DISTRICT KOAD BOARDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2005, 3 June 1868, Page 5

DISTRICT KOAD BOARDS.

(To tie Editor of tJie Otaoo Daii.v Tuna )

Sm—ln. your remark's on Road' Boards, Rates, &.c, in to-day's print, you toucnwl a sore that has br.eii festering for yearn on. .somp of the industrious settlers.of tha. I'rovinco. They conaidor the manner in. Vjiich they have been, and arc still, rated, jr. (to use the mildest posflible term) very unjust, yon mention that "Mr Holmes .miccesafnlly resisted an action, at th« iust-iaco of tlio West Taiori-.Road Boar J, and the collector was nonsuited on ;* tecluu'cul point." I suppose, " where tho vvej'JHi of a king ss, there is power." A ■working nv.m cannot employ time a:;d. lawyers, and must thdrefvra pay whatever rates arc demanded; and no remedyMowcvcr, Mr Holmea. may consider hitn. Eolf a lucky fellow, for I-believe lie is the. only one on record1 that lias oscapetL But, Sir, to come nearer " our am doors'* (aa tho Scotch say);than tho West Taseri, I will only mention one case at present (iathe Nortli-E:i!it Yaliey) out of the many more I might ennmcnilo. Alx»nt ten. year* ago, a p.irty wishing to r>ett!e do'v-u for life in tliat delightftil neigliorhowl, bought ci«ht ten-acre sections fronting the Main TJorth Road, not at the Gbreramenfc price, but at v.ithcr a liigher Gxnra for Uie time. T saiil, ftt)n«ing tbo Main North, P-oad ; but aliwj, it was only a rostl on paper, on tho Qo.vormu<-nt map in tlwi If^d OJSco. Tho p^rty omild neither get e» nor offhio land without paying fur A to a ncitlilior J but Iw would not ene the '.Government Tor damages or breach oE

ug]y woni, fraud ; and all this time, paying road rates, tvd rcbool rates too, till lately, and never a road reaching him of any two to hia property. "But things like that, of ctinrivi irnwt ho :'* and the roadies*, abandoned 200 acre.? had to pay Ui a year, at sixpence an acre, and a bcctinn <>i 10 «era« that sold at L3OOO, at the isamo tim«, only paid five shillings, or 10 sixpence*, to make the justice more plain. To improve matter* a little, the 8ig»;al Hill District Board (a new creation) claimed ft »l>co of this said land of f>s acres, and without tho proprietor being aware mich a Board was in existence, lind to pay, a few weeks ago, tho highest rate authorised by the Ordirianc't. ~ jjotwithsiamllm; ajij^ils to Local andOenoral Road Hoards; and all thin rating and no roiida coming, or ever will cornel I suppose. There is certainly something decidedly wrong hero, that ought to be righted. Though a working man, I have done much to maintain tho integrity of Gtngo in the loading journals of Glasgow, and confuted letters from hero that were " lies from end to end;" but I firn sorry to say there are facts standing against her that are <: ill to ding," and will Kevent many from coming hero that would strengthen the bone and m'now of 0>« Province ; in fact, hundreds have left it already because they could not got on to work" their land after buying it, or if they did get on, it was neck or nothing to pet oil' ny;iin. I suppose the Is'orlh-E.int Valley h:ui no representative at present, at leant no mention of it ia ever made. I find one of our worthy mornl)(sm ninlcinrr inf|iiiri«.:« about the Port and BltioHldri Road, tho other ■wishing to know wher« the Tino Hill Road would,join (be Great. North Road, &c. ; wliilo'tho poor iffnored North-Ea«t Valloy h lying becalmed these last ten year», like the old «liip in Coleridge's " Ancient IVliiriner," and the Bottlers at tlie North-Bait end of tho Valley may

Look u\mn the rotten tree, and turn their tsyc/t .'t-.v,-'y. I expected JTr M'T>nnid would have opened up a way there—tho other -Hiesmbor, I. fear, i'h rather green on the «übjeet. Tho matter of L2OO would make that a t;o'<d road—only about one mile— and the line cleared aimidy. Surely tho Government miftlii grant that for the oldest and nearest road lino in the Province for the North, when, JriKt Ki-s-.ion, LI lit 1 8« iva-i voied for tho Pine Hill Bmd Difi'rid. It is quite honey-combed with rondK, hottjo of them lending apparently to nowhere.—l nui, &<:.,

Tut: Hermit. Thoßuub, Juno Ist, 18(J8.