THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE HIGHWAY BOARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4481, 24 March 1876, Page 3

THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE HIGHWAY BOARDS.

The Chairman oE one of the Highway Boards south of Auckland, asks us respecting an arrangement made by the General Government that the Highway Boards were to receive a certain portion of the proceeds o£ the sales of confiscated land. He states that several hundred pounds are due to the Board of which he is chairman; that Dr, Pollen agreed that the money was due, but did not pay ; that the Board has written to Sir Julius Vogel, who has taken no notice of their letter. We believe that considerable sums are due to the Pokeno, Paparata, Pukekohe, and other Boards, and if they do not look into what the General Government has been doing, and make them cash up very quickly, they deserve to lose the money. Surely the General Government -will not pretend that they have power to stop this money for the deficiency on the railways acconnt. The arrangement was made with Dr. Pollen and Sir Julius Vogel, and will be found set out in the volume of proceedings of the Provincial Council for 1873-4, A No. 12. In a memorandum, signed by Sir Julius Vogel, the Government agree that " one-quarter of all money received for confiscated land is to be handed to the Road Board or Boards of the district in which the lands are situated, or to be expended, under the control of the Public Works Department, on roads or bridges within such district, with the view of benefiting such lands as far. as possible." As we are informed, this agreement has not been carried out. The matter requires investigation.

IMMIGRANTS PER BKODICK CASTLE. The following is a list of the classification o£ trades of the immigrants on board the ship Brodick Castle : Men— bakers, 2 ; blacksmiths, 4; bricklayers, 2 : builder, 1 ; carpenters, S ; carrier, 1; carter, 1 ; farm labourers, 35; farmers, 5 ; fellmonger, 1 ; general labourers, 16; gardeners, 3; gasfitters, 2 ; miners, 5; navvie, I; platelayer, 1 ; printer, 1 ; ploughmen, 3 ; porter, 1 ; railway porter, 1 ; saflmaker, 1 ; stonemason, 1 ; shipyarder, 1 ; shoemakers, 2 ; shepherds, 2 ; stockman, 1 ; shipwright, 1. Women—cooks, 6 ; dairymaids, 5 ; domestics, 7 : dressmaker, 1 ; farm sers-ant, 1; general servants, 10; housemaids, 3 ; housekeeper, 1; nurses, 2.