The Waitaki County Council has jurisdiction over a district comprising 2333 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the Waitaki and Ohau rivers to Mount Holmes; on the west and south by the Vincent, Maniototo and Waihemo counties; and on the east by the sea to the point of commencement. The capital value of property in the Waitaki County is £2,758,532, on which a general rate of one-halfpenny in the £ is levied, besides several special rates. The revenue for the year ended on the 31st of March, 1903, was £10,375, and the total liabilities on the same date amounted to £3,522, the assets to £7,394. There are 1897 ratepayers, owning 2517 properties in the district. A loan of £2000 has been opened by the Council for the Papakaio water-race for irrigation purposes, under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act. The Waitaki County is divided into nine ridings, each of which returns one councillor. The names of the ridings and councillors for 1903 were as follows: Messrs Duncan Sutherland (chairman), Ahuriri: John Porter, Otekaike; Thomas Reid, Awamoko; Donald Borrie, Papakaio; George Livingston, Waiareka; John McPherson, Kakanui; John Shaw, Incholme; W. W. Wylie, Otepopo; W. Nicolson, Moeraki. The Council's officers are Mr. James Martin, clerk and treasurer, and Mr. Charles Banks, engineer, and its offices are in Thames Street, Oamaru.

Waitaki County Council Offices.

Mr. Duncan Sutherland , Chairman of the Waitaki County Council, was born in 1839 in the north of Scotland. In November, 1903, he was elected chairman of the Waitaki County Council for the twenty-fifth consecutive year. In youth he was intended for the medical profession, but he was seized by the gold fever, and emigrated to Victoria, page 507 in 1862. He was for six years sheepfarming in Australia, and then came to Otago under engagement as manager of the Omarama station, which is 180,000 acres in extent, and has been managed by Mr. Sutherland since his arrival in New Zealand.

Councillor Donald Borrie , who represents the Papakaio riding on the Waitaki County Council, is referred to on another page as a member of the Oamaru Harbour Board.

Councillor George Livingstone , who represents the Waiareka riding on the Waitaki County Council, was born in May, 1856, in County Tyrone, Ireland, where he was brought up to a country life by his father, who was a farmer. Mr. Livingstone arrived at Port Chalmers in 1876, by the ship “Invercargill,” and settled in the Oamaru district. For the first three years he was employed on the Windsor Park estate. Subsequently, with a partner, he leased land for cropping purposes, and later on leased “Hayfield,” near Ngapara. This property was worked for about fourteen years, and Mr. Livingstone also had an adjoining farm for a time. He acquired his present property on the opening of the Elderslie estate in 1900. Mr. Livingstone served on the Ngapara school committee for fourteen years, and was chairman for a good part of that time, and he was also a member of the Waiareka Road Board. He was connected with the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society for sixteen years, and was its president in 1901. Mr. Livingstone served as a volunteer in the Otago and the North Otago Hussars. He was married, in 1884, to a daughter of Mr. Thomas Reid, of Ngapara.

Councillor John Macpherson , member for Kakanui riding on the Waitaki County Council, is referred to in another article as manager of Totara estate.

Councillor William Nicholson , who represents Moeraki riding on the Waitaki County Council, is referred to at page 456 as Mayor of Hampden.

Councillor John Poster , who represents the Otekaike riding on the Waitaki County Council, is a farmer at Tokarahi, where he holds 600 acres under a lease in perpetuity.

Councillor John Shaw , who represents Inchholme riding on the Waitaki County Council, and has been a member since 1888, was born in Aberdeen, in 1842, and arrived at Port Chalmers, by the ship “Grassmere,” in 1862. After being five years in the Taieri, two years in the Waikouaiti, and eleven years in the Oamaru district, he settled at Incholme.

Councillor W. W. Wylie , who represents Otepopo riding in the Waitaki County Council, is referred to elsewhere as a settler.

Mr. James Martin , County Clerk and Treasurer to the Waitaki County Council, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and educated at the county schools. He entered the service of the British Government in the Survey Department, in which he served for seven years, during which he became a qualified surveyor. Mr. Martin arrived in Dunedin in the ship “Pladda,” and was employed by Messrs Douglas, Alderson and Co., afterwards the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, with whom he continued altogether for ten years, and occupied the position of clerk and inspector of stores. He came to Oamaru in 1872, and continued in the service of the company till the 1st of January, 1875. Mr. Martin was appointed county clerk in January, 1877.

Mr. Charles Banks , A.M.I.C.E., Engineer to the Waitaki County Council, was born in Edinburgh in 1851, and arrived in Port Chalmers by the ship “Melbourne,” in 1861. He was for some time in private practice in Dunedin, and was appointed to his present position in 1888.

Mr. James Findlay , J.P., who represented the Moeraki riding on the Waitaki County Council for nine years, resides at Hill House Farm, Hampden. His property consists of 280 acres of freehold land and 120 acres of leasehold, on which he runs sheep and keeps a dairy farm. Mr. Findlay was born in 1836, at Grassyards farm, Fenwick, Scotland, where he was brought up by his father to country pursuits. He arrived in Port Chalmers, in 1862, by the ship “Grassmere,” and after living two years in the Taieri district, he settled at Hampden, and purchased the first part of his present estate, which he considerably increased afterwards. In the early days he was a member of the Hampden Road Board and school committee, and he has been chairman of the Waianakarua school committee since its inception. Mr. Findlay was married in 1862 to a daughter of the late Mr. John Paton, of Hill House Farm, Kilmarnock, Scotland. Mrs. Findlay died in 1885, leaving five daughters and three sons, and there are now nine grandchildren.

Mr. J. Findlay.