LOWER NGAIRE AND THE HAWERA ROAD BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 58, 30 October 1880, Page 4

LOWER NGAIRE AND THE HAWERA ROAD BOARD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAE. Sib, — As the attempt now about to' be made by the settlers of the lower Ngaire to sever their district from the Hawera

Boad Board and annex it to the upper ' Ngaire district has caused a little stir, and owing to the interference of some mem-

bers of the Hawera Boad Board (although holding no property in the Ngaire), caus- ' ing a counter petition to be gob up to eet aside the settlers' petition to the Patea County Council, a great deal of extraneous matter has been bandied about, causing false impressions that ought to be rectified, and if you will allow me space in your widely-circulated journal, I shall endeavor to set the matter right before the public. When the Chairman of the County Council came her e, to have commissioners appointed for the' upper Ngaire, it was suggested that the lower Ngaire should

join it, and it was with this view tha.tfi.vo cat of tfie seven members that now form the Ngaire Boad Board were elected, as they all have property in the lower distriot ; and this being the case, I consider that it is meddlesome and very unjust of any member of the Hawera Road Board (as none of them have property in the Ngaire) to interfere with the people in choosing what local body they wish to live under. I contend that the interests of the Ngaire and Hawera districts are

zob at all identical. One is all Gash, and

a pew settlement; the other is open land, with the exception of Whakamara, and its connection with the Hawera Boad Board does not Beem a happy one. When the Hawera Boad Board strike a rate. I presume it will be general, and that it will rate the lower Ngaire as well as the rest of the distriot. This would be unjust, as it would be manifestly unfair to expect bush settlers to pay taxes until they are in a position to get something off their land. I believe the upper Ngaire Boad -Board does not intend to strike a rate

until the country is well opened up. The Hawera Boad Board is in a great hurry just now to spend all the deferred-pay-ment money that has been paid by the settlers before they have time to get from under their control, as they know very Well that a great raajoMi^ of ihe /settlers in fcbe Ngaire wish to get clear ot them. This was proved conclusively when the Board advertised for the settlers to meet then: engineer to show what they wanted done to the roads ; but, alas ! only one made his appearance, and went with the engineer and two members of the Hawera Board through the district, and this gentleman does not seem to think the Hawera men perfection, as he has since signed the petition to get clear of them. Now, I would, ask the two or three counter petitumists what they see in the Hawera Board members more than in the Ngaire ? Do they not expect to get equal justice ? Are they aware that the Hawera Boad Board is in the habit of ordering the ratepayers out of the b oard'e office until they open the tenders for public work, to bo paid lot by public money? This -is a foot, and does it not look " fishy" ? Do Any of the members tender for work in anybody else's name, and keep it quiet in this way ? Why do they not let the light of day shine in on their publio acts ? or are they only aping their betters— l mean legislative bodies? I would remind the board that their duti s are administrative only, and to spend the money in a publio manner to the best advantage, and not privately, and- although your reporter is uot orJe^A oat, he know* hir business i»

to take no notice whatever of whnt is said or done wben the public are ordered out, as he only gives the amounts and names of the tenderers. I know that the members of the board will say that the law courts are sometimes cleared of the public. I know they are " when the disclosures about to take place are likely to corrupt society." Is the Hawera Eoad Board in the same boat with the law courts in this respect ? It is in the opening of tenders that the ratepayers are most concerned, as they have a right to know all about how their money is spent, to prevent " Zog-roUing," and I would 6trongly recommend the settlers, no matter what board they are under, to insist on everything being done publicly, and if they cannot do it this year, they ought to elect men next time who are not afraid to let their public acts see the light of day. — I am, &c,

A Lower Ngaire Settler.