The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 330, 16 September 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16.

A question is looming ih the by no means distant future which the inhabitants .of the- Peniusula will have to grapple with, and to which they must be prepared with a satisfactory answer. We say advisedly the inhabitants of the Peninsula, because in other parts of the colony either the question has not yet assumed the same position as is the case here, or the same stage of it has long passed away. The question we allude to is, what means are to be taken for the future to provide the necessary funds for local public works, such as roads, bridges, &c. Hitherto the local bodies charged with the responsibility of these works have had an indulgent mother and nurse in the shape of the Provincial Government. At the decease of that estimable lady the orphans were handed over to the care of a step-father, the General Government. This stern parent has not concealed his desire to be rid of his troublesome charges as soon as possible. To expedite matters they have received each their " portion of goods," and have been told to do what they thought fit, so as they did not draw any further on the paternal purse. We will not say that the analogy holds good any further, or that they have "wasted their substance," but the fact remains, however brought about, that in several instances the money is gone, and most important works remain untouched. Even in the case of those bodies which have as yet considerable sums in hand, the difference is more apparent than not. They have preserved a respectable bank balance at the expense of leaving their districts to a great extent unroaded. "To this complexion must they come at last," viz., that the money will be gone, and considerable works still remain demanding attention.

It is always an easy, if ungracious task to find fault. Such is not our intention. That mistakes have been made in dealing with the comparatively large sums which have been placed at the disposal of local bodies cannot be denied by their most partial advocates. But at the same time we are convinced that the gentlemen who have giveu their services to the public as members of those bodies have done so with the best possible intentions, and have not prostituted their position to purposes of self-aggrandizement.

Avoiding recrimination then, and being willing to allow the dead past to bury its dead, the question still arises— what next ? Roads and bridges must be maintained. New works are urgently required, and even the keeping in repair of those in existence will tax the present resources of our local bodies to the utmost. There is nothing like looking these things in the face before they are more unpleasantly brought under our notice. The first illusion that we should endeavor to get rid of is that of " assistance " from a parental Government. The Land Fund, a share of which was fairly and equitably our own, is all but exhausted. The subsidies cannot be relied upon with any certainty from year to year. We must therefore learn the grand lesson of self-reliance ; the lesson that in private life we have all to learn sooner or later, must be applied by us to our corporate affairs. It being understood then that the necessary funds must be provided by ourselves, the next question that arises is, how they shall be administered. At present the local affairs of the County of Akaroa are administered by a County Council, six Road Boards, and a Borough Council. These bodies comprise forty-nine members or administrators, eight salaried officers as clerks, and involve considerable further outlay in purely departmental expenses. The revenue derived Ijom rates-which they are called upon to administer certainly does not amount to £1500 a year. That

there are other moneys at present -coming into their respective coffers we are • well aware, but the income from rates is what they will have to depend upon for, the future. Now,- we think the ardent admirer of local self-government -noust that JfcereHs of governing power here as jfcompared : iwith 'revenue. When the shoe! begins tp pinoh, the public-at large will think so too. Some condensation, some " conservation, of energy," is evidently required. Besides the economic reasons for entrusting some one body with administrative powers, there remains, we believe, the.fact that the only way in which public- works'can' be effectively carried out will he by rai&ing loans for the purpose. By these means only can a future generation be got at, and made to bear its fair share of those works from which it will receive the greatest benefit. it is obvious, if borrowing is to be resorted to (and we •feel sure that it must eventually .come to that), that it would be highly inexpedient to have a multitude of small bodies rushing' into the money market simultaneously, and perhaps as rivals. We throw out these hints in the hope that our readers may take the matters referred to into consideration before they are forced upon their notice in a less agreeable manner, and shall be happy to receive any communications on the subject which may occur to those most deeply interested.