WAIPAWA TOWN BOARD.

Waipawa Mail, Volume VI, Issue 680, 19 August 1884, Page 3

WAIPAWA TOWN BOARD.

To the Editor of the Waipawa Hail. Sir, —I see by your report of the proceedings of the Town Board that it is intended to spend a large sum of the ratepayers’ money by taking land under the Public Works Act for the purpose of making a road through Messrs Britten’s and Ilathbone’s properties to connect the Bush settlers by a nearer road with Waipawa. Now, I contend that it would be doing a great wrong tn the ratepayers if this job is carried out. If a road is r< q ired, h*t Messrs Britten and Rathbone give the land, as they would be the principal gainers by the transaction, since it would enhance the value of their properties at least 50 per cent., and they would then he enabled to cut up that property and sell it. Another thing to be considered is the fact that both these properties are sure to be put in the market before long, and they must make a road right through it themselves, for the purpose of subdivision, so that I say, that even if it was light for the Board to spend the money, it would not be justifiable under the circumstances, and I hope the public will keep in mind the money that was thrown away in the cutting and not allow it to he wasted on works to benefit one or two individuals.

There is a work of far more importance to Waipawa that every one of the members of the Board pledged themselves to see carried out the very first thing : I refer to the drainage of the town, and I must say that not one of them has ever so much as mentioned the subject at any of their meetings. I consider that the drainage of a town is the first thing that ought to be undertaken, for it is the foundation of all sanitary improvements, and without drainage these sanitary measures cannot be carried out. The Board are going to appoint an Inspector of Nuisances, but I contend that before the Board can act as a Board of Health they must first have a system of drains, so that it would be possible for people to carry away any slush or suds from their premises. I have been told that some of the members when spoken to on this subject said that it was impossible to go on with any work in the town till the town was surveyed, but that is only a subterfuge, as they must know that the} 7 have llie power to go upon private property for drainage purposes. I would remind the ratepayers that there will l>e a fresh election next month, and it will be their duty to elect men that are independent and cannot be made to follow one man blindly. When a man puts up for an} 7 public office he ought to have an opinion of his own, but as our Board is constituted at present there are only three voices in it. My opinion is that it is a mistake 1o have only five members. There should he seven to make the thing work well, an! I hope the next Board will take steps to get the number altered to seven.— 1 am, &c., A Ratepayer.