AHAURA NOTES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1833, 20 June 1874, Page 4

AHAURA NOTES.

[from our own correspondent.]

The event of the week has of course been the visit of the Provincial Secretary and the reception given to- him. Preparations were being made to meet him in a manner more suitable to the occasion, bntirorn the style and rate at which he travelled he upset all the calculations made as to the probable time of his arrival. Indeed it was at one time feared that he would give us the slip altogether and get away by the back, or insolvent track, via Happy Jack's Creek, and it was seriously contemplated to bribe the proprietor of the punt on the Ahaura River to detain the "Government " in the middle of the stieam, by letting some of the machinery of the punt adrift so that the numerous deputations would have a chance of getting at him, when they received information that he waß crossing the river. However the event, that is the reception of the deputations, came off successfully after all, and it is to be hoped that the arguments against the removal of the Warden, put so clearly and forcibly before Mr O'Conor by Mr Staite and Mr Davies, will have the effect of causing the Provincial Secretary, and through him the Executive Council, to alter or modify what seems to have been a foregone conclusion with respect to the Warden. The Provincial Secretary was pretty hard upon some of the local Revenues Boards for their contumacy in daring to set themselves in opposition to the Government with respect to laying out their subsidies. He did not say which Board he meant that was to be cut off with a shilling, but it is hoped the Ahaura Board will be remembered in his will.. Mr O'Conor said the alteration in the Local Revenues Act made during the late sitting of the Council was necessary to keep within the bounds of the constitution with respect to the anticipation of revenues. The Act as it now stands leaves the Boards entirely at the mercy of the Government, so that whatever moneys are received must.be taken with a good grace and made the most of. At the meeting of the Grey Valley Board, held this week, the question of rating was mentioned incidentally, but it was again decided that- a rate would not be struck although the Provincial Secretary gave the Boards clearly to understand that very little assistance could be expected from the Provincial Government, and that if a rate was not struck the Board would not be able to participate in any of the advantages arising from the general distribution of the L 50,000 subsidy to all the Boards. While on this subject I would wish to make a personal explanation. A letter appeared in a recent issue of|the Argus, signed " Observer," commenting unfavorably upon certain proceedings of the Ahaura Road Board. Certain members of this Board have chosen to imagine that I was the author of that letter, and have considered themselves aggrieved accordingly. I muat take this occasion of stating that I did not write-or. dictate that letter, and that I never saw or heard of it until I saw it in print.' If I have any comments to make on the action of the Board, I make them epenly and in the proper place, and I am well able and always willing to uphold any remarks I feel called upon to make on the Board or its public actions. At the the same time, the members of the Board as public men must not think that they

are exempt from the usual concomitants of a public position. Their actions are open to fair criticism, and " Observer" had a perfect right to call the Board to account if he considered it had not done justice to its trust. I did not agree with all the remarks of " Observer," but it would be as well if the Board observed a few of his suggestions and acted upon them. I have only to add that when I have occasion to find fault with the action of the Board in its public capacity, I shall do so above board, just as I have at every opportunity given the members credit for the disinterested manner in which they perform their duties towards the public.