MANGAWHERO ROAD BOARD AND

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 24 October 1912, Page 2

MANGAWHERO ROAD BOARD AND

WANGANUI COUNTY COUNCIL

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —As an interested onlooker I have derived much amusement in watching the attempt to merge the Mangawhero Road Board into tho Wanganui County Council. I was particularly amused when tho chairman at the last meeting of the Council endeavoured to explain tho quashing by tho Supreme Court of tho Special Order mado by the County Council merging the Mantrawhero Road Board into tho County Council. The chairman went to groat pains to explain "witnessed by me," and "declared before me," had different meanings, and Iho difference had been fatal to the Council's desires. He quite forgot to explain a far moro important point, an all fatnl point, of passing n. resolution merging the Board into the Council on a petition requiring 18 (eighteen) moro signatures before it contained the requisite majority. It is churlish in tho extreme for tho Council to snenk of tho Board raising trivial objections; tho wholo movement from the l>oginning ha", boon a hugo blunder, and the Council ha^i done little ok? than recede. Tho Board's objections aro 'based on bro.nd and substantial grounds, and they rightly resente! the Council's roundabout methods. Instead of approaching tho ratepayers by petition in th^ lir«t placn they doc'-ired certain district roacls County roads, and by those means weakened the Board's position, and shirked finding the feeling of tbo ratepayers until it was forced." At the first pto.ee of declaring the district roods County roads, a numorouslv signed petition wa-«s presented (signed by ratppnvorf! ronresentinc more than half the rateable value of the road district), protesting against these roads being takon, hub tho Council ignored the n«?tit:cncrs, and the chairman remarked that ho intended to push the matter as far p.~» the four corners of the law allowed. Thn Council should not whine over their defeat. Tho rater,rivers will .aymreoip.te tho stnnrl. taken by' tho Board in makine; tho Council kepr> (as the chairman antlv put it) within tho four corners of the law. Another point that struck me nr, cornier. 1 wa? a matter touched on by Cr. Allen in n letter Published in your paper, in which ho laid croat stress on tho native ratepayers paving smrsll rat^s and havinp; a voice in this matter. Fn glancing over th<^ petition that was n-p----sentod by Cr*. Allen and Glenn Avl.i.'i by tho iyay, tliero wsip «o mnc-h ern{rratulp.tino- ovor when tho-'* --.•<, n j]~^- 0 , 1 presented i+. ft-it'np' that they }<nd ; v, overwhelming maioritv. bnfc when th" pruning knifo wa«. fitmlied it turned o-it a ho-nolfsi minority), I noiiood 13 (tbi.--+.ppn^ nativo cign"+-'ire<! o^ tho notit'O'i. Annrirontlv Cr. .All.^i hnd no nm^-nr--t'on in ut'lisinf; tho n;i*:vo «»!?»•" #<+>i|'i>s to f'irtho'' h'ir. '"vn rnnso against a larpp section of tho European ratonnyrrs. and only fl'spov.T/id n hardship wl-on the rr>maindor declino' 1. to take tbo trip. T may point ont it wns none, of tho nntivo-.' own soekincr bciiy; placed on the ra+^ it, 1!, but being there they aro entitled to a voi^e in these matters. If f remr-mber rightly the placing of tho native1-, on tho ratepayers:' roll wn^: one of Cr. Allen's own pet fads, nnrl if- mv Pier-.orv serves mo faithfully, he shouid "no tho 1?..--.t to complnin. I will not trespass on your valuablo space much further, but before passing I would sug-gc-st to tho chairman of the Council not to bo pushed into giving effect to petitions too quickly by his possibly wellmeaning but over-zealous lieutenants, and not to under-estimato the calibre of tho doughty chairman of tho Mangawhero Rood Board, who up to thf> present has taken all tho tricks, and har. still the joker un his sleeve. I am, etc* AN AMUSED ONLOOKER.