The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1727, 16 July 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1874.

" Oub Tauranga correspondent states that the Bay of Plenty Times has resuscitated the project of an overland mail from the 'Thames to Tauranga, and 1 urges 1 the Government to start at once, a mail service to'Katikati with a view to the ultimate through line. For the short time rthat this' service was in existence it was an undoubted convenience, but it was so more because it facilitated communication with Southern towns (the telegraph linenot having been brought through) than from any immediate advantage it was calculated to confer upon Tauranga and the Thames in affording frequent intercourse by mail with each other. Our contemporary should urge the construction of the road about Which there has been so much talk, which would open up a good market for the settlers of Tauranga for their fat cattle and. sheep and dairy produce, if they 'have any surplus above their own requirement!; We should like to see this road completed^ with a branch to a central position in the Waikato district; mails would follow as a matter course. Thames people would be able to obtain beef some- ' thing cheaper than they do at present, ' and the , Wftikato and Tauranga settlers

would soon discover that this offers a good market for almost every description of produce. In this ; case as in many others, the Native difficulty is the great unwieldly obstruction which bars the way to progress:

.It would appear ,that the question raised by the Auckland morning papers as tb.the legality of the notices of Highway Boards in the w annual meetings of ratepayers, is a mare's nest. The following letter from the Clerk of the Provincial Council to the Auckland Star clearly explains the position ; an explanation which we fancy would have been unnecessary in many instances if copies of the amended Highways Act had been the hands of the Trustees of the yaripus .districts, who would not have puVthe'cbnstruction on the. clause which the Herald and Cross appear to have done. The letter states :—" Paragraphs appear both in the Cross and Herald of this day which, if not. immediately corrected, will cause mucK inconvenience and expense to Highway Boards. The Cross states • the majority of advertisements which have appeared calling the annual y m)3eling^Mratepayers in highway districts do not state the business which is intended to be transacted at the meetings. This, according to the 17th clause of the new Highways Act, must be done, otherwise the meeting will be informal.' ,1 confidently affirm that the clause referred to does not bear such construction. I£ clearly states after two weeks' notice given a meeting shall be held, at a time and placiß jtorbe: publicly 'notified, and a proper quorum ibeing present thereat.shallfix the rate, elect the district board and auditors, '.and transact any other business with which 'theiratepayers are:by law authorised to deal. Provided that intimation of the intention to transact such business shall have been given in the notice calling such meeting.' • The proviso clearly refers to the ' any other business ' in the former part of the clause (and which is set forth in clauses 58, 59, 60, and 61 of the Act) and not to the business which the ratepayers are under clause 17 compelled to transact. I am sure, sir, that you will agree with me in what I have stated above, and that you will lose np^time in setting: the public right upon the subject."; '■ ■■*' ••■