LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM: A POLICY FOR THE OTOKIA RIDING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14355, 27 October 1908, Page 2

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM: A POLICY FOR THE OTOKIA RIDING.

Sib,—Tho urgent need of ..the seaside portion of .this riding is .undoubtedly railway communication. Next to that is the ■ need, of providing" efficient roadways throughout. This district is among the earliest that was settled and subdivided into small holdings in tho province. Its' surface is of a broken and hilly nature, while its laud is of fair quality, and'with a reasonable system of tillage is capable of considerably increasing its productiveness, liut notwithstanding the fact that it has been so long settled, it is still in a backward condition, and tho causes aro not far .to seek. , The first cause is the inemcient roadways, " ■ Not: that roads are limited in any way, as there are an abundance of them. It is the position in which numbers of them aro placed that makes them inefficient, as they have been laid out in tho first plnco without any regard for tho development of tho parts thoy wero to serve. These vends, under the present condition of things, do not serve'tho riding to any extent within reason. Strange as it may seem, for this condition of things our local government is largely responsible. It may l: c assumed that local rovcrnment is constituted for 'the purpose of dealing with problems and questions bearing on tho advancement and development of parts under its charge. But in respect our- local government has not played the game. The present (local govornißont's administration might fitly be termed from this riding's point of view an official and contractors' policy; it can not in any sense bo called a ratepayers' policy. Officialism now ■dictates. Officialism in administration has uiinost unlimited power. The taxpayer has but a small say. In fact, it has now become a real difficulty to effect any advancement whatsoever, Wo are now confronted with so much officialism, formalities, technical, and law points that the passage of any proposition, however reasonable and urgent from a ratepayers' point of view, can by the use of the abovement.ioned obstacles be very readily hindered. Another matter which is excellent, from an otiiciul point of view, but not so from an economic ratepayer's point of view, is the costly and extravagant, basis on wtiich works are carried out, Under tile present system a. few items absorb all funds availaiblo, and other equally necessary works are left .undone; home the riding's liackward condition. When the present member was returned, we expected lo see I he general condition of the riding improved.' Hut, despite tiio fact that tlio taxation washigher tlwii -the district ever paid Mow, (he advanci'iiipiit of.the district has teen nil. Tins special rating was levied for the purpose of improving the side roads. lint ■n*i<>:ul of dealing -with and improving the needy portions'that existed, a general system of grading and surfacing was carried' out and the .difficult portions of these roads wore loft i n thp sumo condition as before. , Taken en. tho whole, the extra taxation, log-other with the ordinary vatnig. must have, proved most beneficial to) the owners of teams that worked the grader. i Not only are joint of our side roads deficient, mil the fame applies to some of the schedule read.,. Will tho exception of about two miles of the distance the road from Brighton to T'aieri Mouth cannot be called anythin; oilier than a mud track, which m wet seasons resolves ilself into a veritable quagmire, while there is at intervals a- supply of both gravel and schist rock c'.Oco at hand. What this rid<ng now requires for its advancement is the adoption of a. purely ratepayers' policy, lending in the direction of reducing officialism, retrenchment in the administrative expense of the county, and the adoption of a more economical system mi the carrying out of necessary works. If the riding was fully developed worlis of an expensive and permanent nature would then bo fully justified. But in a disl-ncfc like this, that is only yet in the developing stages, and where so mauy improvements are .necessary for the progress and advancement of the place, expenditure on each part should lio limited and on strictly economical lines. What is an absolute necessity to make several of the roads clnciont h the adoption of a policy enabling deviations where requited to be made on more suitable grounds without the difliculty and expense that there is at present attached to it. Tho placing of roads in suitablo places is a matter that tho (.-.ovcrnnvent should bo urged to take pare in. It can readily ho seen that roading facilities play a most, .important part in the development of any v \- m< mit | rernov j n „ unworkable roads to suitablo positions places parts so served in a-belter working position for all 1 ime. In carrying out, such improvements tho sol tiers interested should and no doubt would, under an economic system render assistance. Another matter that rhould ho discouraged is the letting of works without being tendered for. All works, howovcr small, should be lot- by lender. Regarding county employees, an improvement on the present system would bo the appointment of employees for a fixed term and to be subjected to rejection or renewal according to merit. Further, the eountv should have the benefit of a resident 'engineer without outside practice being allowed. The present system is.very unsatisfactory. Willi a fixed salary and outside practice allowed it is reasonable to expect, as liltle o[ jlie timo as possible from an official so placed, and it is reasonable to oxpect that amproposition placed before tho council necessitating much of the time of au official

so placed will not l:o favoured with tho time and work necessary to deal with' it to (•lie best advantage. The country should have its own engineer. Under present conditions tins riding is certainly not making any headway; in fact, the tendency with so much officialism and extravagance is to pauperise and depopulate the place." it is now a. most difficult matter to get a day's work in it. Settlors are not in a Position to employ labour, while, on the other hand, settlors w ho are willing to improve and develop their holdings by tho pavmonit, of extra taxation foi better reading facilities, ns Jn my own ease awl that of other ratepayers, are debarred through an extravagant and unsympathetic administration from getting the justice that wc as poor st ri ,g g ij n j, settlers, and entitled to look for. The present formaJity and officialism of our local government cannot in any respect to compared with tho energetic and economic methods displayed by tho Road boards of early days. At ,that time a few pounds went a long way, but now a few pounds go nowhere;- I submit that with the adoption of a judicious and economic system of expenditure on our roads and works that would enable all parts tho opportunity of development, the settlement tho productiveness, and the prosperity of this riding could be largely increased, and such a result, would prove beneficial- to tile province as a whole. As for the present, member's interest in the welfare of tho riding, lie is not compelled to live in it or to make his living in it, as some of us have to do. His buei, ness is centred in Dunedin as a carting contractor. That being so, it is somewhat difficult, to honestly understand his anxiety (o represent the interests of the ratepayers of this riding. For retrogression and the aggregation of land into largei blocks no change is needed; but for advancement and justice to settlement, a change in the methods of our local government administration is an absolute necessity. To indicate the retrogression that has set in, the last census return's show a decrease in. the population' of the riding by 84 souls; and, further, the rateable value of the riding, instead of increasing, as naturally it should, shows, through the- present stifling system obtaining, a drop in its value to tho extent of nearly £10.000. In conclusion, this state of the riding is a'condemnation of the present administration, ami the feelings of any with a. profession of interest in its welfare must at best l>o very disquieting.! This retrogression that has been created, if persisted in, will show in tho future still further disquieting results.. A change in our local government administration is truly essential.—! am, etc., Brighton, Oct. 21. D, M'INTOSH.