THE OLD ROAD BOARDS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 December 1924, Page 6

THE OLD ROAD BOARDS.

TRIBUTE TO THEIR WORK. At the opening of' the new county office iri'.Jnglewood on- Friday, generous appreciation of the work of the pioneer local bodies, the Road Boards, says the Taranaki Herald, was given by (Jr. H. It. Jones, who said that lie could appreciate the feelings of the early' settlers, upon whose shoulders had rallen the duty of looking, after the maintenance of roads—if they might so be calledin those days. These men and the founders of the Moa Road Board had. been tho foundation of the county, and the success of to-day"' was not altogether. indirectly due to their work of yesterday. In reply to the toast, Mr. H. Peters, an old identity and a man who lias done untold good for Inglewood, since the days when ready capital was about as plentiful as good roads, said lie was pleased to see the excellent work - which wa s being done. Since the Moa Road, Board was elected in 1876 the changes about Inglewood had been most marked and astounding. Mr. Reters gave .- a. graphic description of the conditions under which the pioneers of Taranaki had to work to secure roads. .(Contrasting those days with to-day, the sterling-character of. men'of Mr. Peters’ type, who doggedly "persisted under adverse conditions, 'must be realised and admired.) The speaker went on to give reminiscences of the Moa Road Board ;u the early days, and gave an interesting account of the: vicissitudes of the board. From his experience, menu bevs of the County Council were always established in 1763. -. terest in their work. Concluding, the speaker wished the council future prosperity in ..their new .offices. J. Brown, another man to whom the- county■ is, deeply indebted for■ his endorsed' the remarks of ; i ir. letersV and said that' since he was ■■initiated' as a member of the Moa Road Board in 1881 he had been closely connected with .the affairs- of the countv and was pleased to Pay that they had made wonderful progress. He also recounted .a few incidents in connection witn his work on the Moa: Road Board and exemplified the great work 'done by his colleague. ,