HANGING UP THE COUNTIES

Waipawa Mail, Volume 5, Issue 606, 4 December 1883, Page 2

HANGING UP THE COUNTIES

ceedro see how the proposed! change would work. First—The County rate would be abolished, and the road board districts would each be able to strike a rate equal to the existing County rate and the present Road Board rate, should their requirements need it. By this means, each district would be the absolute judge of its own needs —would make and collect its own rates, and also spend them. Here we have an economy at once, because, in place of the cost of collecting two rates, we have that of one, and the “ unfortunate paterfamilias,” instead of putting his hand into his pocket twice, will do so once, and the bother and annoyance of sending to pay the County rate will be done away with. Another great point is that under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act the County can only apply for a sum not exceeding £SOOO, whereas if the suggested change was made, the Road Boards each could claim the whole £SOOO. It will at once be seen how advantageously this would work for the County. Each Road Board district would, of course, receive from the Government the rating on the Crown and Native Lands, they also would collect all dog and other licenses. As to economy,

we have already shown that there would only be one rate in each district to collect. A County clerk would no longer be required, as each Board would simply carry on its clerical labor as at present. The County engineer would give place to the local men, who, as a rule, are quite equal to the management of their own districts, especially as they are on the spot, which a County engineer, of course, cannot always be. There remains one more point for consideration, and that is the boundaries. In the event of this change being effected, it would no doubt be absolutely necessary in many cases to make alterations, linking together those districts which had a community of interest, and separating districts now joined, but which are, from a variety of causes, liable to pull in contrary directions. We think that upon carefully examining the facts, it will be apparent to the ratepayers that such a change as that proposed would result in large and substantial benefit to the whole district.