The Opunake Times FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21,1898. MAIN ROADS.

Opunake Times, Volume IX, Issue 429, 21 October 1898, Page 2

The Opunake Times FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21,1898. MAIN ROADS.

In the Local Government Bill introduced by Mr Seddon several sessions ago, there was a proposal contained that the Government should take over the control and maintenance of the main coach roads of the colony. The local bodies, who would thus be relieved, thought at the time that such a proceeding was a very desirable one, and some of them were anxious to see the Bill proceeded with. The opinion was expressed at the time that the measure as introduced was too cumbersome, and that there was very little probability of its becoming law. It was too comprehensive, and if enacted in its entirety would have left very little for the general Government to do. Session after session, however, has passed, and Mr Seddon has not felt equal to the task of trying to pilot it through the House. Each session it has been among the slaughtered innocents, with a promise that it would be dealt with the succeeding session, and now Mr Seddon suggests a special session next year to deal with it. Every year it is becoming more and more like Mr Dick's memorial immortalised by Dickens, and will most likely meet the same fate ultimately. The weak spot in it is that the desire lor it has not sprung from the people. Although universal satisfaction is not felt with the present multiplied system ol local government, those chiefly interested do not see their way to suggesting any radical change whereby they would benefit. County Councils very often think that Road Boards and Town Boards should be abolished, and the sole control and rating power be placed in their hands, whilst on the other hand, Road Boards and Town Boards think that they should be endowed with more power, and that of the County curtailed. Government under the Town Districts Act and Road Board Acts has been now in force for some sixteen years, and jn the whole has proved satisfactory. There may be a few cranks who, because they cannot get their own way in local matters political, would wish to see them rubbed out, but usually such reformers cannot secure the confidence of the ratepayers in their respective localities. There never has been any general agitation on the part of the ratepayers to abolish these systems of local government. We are very doubtful if any system could be evolved which would give more satisfaction, as they contain the chief element of satisfaction to the taxpayers, viz., direct control, which centralisation must impair. The nearer the moneyspender is in touch with the moneypayer the more satisfaction will the system, which provides it, give. That Mr Seddon does not feel very hopeful of his Bill becoming law is shown by his taking some of its provisions piecemeal and endeavouring to pass them into law. We also notice that he has gone back on his original proposal to make main roads Government roads, as the Government now state that they looked forward to the time when the House would not be culled on to vote any sum of money for a road in the colony, and that in any perfect form of local government the whole of the main roads should be uuder the control of the local authority.