PUBLIC WORKS FINANCING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4181, 5 January 1885, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS FINANCING.

— ■ ♦ Mr A. B. Newman writes : — Of course when first a Local Government Administrative Act comes into operation, and the new Councillors are new to the work, they have a great many clauses and functions to occupy and make themselves conversant with, therefore probably some materially beneficial and authoritative \ clauses may be overlooked, and, after J commissions, omissions, errors, and ir- 1 regularities have been rectified, it is only i natural that Councillors should become < somewhat over-confident, and familiarity "1 enervates interest and inquiry. That, t probably, is the cause why section 18 of I the Roads and Bridges Construction Act t has been of no utility hitherto. Now it a ie possible by a wise and crafty manipula- t tion of the opportunities there delineated a to materially augment the local funds by S judicious financial operations, affording C scope for the united ability of the Coun- n cillors to fructify into the material gain v and advancement of the district. I only p wish the section could be interpreted to j compass railways or tramways, or that ii Road Boards could augment or subsidise p their donations to particular works by n utilising the section by financing. For £1500 we oould have a £6000 bridge over d the Kaiteratahi River, or a £4000 one h over the Waikohu for £1000, and so on b [of course I only mention these two works y by way of illustration), so long as we only w use the provision of the section with dig- 8] :retion and moderation, One- fourth «

would be spent in the County, we would i have nothing to repay, no poll, no special ; rates ; only plans, estimates, and specifi- i cations, and if they are exhaustive and < correct the Minister's approval and cer- i titicate would be granted ; and if we do : not k ' overrun the constable "we may be ; advantaged by the influx of capital, construction of otherwise too large reproductive public works, and continuous enlarged employment of labor — in fact it would be pro bono pvhlicn. With a little finesse in finance what happy results might not eventuate !