COUNTY COUNCILS V. ROAD BOARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6067, 28 April 1881, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCILS V. ROAD BOARDS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —There is no doubt that the Comities Act is a good Act, with a few blunders that could be remedied, and would be no doubt if the working of the Act was carried out in its integrity ; but the opposition to it is strong, for the reason that the money for works is moie evenly distributed about the country by the Road Boards than by the County Councils. No one can doubt that. It is well known that all accounts, all legal documents and correspondence, are better performed and carried out by the Councils than by the Road Boards. The Road Board Chairman's residence is not the place for the custody of valuable documents, nor should these documents be annually transferred from house to house, where there is no care taken of them further than to shove them all into one or two old flour bags, and put them up in the corner of a smoky room. Packets of correspondence, tied up with flax, or an old shoe lace, or something else as unsightly, is quite common. And as for legality, well, the least said about that the better. I doubt if there are, strictly speaking, six legally elected Road Boards in the North Island. If I wrote all I know relative to the manner in which road work is managed in many districts I should raise quite a commotion. For the most part the best educated settlers in the districts do not attend the meetings or take part in road matters at all. They are simply disgusted with the proceedings that usually take place at these meetings. The most frightful blunders and glaring illegalities are far too common. Alany ratepayers—and non-rate-payers, too —appear to think that they can only do their duty by concocting a scene, and the more rowdy the more completely they consider they have done their duty. It is to be regretted that such is the case, and the only way to put a stop to these things is to hand over to more intellectual bodies the powers necessary to the proper carrying out of an economical system of public works. There is not sufficient population in the majority of districts to find men suitable for so many Boards ; consequently larger road districts or "riding" districts would be preferable. As for payment of members, if it is fair and just to pay members of one body, so it is also fair and just to pay members of another body. Pay one, pay all, or pay none. As there is such an inherent dislike amongst Road Boards to employ legal advice or professional men generally, the question naturally arises as to how the purchase of property, its transfer, investment of surplus moneys, custody of deeds, documents, and valuable correspondence are to be undertaken with security to the ratepayers and advantage to the public. As to borrowing, no one, with a view to security, will lend to any body of men who set law at defiance. My experience is that professional men have, to a certain extent, "Boycotted" the Road Boards. At any rate, it is most difficult to obtain their services, the effect being the extreme delay in commencing worU s of any magnitude, and the. work thrown upon the chairman (where no funds arc obtainable for a clerk) is very heavy, and a serious loss to him. A road district should be sufficiently large, so that funds are equal to the employment of a clerk and lawyer combined, and an engineer, surveyor, and inspector combined. The two appointments, properly carried out, would in the end come cheaper to the country or district than letting the local Dicks, Bobs, and Harrys undertike or supervise works they know nothing about, or at most have but a smattering, just sufficient to be outrageously taken in by the contractors. The employment of Mr. Fairburn to superintend his own roads is most wise and commendable in the present Government. There is always in a Eimall district sufficient local influence to bear upon an inspector so as to thwart him in carrying out the instructions reeeived. Contractors have votes, and know when to use them for their own ends. A change is much wanted, and must be soon carried out.—l am, &c, LoY.VLTY.