STRATFORD & NGAIRE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IV, Issue 403, 25 January 1883, Page 2

STRATFORD & NGAIRE.

(from oce owkcoerespondent.)

As soon as the Stratford Town Board is elected, it has been suggested that the chairman of that body should call a, public meeting to decide to which county the town shall go. lam not disposed io prophesy as to the result, but believe that there will be some warm advocacy for Hawera county. Our n.^.w town appears to me to fit into that county as an oyster to his shell, but the question has to be decided one way or the other before the 15th Mai'ch. After that date the Governor will settle it.

There is one point of local government law to which it is as well that attention should be drawn, especially as the Hawera County Council has shown itself to be a liberal body of men with broad views, and therefore a body which one would not wish to see placed in a false position. I refer to the question of county roads. The Town Districts Act declares that a town board shall not have to maintain a county road, and like wary old warriors the Hawera County Council were careful not to declare. any county roads, but it has, been their custom to return to town districts all the rates collected from them under the

Counties Act, as well as their publicans' licenses, and an equitable share of auctioneers' licenses. So far good. The Roads Construction Acfc, however, declares that if a county council applies for and obtains a grant for any portion of a main road, that portion shall thenceforth be a county road, and therefore not chargeable on the town district in which it may be. But the Hawera County Council has applied for a grant for about half .a mile of the Mountain road, and the same of the Opunake road, within the new town district, and it would therefore appear that if Stratford goes into Hawera county, that council would have to maintain those lengths of road. Of course the council could protect itself by putting Stratford on a different footing from other towns, as regards refunding the county rates, but it would appear to be a far preferable method to bargain that the town maintain those lengths of roads, which would be no great hardship once they were properly gravelled, as I hope to see them before many weeks are over. It is as well in these matters to have no loopholes for misunderstandings.

That wretched dog-tax business appears to be a continual source of grumbling, and although the tax this year is only half of that of last year, there will be just as much dissatisfaction as ever, unless it is collected more impartially. It was a perfect scandal in this district last year, the collector having just skimmed, the iream,- and then left it. Those who paid their 10s. honestly*are pretty angry, you may be sure, that so many of their immediate neighbors escaped, and the chuckling of the latter docs not make it better. It. seems perfectly ridiculous that any little town district may fix its tax and collect it, but that when you come to a wide range of country only the county council may deal with the matter. In my humble opinion tho dog tax is essentially a matter for local control and collection, but I do not expect that road board clerks will thank me for expressing that view.

The cocksfoot seed is being harvested in splendid condition, aud is yielding heavily; in spite of the large demand there will probably be, to sow down newly burnt clearings, there should be a large quantity available for export. The Ngaire Road Board will hold an ordinary meeting on Thursday, the Ist February.

At the meeting of householders to elect a new school committee for Stratford and Mid hirst, Mr. G. N. Curtis was voted to the chair. The chairman of the late committee read a statement of school affairs last year, which' was approved. Candidates for the new committee were then nominated, and a ballot resulted as follows:— T M. Smith, 13; R. Glegg, 13 ; C. S. Curtis, 12 ; W. Harre, 12 ; F. Taylor, 11; J. A. Jones, 10; J. Hirst, 10. One of the successful candidates would not have been placed if plumping had not been resorted to, seven votes having been given for him by two householders. Mr. O; Curtis was afterwards elected chairman, .for the year. The burning question in Stratford school affairs during the past year has been, whether a certificated teacher should' not be applied for. It is probable, however, that this question will now be left in abeyance until it is seen whether the town goes to Wanganni education' district, or remains in Taranaki. At Ngaire, for some reason which I do not clearly understand no meeting of householders took place. , - I was bo glad to see that the Patea Harbor Board do not intend to disfranchise Hawera county, and wish to keep lus within their rating district. There is a ring of true friendship in such sentiments, and we are'delijjhted to hear that, as we are not liable to bo rated for Taranaki harbor, we are not to be excluded from Patea. It would be very cruel if we were. I would suggest, however, that, ,as some people may not thoroughly Understand how great is 'the honor to be conferred on us, a couple of the members of the board should invite us to a public meeting at Stratford to have the matter explained. I certainly consider that as Stratford is on the Patea river it ought to have the first chance of expressing its enthusiasm for harbor rates. We don't have many circuses, or fancie fayres, or things r of that Bort here, but we are fond of a 'bit of fun, all the same. If some of the members of the Manawapou and the Tangahoe harbor boards would also attend, and explain that they were all willing to rate, us rather than let us be disfranchised, it would lend more dignity still to the proceedings. If modesty restrains all these gentlemen from coming, I hope that the Patea Harbor Board wijll accept our sincere thanks for the information that we are Hot- subject to the Taranaki rate. What an ignorant set of muffs we must be, to'have been all this time under the impression that we enjoyed the "franchise" of that august body! Seriously, though, it is rich beyond compai-e, that' when the country districts around Patea refused only* a short time ago to be rated ior tho harbor, it should be proposed to rate Hawera county for the same purpose.