poinahaka—The road districts should not always form the ridings of a county. Molyneux South—Yes. Tuapeka —Yes. Clydevale—Where practicable one or more Boards to form ridings. Southland —Yes, where practicable. Knapdale—Yes. Toitois —Yes. Tuturau —Yes; where practicable.

4. Would you suggest any alteration in the mode of electing the Councillors ?

Mangonui —No. Kaeo —No. Oruru—No. Totara—No. HoManga —Not any. Whangarei —lf road districts form the ridings in each county, each Road Board should elect one of their Board to represent that body in the Council, and thereby save the expense of so many elections as there are at present. Maunu—County Councillors should be elected by the Trustees of the highway district. Parua —If candidates were confined to Chairmen of Road Boards, or, if the road districts being enlarged the Chairmen should be Councillors ex offieio, it would make counties and District Boards work more harmoniously together. At present counties have a tendency to domineer over districts, and expend all funds in large centres of population. This would be remedied by some such scheme as the above. Waikiekie—No answer. Waipu Middle —No. Waipu South —Present system is satisfactory. Many would like to see Councillors elected in open public meeting. Hohson —No answer. Okahu — The Chairmen of Road Board to be County Councillors. Paparoa—No. Wairau —No; except in doing away with them altogether. Wairau (by ex-Chairman) —In rural districts, or where the number of electors is limited, it would be a great improvement if the election could be conducted in the same manner as that of Highway Boards. This would be much more simple, inexpensive, and less troublesome,

requiring only one attendance of electors instead of two for nomination and election, which in sparsely settled districts is 100 great a tax on the time of electors. Whakahara School Committee —Present method good. Rodney —No. Albertland South —No anßwer. Arai —No answer. Upper Mahurangi—No. Matigawai—Councillors in outlying districts should be elected annually, under "The Local Elections Act, ]876." In Road Districts the Chairman of the Board should be Councillor ex offieio. Should he not signify his intention to act as Councillor within fourteen days after his election as Chairman, an election o£ Councillor should be made within a further period of fourteen days under " The Local Elections Act, 1876." Omaha—No. Matakana West —No. Puhoi —None. Tauhoa —No; but if Councils are still to exist, the elections should be yearly. Wharehine —Should the County Councils be continued no alteration is desirable, the present mode being satisfactory. Wainui —It would be better that the Chairmen of Road Boards should be the members of the County Councils, limiting the number of Boards to eight or ten in each county. The Chairman could be selected and appointed from among their number, and so do away with County Councils in these northern parts. Waitemata —No answer. Kaukapakapa—No; the present mode is very good.

Lake—No alteration required. North Shore—No. Waitakerei West —No remarks. Waitakerei West (J. Cottle) —No suggestion. Waitakerei West (H. Hunter) —,1 have no suggestion to make. Whangaparoa—See answer to No. 1. Mden —No answer. Epsom—See answer to No. 16. Mount Roskill —No. Mount Wellington—No. Newton —No answer. Panmure —We do not offer any suggestion in the matter as we do not require the services of a County Council; we wish to maintain the Highways Act in the district, as at present. Ponsonby—No. Waikomiti—The Board offers no suggestion in the modo of electing Councillors. Mannlcau —No answer. Mercer.—None. Hunua—No. Karaka—The Chairman of each Road Board should form the Council. Maraetai—Dispense with counties and Councillors. Opaheke—No. Otahuhu—No; except that a ratepayer should not have more than one vote, on the ground that the Council have to deal with questions of social economy. Were their functions confined to the making and repairing of roads, then I think property should be represented at the poll. Papakura—See answer to No. 1. Pollock—No answer. Pukekohe East—Let Chairman of Road Boards have seat in Council, and so avoid any election. Pukekohe West —See answer to No. 1.