The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1900. ROAD BOARD MUDDLE.

Opunake Times, Volume XIII, Issue 631, 26 October 1900, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1900. ROAD BOARD MUDDLE.

We hear it rumored that the Parihaka Road Board has made another muddle of the Upper Opua Road loan, and after letting £6OO worth of work cannot get any money from the Government because the Board did not take the proper steps as required by law, although the usual declaration was made by the Chairman that everything was O.K. This, we suppose, will not trouble the Chairman much, but it is hard to estimate the loss his bungling entails on the unfortunate settlers. It will be a lesson to the ratepayers, however, in future, to take some other steps to verify their estimate of a member than relying solely on his own trumpeting of his fame and ability. The Chairman, in his own opinion, is the smartest man in local government in the North Island, and we suppose we might throw in the South Island too ; but when the various bungles and messe's he has got the Board into come to be washed out, we shall not be surprised eveu if he finds that he knows just a trifle less than he thought he did. He may be possessed of very good intentions, and possibly makes himself believe that he knows how to conduct local government affairs, but his overwhelming vanity makes him totally blind to his shortcomings, and his desire for revenge on any one who crosses his path becomes so intense that “ be loses his bead,” as the racy men put it, and he cannot see how ridiculous he makes himself look in the eyes of the public. Where local matters have to be carried out strictly in accordance with the law, therein made aud provided, no amount of good intentions will cover lapses through ignorance of it, and the unfortunate part of it is, it is not on the one who makes the slip that the loss and inconvenience fall, but on the ratepayers who trust to his guiding. We have refrained on many occasions from calling attention to bungling done by the Board, which has been brought under our notice, because we consider the ratepayers had themselves to blame for being so easily hoodwinked aud placing the administration of their affairs in their hands. Their previous chairman was

head and shoulders ahead, of any of those who displaced him, in knowledge of local government, and had, in addition, sound common sense, but the ratepayers apparently did not value these qualities, and have therefore to suffer for their actiofi in deposing him. There is very widespread dissatisfaction with the probable loss of the services of the engineer, Mr E. Combes, amongst those who are interested in loan expenditure. They are quite satisfied that he is a competent man, and would see their loans properly supervised. Although his term of notice expires next mouth; nothing has been done yet apparently to find a successor to him. At the solicitation of those interested in the loan areas, he has expressed his willingness to supervise commission, but will have nothing further to do with office work. The Kina Road settlers presented a petition to the Board asking that his services be retained, and we understand the Opua and Waiteika settlers intend petitioning to the same effect, What action the Board intends to take is still a mystery, but we may point out that it will be too late for the ratepayers to make a stir after their money has been squandered.