THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 359, 2 May 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1868.

The report which we furnish to-day of the proceedings of the Road Board, will show how even under the new system the Government still follow the policy of " how m ot-to-do-it." We give the members of the Board every credit for their anxiety to carry out those public works wkich are required for the protection of the town, the formation of its streets, and the opening up of the country] and every unprejudiced mind must sympathise with them in their present difficulties. We do not overlook the fact that many of these diffi- , cnlties were brought upon the Board Iby the action of its Sub committee in persisting in a work in opposition to the opinion of the County Engineer, thereby incurring a. large amount of unnecessary expense ; and we have on several previous occasions taken the Board to task on this matter. We do not in any manner retire from the position we then took up with reference to the protective works ; but now the. responsibility of that contract has been assumed by the Board, the wort halffinished, and the Board in a position of financial embarrassment, we wish by public explanation to lay that position I efore the Government, in order that Jts difficulties may be speedily overcome. The position is simply this, that the Board have contracts on hand for public works, upon the speedy completion of which the welfare of the district depends, and the Government, instead of assisting them by every means in their power, appears to be hampering their efforts by throwing every possible obstacle in their way, It was stated yesterday at the Board meeting that for several mouths past the Government has not only neglected to pay to the credit of the Board the monthly instalments of the surplus revenue due to them, but have also failed to supply the information as to the probable amount the Board may expect to receive to carry on the public works under their care. Under these circumstances the Board has been almost entirely dependent upon the contributions of the residents in the Government Township to carry on the protective works, and have been reduced to the necessity of letting contracts for the supply of materials on deferred payments, trusting that before it is necessary to make these payments the

Government will have forwarded the several amounts of surplus revenue which ought by this time to have beep paid in to the credit of the Board, We do not like the system upon which the Board is now proceeding— it is simply working iv the dark, and may land tl|e Board in an. inextricable position \ but we cannot blame the members, as the works now |n hand must go on. If they are stopped the thousands of pounds already expended may as well have been thrown into the sea, as the half-finished state of these works render them liabie to be washed away by the first flood. The motion on this subject, ■which was carried by die Board yesterday, will bp forwarded to the Govenir njent, and we cannot too earnestly press it upon their serious consideration. It is a matter upon which the very existence of our liqad Board depends, and which, if not attended to, will be sure tQ frustrate thq best efforts of our lqcal legislators.