OPOTIKI.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1846, 4 June 1885, Page 2

OPOTIKI.

[from oxjr own correspondent.] Now that the election is over Opotiki has returned to its usual dulness. Although during the week previous to the election little groups could be seen at every street corner discussing the candidates and although no heads were broken still party feeling was getting quite strong enough on the day of the election. Mr Sh'eehan is now our representative and I hope Opotiki will not be forgotten by him. Our wants are many, and even though we have only a few of them attended to. some good will be attained., The work aB important to Tauranga as Opotiki is a main road from Opotiki to Tauranga, and it is the duty of the electors of both places to urge upon their representative the great importance of it. There is a poasibil* lty of our County Council applying for a loan of £ 10,000 under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, j and if they obtain" this, we may expect to see the road from Opotiki to Whakatane completed at an early date and if the proper pressure is brought to bear upon the Government we may expect to see a good road completed in twelve months. The subject of our local Government also deserves the attention of our member. At the present time we have a great deal too much Local Government, in fact the exception in the place is to meet a man who is not a member of some local body or other. The result is that ■ "too many cooks spoil the broth" and our local anairs are not so well managed as they might be. In every community of our isize there are always a few men such as Mr King (late chairman of the County Council) who have both the time and ability to give their services for the benefit of the district they may be living in, but it is impossible to get 30 or 40 men .or even a quarter of them (and I believe our local bodies will comprise fully 40 member*) to really put themselves out of their way in the interest of this district. The consequence is that many of the members of these Boards are not competent to fill tho offices they take, in some canes from the want of attention and others the want of ability. In my next correspondence I will give a few instances of mistakes made by some of our local bodies, not that I profess to be acquainted with all the Acts under which our local bodies ; work, but lome of the blunders touch

the pockets ; of t&e ratepayets selWsiy and I think it would be just'jas^vell to point them out to those whose;pbeketfi the .blunders effect. ;v> voliintee'i 1 Corps. — The Defence Minister is agreeable 'to 1 accept the. services of the gentlemen who volunteered providing they do not ask for capitation." I am afraid it .will be hard to raise a corps here under these circumstances, but that we should tare it few stand of arms in Opotiki is acknowledged 1 by everybody. Professor Rice. — Mrs Rice and the Professor gave one of their very interesting entertainments in the Town Hall .on Saturday night. Asa mindreader the Professor is undoubtedly clerer aud his tricks were well done. He hacl a Vefr/ good house and is I believe to perform agrtln 0n Monday | evening. ! Mr Thoa. Abbot (who has lately J started here as a contractor aud builder, and as a really good carpenter has not his equal in Opofciki, for whom I prophesy the greater portion of that business 'in this district) was married to Miss Agnes Dawson, daixghter of Mr Thos. Dawson (one of Opotiki's earliest settlers) on Monday the 2oth.