Editorial.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 218, 13 September 1878, Page 6

Editorial.

There are few settlers who have resided m any of the road districts in this part of the Colony but will be ready tO--..--.admit that so far as good practical useful work is concerned no institution "fias done more, compared with the, means placed at their disposal than tiave Road Boards. A« a -rule the districts are of comparatively small extent} the money has been under the eye of the ratepnver, and by i those personally interested that the most necessitous work should be undertaken and carried out at the smallest COSE. Provincial or General Governments have done much to open up the main arteries of the country and to •carry out large public works, but ftoad Boards have formed and maintained roads near home, and which are in •everyday use. It would therefore, we think, be much to be regrp.tted w«re any influence brought to bear which would have the effect of obstructing the operations of these Boards or of their usefulness, at least witil the whole district roads are formed and put into serviceable condition. Still it is not nt all unlikely that through tbo operation of the County system and the other constitutional changes that are baing brought about the existence of some of the Boards may shortly be terminated. We have no doubt that most of the Boards will be upheld for many years, and continue to exercise their functions to the great benefit of the districts. But those who watch the proceedings | of the County Councils must see that. in some cases the interests clash, and no doubt ultimately the fittest will •survive, the weakest giving way. W« have seen that in many cases Rood Boards are extremely anxious that certain roads within their districts should be declared County roads and be taken charge of by the Oouncil. The more of such requests that are tendered and complied with the more «re the Boards weakened and the sooner will be their decay. In the majority of such cases that have come up we should have preferred to see the Boards retaining possession of the Toads, they receiving a subsidy from the County fund towards their maintenance. But if roads are to be taken over by the Counties, thiscours« should be carried out according to some fixprl principle that would do justice to all. Such a principle we think could be ■easily found. For example, where a Road Board has merely to form and maintain roads fop th« traffic within its own district, it. should be left unaided to attend to such roads. But in the case of a Board having to maintain roads for a heavy traffic from another district, it is right the County should step in and assist. There are some Boards which have to maintain roads -not only for one but for a considerable number of other road districts, and this •comes peculiarly hard upon the ratepayers of the districts so situated. Take for example the case of the Tokomairiro Road District. It has to maintain — 1. The road to the coal pits, which is "used by the Corporation of Milton and the Glenledi and Kaitangata Road Districts. 2. The road leading to Milburn station, which is used by the ratepayers in the Waihola and Waipori ■districts. 3. The roads leading to Table Hill, which are used by the inhabitants of the Mount Stuart district. 4. The road by the block bridge to Elliott Vale is used by the settlers of the Crichton Road District, and all and sundry who send to the coal pits for coal. Other roads might be mentionpd j that are much in the same position. Indeed it would appear that almost the whole roads of the, district are used to a very large extent by other than the ratepayers who have to make and maintain them. This manifestly is a great hardship. It is placing a burden upon these ratepayers they should not be called upon to bear. After the large sums that have been expended upon these roads a very small expenditure would suffice to maintain them in a condition equal to the traffic within the road district, but seeing they have to bear the heavy traffic of numerous other districts, one of two things must occur — either the ratepayers must pay heavy rates for the accommodation of those they should not be called upon to accommodate, or the roads must he allowed to fall into an unserviceable condition to the retarding of traffic and the inconvenience of the inhabitants of the country generally. We could point to other road districts that are called upon to some extent to bear the burdens of others, but we know of none so peculiarly unfortunate in this respect as the Tokomairiro Road District. It certainly has a claim for very great consideration and liberal assistance at the hands of the County Council. Indeed if any circumstances could arise that would justify a road district merging into the County, these circurastanceq have arisen in the case of the Tokomairiro district; The roads within the district are necessary, not specially for the requirements of the district, but ior the County as a whole, and therefore they ought to be formed and maintained out of the County fund. This might also an amicable solution of thedifficulties that have been felt by the various bodies with reference to some of- the roads within the district, is one worthy the con- : fidewribn : of the ratepayers and the Several bodies referred to.