Taranaki

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XIX, Issue 1954, 23 April 1864, Page 4

Taranaki

. (Fro n ihe Taranaki Herald, April Ifi ) ( The long exuec’e/l visit of a member of the General Government io Taranaki has at lin-J been made, and «e hope the results, when known, may prqve. as sati-fectory to the people of Ibis place and as beneficial to the public service as was expected As far as we can learn", however, Air..Gillies has not done very- much since he has been here, but no doubt he has obtained information which, was n necessary prelimin?ry to action It wa< no doubt this information that the Government hare waited for so. paiierHly, and something will have been gained if they have learned at last that there are matters here of imnortance requiring ini. mediate attention. They were tool .chia before reueatedlv, but they wanted it on unimpeachable authority, and therefore waited till thev could ascertain it for, themselves. ’. First of all-there .i« the qm’siion of roads. It is a great pity the Government did not. know sooner that, they would want roads here; it is a little surprising ,too, for ,tbe fact seems to have, been rather, an. obvious one ; now. the summer is over, hut,the roafis n ie still to make. Mr. GiHiea.-informed a deputation of the Pro. vineial Council which waited on him yesterday that “he,found the expenditure-’’(on the bite .of road which have been begun) “ wasteful and extravagant—and as soon as p .sisible the whole system will be remodelled ” —not only remodelled we -should hop’ r but extended. The .road making here should be done under a system which takes ip the whole of the military roads co.be made, in this island.,. ;;

One satisfacb ry thing which Ms. Gillies told the deputation was that the Government would consider forthwith tfie recommendation ofColonel Wai re to build a line of RLck .ouses round the town (two of which are a’realy agreed to), at a distance of about three miles.. This will be a great thing gained if ,we,.can safely occupy even so much, of. our land as this line will include. , Another goid ihing is, that it is to be .in. the discretion of the commanding officer tp relieve married men temporarily from militia duty, striking themroff. pay and rations; bat net as yet in any great numbers. , - .. . A Commissioner is to be appointed.as. soon as possible to enquire into, and wind op the compensation claims, so, that there.is.a possibility of getting the. money, or as much of i.t as we maybe thought to. deserve,-, before the next meeting,of, the General Assembly. , .. M r -, Gillies has consented, to Qcrgase the pay of the Bushrangers to 3s. 6,d. a-day with two extra pairs-of-bodts in the year,. bm the Government will not giant land t.i any but military settlers. Any.T-ranaki settle-, therefore,,who wishes to. enrol himself can. do so, his three years counting from the day he.joins—the past three or four years’ service we suppose are sufficiently.recompensed by the h-lf crown a-day and ih; pleasure of having served one’s country SO long. ;; r ; I» * - Other questions are to be referred tj the whole Ministry.