Feilding Star. SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1883. Borough Affairs.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 6, 23 June 1883, Page 2

Feilding Star. SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1883. Borough Affairs.

We are glad to see that certain of the ratepayers of the Borough have taken the initiative in petitioning the Council to have some of the public works, scheduled with the loan proposals, proceeded with as soon as the financial position ofthe Borough will admit oi the expenditure. We think thai other bodies of ratepayers should fillow up the good example thus given, and assist the Council in determining what works are most urgently needed. When the proper time has arrived, and contracts are issued, many of the residents will be able to take them up and work them profitably to themselves and beneficially to the Borough, by keeping the expenditure largely among the ratepayers. There will be no need for the Council to fear that the works can be pushed on too rapidly, as the number of months during which road works can be properly finished are very few, comparai lively speaking. Summer is now close i upon us, and councillors must be pre- ' pared to tak-^ every advantage that I will be offered by the fine weather, j also the longer hours during which contractors can work. A number ol contracts may easily be in full operation at the same time, so that the works may proceed simultaneously, and keep the time of the Borough engineer fully occupied in t-up.-rvising them. While on this subject we may give an opinion that has been forming in the minds of some ofthe ratepayers for some time. The opinion is that, when the Borough engineer is employed in the laying out and superintending public works, his time will be so fully occupied with other more important works, that some assistance should be giver: him to enable the duties ol ranger and dog- tax collector to be properly performed. There can be no question *that when the roads are being made and improved it will be a great mistake for owners of cattle to run them in the streets, as is now the practice, to destroy the work that will cost the ratepayers so much. The revenue of the Borough would be largely added to by the dogtax, which is at the present time evaded in hundrsds ol instances. It must be distinctly understood that this office would be self-supporting, and would put no extra cost on the burgesses.