THE NEW HIGHWAYS ACT:

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1310, 28 January 1868, Page 4

THE NEW HIGHWAYS ACT:

18 IT TO BE TOR TIIF. 11EXF.PIT OF THE DISTEICT AND ITS MEBIDENTS, OK 13 IT TO UK ADAITKn Tα SPIV AUSBXTEFS, I.AKDPIIiHICS, ANl' SQI'ATIERS ? To the Kdilor of the Hehald.

Sir, —Tn thn columns of your contemporary J read with furpris? that, with reference tho petition of J. O .Tohr.stone, it was the dpinion of the Petitions Committee o£ the Provincial Council "that any new bill to amend tho Hiffhwavß Ait should proviiio for the levying a rat« upon the principle of vnltiation only." T (iiiresiy country settlere would like to know who those vriso'iores aro who wish to tax the hard-working settlor for every pound he lays out in our waste lamle. I* there a. nountry B«ttlor on ihia uommittre that wo"-ld like to bo Inxf d every pound he laya out ?or ate they nil Auckland citizetiM who hive always made tiie laws detrimental to tho hard-workinfr, striving pettier ? Surely, if they are not citizens, they mnst no e-.ther larqe waste land owners, or lilce J. C. Johnstoiie, porliaps were cumberetsof tho ground, 60 graphically dracribed in your issue of the 18th, hut although there may be no f.i.mds to the country Nfttler on tho Committee, it is to be hoped when the bill cornea before tho all the country representatives will be in tlu-ir pl.-ices, and moat strenuoualy oppose kucli a glaring piece of injustice to the country i»«ttler- . A dobt of gratitude is due to you, sir, by one ana all of tie Ectders for the manner >ou advoc.ited our causn, on seeiiu; J. C. Jolinstoim'ti letter and petition in your cntempoiary's columns, and which, ar-par eniiv to ifive K re.uor wei u ht to he signs as " l.hnirman to tho N\'h«iiigaroa Migliwi.y Board of Trustees, loailiri" the Council as well us the public to i-uppo-e that it come* from the Board of Trustee* inftfi»d of beinirtl.-e petition of a ainfjlo individual, whose cl;:ss retard the progress of the district, and your finishing remarks Knpeciinß the ad val '■- m system for country districts, puts it pxtwtlv in its Hue li"ht, tho absentee own-re of the watte Inn.!* in the district uro as heretnforc to reap the benefit of tho labor aTid capital of the hnrd-workir.ir settler. I hardly .an agree with you m leaving tho choice of the system of rutins to the decision of tho ratepayers ; and, when, 1 state my reason I think you will alter your opinion. At present in all district? land speculators and absentees predominate and it is these who make the laws-not the local settlers—but do away with proxies, then I agree witu vou the decision may ho left to tho ratepayers, who are the best judges of what is best for their district Wherever tho ad valorem system is introduced quarrelling is the sure result; no valuation can p'ease all. A fresh valuation will have to be made every year. Thei salary of such an oflicer by the acreage system is saved, and which would bo no small item in the annual expenditure. I think- there would never be much to spend in road-malcing under this system, as *ho rates would bo required to pay salaries and other expenses ; tor as it is, tnkinij tho UngUn district aa an example, without a valuation the salaries and working have amounted to about nail the Hums collected for tho year. ?nme provision is indispensable to the proper carrying out ot tho Act re.rarJiru? the übsantees, who are by far the rn-ijonty in every district, and who, as Mr. Fnuer sad at the Mai:' R awai meeting, should be made to pay up before a penny is collected from the residents ot t ie ; clictriat, and 1 hope cur legi-latMß will not hurry iho ! bill t:iro» S h, but, pasaiiu Att this time that Will rCiiii'rc no fill lire tinUeriisr ;u> —I am, &o , A CoU.VITIV SETTLEIt.