The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1882.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3518, 17 October 1882, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1882.

The sum of £200,000 tbat is available for distribution amongst tbe several local bodies under the Roads Construction Act is not in the least likely to satisfy the demands that will be received. We notice in nearly all the country journals that the strongest arguments are advanced to show tbe necessity for making early application for a share of what is going. Possibly every County CoHncil and not a few Road Boards will want a good slice of what is to be had. But there is not after all any need for such unseemly haste a& has been urged. All applications under the Act received before January Ist next are to be treated as made simultaneously on that day. It is not, however, all plain sailing to make application and bring local requirements under tbe notice of the Government. Before applications are made, says a contemporary to whom we are indebted for an explanation of the Act, it is incumbent on the local authorities to prepare estimates of the cost of the work contemplated, with full particulars and plans and specifications to accompany them. This alone entails very careful consideration of any works proposed to be undertaken. When these preliminaries are all arranged, the plans, estimates, &c, have to be forwarded to the Minister of Public Works for his inspection and approval. It will thus be seen that it is well to be early in tbe field, for after all the time occupied in preparing plans, estimates, and specifications, they may be returned by th? Minister to the local body for any alterations or amendments that he may deem expedient or desirable in tbe interests of the colony. When the Minister approves of the works submitted for construction, he intimates to tbe local body tbat its application will be granted subject to tbe approval of the ratepayers. This necessitates a poll being taken in the usual way so as to give the ratepayers interested a voice in the final decision. It the result of the poll confirms the action of the local body, a special rate has to be levied to meet the liability of the local authorities for their share of the amount that has been applied for. When the result of tbe poll is favorable tbe Minister certifies such to the Colonial Treasurer, who will pay over the money on receipt of debentures from the local body to secure the repayment to tbe Government of one-fourth of the advance. If tho local authorities choose to pay one-fourtb in cash, the Colonial Treasurer will subscribe tbe other three-fourths without a poll of ratepayers being required to be taken. Of course there are provisions for payment pro rata of the loans applied for, if tbe amount that is available be insufficient to meet them all in full. This is briefly the procedure in order to participate in the amonnt voted by the General Assembly for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Act. It devolves on the local bodies themselves throughout the country districts of the colony to take advantage of the liberality of the Act.