The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 344, 4 November 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4.

The position of some of our ken I public bodies is such .as to demand tho most serious attention- from - every one who has made the Peninsula his home. In the past too niricli carelessness and indifference as to ; their proceedings been shewn by those most interested, and some of those who are now the 'rea'clldst to blame have' then beeni the most determined to hold aloof and refuse to assist in piloting these minor ships of State through the shoals and qnitksands which beset their course. Tint, spirit of fault-finding is to be deprecated, but at the same timo there is no disguising the fact that local government at present is in a bad way. The Akaiod Borongh Council and two of the Peninsula Eoad Boards a're-'-if ; not insolvent, at any rate impecunious. It is a most humiliating position for a public bo lj to be in not to be able to meet claims fri liabilities -incurred, and be awaro of the fact that-many working, men, ,-v> ho have nothing but their labor to depend on are obliged to lie out. of the juitl} earned remuneration for that labor.

The position of the Borough ia more hopeful than that of the Road Boarda. The former has a fairly assured income. Its territory is small, therefore its outlay, need not .be great. "Several highly important works have, been satisfac-.

torily completed, ami probably its present state of being absolutely out of funds -will not be of long duration. But ">#!PbHp Road Boards the case is differ•cwfc. JS II that they have to expect is .therr respective shares of the fortunately, hag; bceu-'so langjhtfld back. And even tljiis /nu>ricy lpisTwjbjjbclieve,been alreadyapjirorjnflted. !». the meantime the difficulties jofj, the -si|y^io n must be fairly faiie'd'..' £The most obvious course\lh<if"j>resent^itselfas necessary is to stop all further works. There is a grim ironry about this,..that do£s, not appear to occur to thfe members of these bodies/ The purpose for which Borough ' Councils and Road Boards exist (their roison (fetre as a Frenchman "woiilit say), is to prosecute public works. To. proclaim their inability to perform this function is therefore to commit. psliMe.a.L,&uic,j.de, Nevertheless, there appears-to be no help for it. But in conjunction with this there are other steps which ought to be taken. If they put a stop to expenditure or public works, pinch more ought they, very much', to curtail their ■ departmental expenses. This is doubtless a more-difficult matter p to arrange,- but the difficulty must be ■ faced-.nevertheless. What would be. thought .of a business firm which, after giving up one branch of its business, still kept on the ssavae staff that had been used to conduct it? And yet the cases arc parallel.

■ With regard to the futurCj the public at large must make up their- minds to face a thoroughly altered state of affairs. That excellent milch ■cow,' the Land Fund, has at length ceased to yield, l 'and we must be prepared now" to help ourselves. It is clear that increased local taxation will be a necessity, and with this will also arise a necessity for the strictest economy in management.' Our own opinion is that gradually the Road Districts will have to be merged into the Counties ; that these latter must exercise the borrowing power conferred 'upon them by law, and jj. these latter are found to be sufficient, that they must be simplified ; that all main arterial works must be constructed out of loan, and the rates be devoted to keeping existing works in repair, and affording,existance to persons who derive the least benefit from the arterial roads, in improving their means of communication with them, and in fact towards helping those who are willing to help themselves. Meanwhile all of our. present public.bodies, .must go in unsparingly for retrenchment.. .

After the approved Akaroa method two meetings-lapsed yesterday evening , for want; oii quorums. The quarterly meeting , of the Library Committee fell through and has been altered afresh for Monday tho 10th inst. The meeting of tho School Committee was also put qfi; in absence.of the statutary number of members. It is surely not too much to ask gentlemen when they undertake publiq duties,., that they should be exact a*nd pTompt in their attendance on them.