LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1245, 5 May 1884, Page 2

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

[TO THE KDITOa. j . Sib,-—ld toe local papers several letters lately appeared oa local rating. Most o| them are so vague that it would bp useless to aeri /ualy notice them. Ope " Suburban ” objects to pay County rates,' because he already has all he wants. " I won* _ der if the rates spent in his. neighborhood were all raised there. I think not. Ism sure the Council will not asphalt his footpaths to save bis patent leather boots; their funds are much better used in giving a " gorgeous " water supply to our dry and otherwise arid plain. When you_ look at our plains and see the number of windmille t and still greater number of wells whioh have been mads at an enormous coat to the farmers, you can appreciate the work done by the County Council. 'And when you also remember that a few yean ago there was a regular trade done in water, whioh it was cheaper to purchase at 3s per tank than take it out of the river, yon will be further impressed with the vast benefit conferred on the County by the - water supply. Could the Koed Boards—good as they were, and well as they have done their work—have done thief Certainly not. Those who haver done their work si Well inthe fciaataifa the most likely to do Ho in' the futurb. I have noticed that ; thd ’ ratejikyart l kM too much disposed to os’ carried away oiy. the cries of sortie who have a little axe'to grind. Some of these say “do away with the. Council,” bus the reasons given. are curious indeed. The ratepayers have more control over the Bead Boards thiy say, but do not tell us how. Suppose Mr Mfg. otr a County Conn- . oillor, would he be le.a subject to thg‘: ’‘ , s. ' f -sri

influence of bis constituent- ? °r would he be less conscientious in discharging Us duties? Certainly not. It ie _qmte clear wa do not want a rating body for every thousand inhabitants we have in the county—one is quite enough. The only practical suggestion yet made was by Mr Harper—to enlarge the number of the Council, so as to have all. interests fairly represented and hare the ntee expended in each district in proportion to the sum raised there. This oonld very easily be done. Each member oonld act as in the Road Board for the interest of his ward. To suppose that he would act better as a member of a Road Board than aa a Councillor is to say the least very absurd. If you will kindly permit mo I will at another time deal with the financial aspect of the matter. “ Water.” Ashburton, May 6, 1884.