OLLA PODRIDA.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXI, Issue 2724, 28 November 1910, Page 3

OLLA PODRIDA.

[CONTRIBUTED BY B.A.C]

Now that the Bill to deal with the

question 6i the silting up of the Waihou

and Ohinemuri Rivers has been intro- / duced, it is to be hoped that an earnest endeavour will be made to have the Bill passed into law. There can be no

j^nuine opposition to the general principle ot the proposed law, and any little disagreement that may possibly arise will no doubt be concerning minor matters. The Bill as introduced practically puts into the hands of the Minister of Public Works the power of carrying out or leaving alone the necessary remedial works ; but, the money being available, I do not think that any Minister would delay in having the works pushed along with all possible speed. • The settlers have tor years past been crying out for ; relief, and now that measures for that relief are within sight ,1 trust that there will be no delay in putting the Bill through the House and making a start with the works.

It might be wise if the farmers interested were to send to Wellington some competent person to watch their" interests while the Silting Bill is before the House. There is nothing like being right on the spot to see that matters are going as they should go. Other people with interests at stake will spare neither trouble nor money to secure their ends, so that those who are- only looking for justice should take every possible means to see that they obtain the justice to which they are fully entitled.

At the present time people in this district are considering whether there should not be a change from the present system of rating. It is urged in some quarters that the rating should be on the basis of the unimproved value of the land, and the supporters of this system urge that it would be a more fair and equitable method of. raising revenue than by the present method of rating on the capital value. It the advocates of both systems will pardon me for saying so, I don't think that many people quite understand all the differences between the two methods of raising revenue, and it would be better for the question to be well debated and thoroughly discussed before any decision is arrived of.

To-morrow evening the annual meeting ot- householders in connection with the Paeroa Fire Brigade and Fire Preventon Council is to be held, and those householders who recognise the good work being carried on by the brigade should make a point of attending the meeting. Fot a purely amateur organisation, the brigade does splendid work, and sometimes I think that the work hardly meets with the appreciation to which it is entitled. Doubtless the fire-

men obtain pleasure from their duties, as do all people who carry out work for the public gratuitously, but it must be remembered that in Paeroa the firemen are doing work free of charge that in many places must be paid for. That being, so, there is all the more reason why householders should attend the annual meeting when brigade matters

are discussed,

Apparently the re-building of the school building at Paeroa is to be conducted on a very, economic scale. The wing of the old wooden building is to be repaired, and the remainder of the structure will be in brick. Few business people would proceed along similar lines, and it comes as a great surprise that the Education Department should take such a step. In any case, it is just about time that a start was made with a new building.

■■■ ■*■'''v * /'■'*''■. * ' The formation of the new footpath in the main street m Paeroa proceeds slowly, and there is a chance that it will be completed this year. Meanwhile, pedestrians complain considerably concerning the large loose stones on the path, and the sensible people cross over to the other side of the road to avoid skipping along among the stones. After having put up with so much inconvenience, Paeroa people deserve to have a decent footpath in the end.