BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1873.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 79, 4 June 1873, Page 2

BAY OF PLENTY TIMES.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1873.

" The spirit of the times shall leach me speed," KIKO JOHN, ACT IV.

It was our intention during the present month to make some comment upon the Town Board—“-Ratepayer’s” letter in our last issue has, however, somewhat hastened our remarks, “ Ratepayer complains that too much money has been spent on the Beach Road. The slightest

enquiry would have informed him that the portion of the road already completed was made by, and at the expense of the Provincial Government out of a specific grant, and that with the exception of a general supervision of the work, the Town Board had nothing to do with the matter, no part of the cost coming

ou t of the rates or the ordinary Hoad Board grant. With regard to the completion of the Beach Eoad now under contract, £IOO towards the expense will be given by the Provincial Government, an d the balance (some £7O) is alone to he paid out of the rates. It is, however, somewhat singular that out of the five members of the Board four of them are directly benefited by the Beach Hoad extension, having property in that direc-

tion. We do not assert that this has anything to do with the expenditure; but it is “an unfortunate coincidence,” and one that has been repeatedly brought before our notice. Looking at the other

works actually undertaken by the Board, we must say that, though very necessary, we consider there are two or three places where a trifie might have been judiciously expended. Hor instance, at the Quarter Acres a few pounds might very advantageously have been spent in repairing the main road by filling in some very unpleasant waterholes. Again, in the

street running parallel to the beach the state of the drains is simply disgraceful, and were it summer instead of winter we have no doubt the olfactory nerves of the adjacent inhabitants would have prompted a general complaint. In all Eoad Board districts we consider it the duty of the Board to distribute the expenditure as much as possible for the benefit of the general body of ratepayers. As to one of the Board having voted himself in, we were not present at the meeting, and we never assert anything on hearsay, but we sincerely trust that for the future no complaints of this nature will arise. For our own part we do 2fOT believe in the system of proxies, because if any ratepayer does

not take sufficient interest in the election of those who have the expenditure of the rates, to be present at that election, we think the exercise of the franchise should not be delegated to another. The absentee has no opportunity to fill in the names of those candidates he wishes to support, nomination not being made until the business of the meeting is proceeding. Moreover, the legal restriction of six proxies is hardly sufficient, as it gives an active canvasser seven independent votes. Having in a previous issue alluded to the

personnel of the Country Board, we will now proceed to make a few remarks upon the members forming the Town Board. The Chairman, Captain Tunks, is a very painstaking careful man, whose long practical experience in an official capacity well fits him for the position he occupies ; the_ satisfactory carrying out of the various works undertaken is mainly due to the active interest he always displays. "Wrigley is a successful man of business, long established in Tauranga, conversant with its requirements, and his well known business habits are a guarantee that economy in expenditure will be duly considered. Mr Samuels is always at his post; never, we believe, missing a single Board meeting, but ready and willing at any time to assist the advancement of our town. Captain Tovey (whose residence and property is at the Quarter Acres) we look upon as the representative of those ratepayers not actually in the town, and any remarks

relative to the undue expenditure in one particular locality certainly cannot apply to him ; hut if again elected, we hope he will manage to get the circle of improvements a little enlarged—hitherto he has 6 p°\ n no Merest in the operations of the Board. Last, but perhaps not mast, is Mr E. Q-, Norris, an active and persevering tradesman, possibly a shade too fussy and dogmatical, apt also to assume too much authority in a position where all, with the exception of the chairman, are supposed to be equal, hut withal a good “member.” In conclusion we must reiterate what we said respecting oe Country Board that annual altebatioxs in the formation of local bodies are advisable, and as we hear of many new candidates who are likely to offer *themth e l r e^ec^on > tk o ratepayers will oave a fair chance of making a happy