The Star. SATURDAY, 31st JULY, 1880. A ROAD BOARD FOR THE NGAIRE DISTRICT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 32, 31 July 1880, Page 2

The Star. SATURDAY, 31st JULY, 1880.

A ROAD BOARD FOR THE NGAIRE DISTRICT.

At the last meeting of the Taranaki Land Board, a letter was read from Mr. Taylor, drawing attention to the fact that £400 to £500 bad been collected on the deferred payments land in the Ngaire district for the making of roads, and it was resolved by the Board that the Chairman should write to the Patea County Council, in reference to constituting' the Ngaire a Road Board district. The matter has been discussed at this end of the county frequently, and it has been our intention, for some time past, to urge the adoption of the course recommended by the Land Board at its last meeting. Before doing so, however, we were desirous of seeing the result of the movement m reference to the division of the county. Many persons who are anxious for separation — amongst whom ■we take our stand — care but little wlu - ther we have larger Road Boards, with more extended powers, or smaller counties, with a greater community of interests than exists at present. So long as the law remains in its present shape — and so long as our legislators prefer petty squabbling to practical work — there appears to be but little hope of an amendment of our present costly and cumbersome form of Local Government ; and should tbe people at this end decide upon sepai-ation, they will have to wait until the conclusion of next session of Parliament before effect can be given to their wishes. Such being the state of the law, it is clear that the people who have recently bought land and settled in the Ngaire district would have to wait too long before they could be asked to decide whether it would be better to form part of a County, without the Road Boards, or form a Road Board for themselves, and thus be liable for two rates, instead of one. We entirely differ from Mr. Gane as to the dual rate, because two bodies cannot very well exist without two sets of officers, and it can hardly be expected that either clerks or engineers will do the work merely for the love of it. Besides, there must be advertising, printing, stationery, office rent, and other expenses, which we think Mr. Gane will admit must lessen very considerably the amount of the rates levied by the counties and the road boards. Our experience with Public Works Committees, both in large and small places, compels us also to differ from Mr. Gane as to his idea about the "scientific gentlemen." We have seen thousands of pounds frittered away in the city of Wellington, because there was no definite plan to work upon ; indeed, we need not go farther than the township of Hawera to seek for a condemnation of Mr. Gang's theory. Had the street vfovfc been done here under the superintendence of a competent engineer, the amount paid to him would have been more than saved, and there would be much more to show for the expenditure than muddy slush -pools. As previously remarked, no change can be made until after the termination of next session of Parliament, supposing that three-fifths of the ratepayers should decide upon separation, and the best thing tbat can be done is to proclaim the Ngaire a Road Board district, and thus enable the settlers to make roads and get upon their land. The 20 per cent, from the deferred payments should be entirely devoted to that purpose. As to the boundaries of the district, the most natural appears to be from the Patea river, at Stratford, to the Ketemarae hotel, a distance of about sixteen miles. There is, unfortunately, a large block of native land between Ketemarae and Mangawhero, and this will be a sort of " white elephant " to the newly-consti-tuted body. But could not arrangements be made with the natives for an exchange on the other side of the river, as there appears to be little chance of purchasing it on account of the dispute as to the area ? If tbat block could be obtained, and thrown open for sale on deferred payment, the Ngaire district would be a very important and prosperous one in the course of a few years, and a chain of settlement would be established between Normanby and Stratford. The people who have recently purchased the land ought to lose no time in backing up tbe recommendation of the Land Board, and a petition should be sent, if possible, to the next meeting of the Patea County Council, which takes place on Wednesday, urging that the necessary steps should be at once taken for proclaiming the boundaries of the road district.