THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1019, 1 November 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1871.

Mr Gisborne, the Minister of Public Works, has tabled a series of resolutions relative to the appropriation of the proposed to be distributed during the cuirent year among Road Boards, which shows that the Ministry did not propose to increase the grant from last year without haying duly considered the subject. It will be found that rules will be laid down for its disbursement of a very stringent nature, and the Superintendent of a Province or the County Chairman will have no power left him but only to distribute the money according to the plan laid down. Mr Gisborne conemences with saying : — "1. That the amount allotted to the several Provinces out of the £100,000 appropriated to Road Boards by the Payment to Provinces Act shall be appropriated in accordance with the following rules :— l. The Superintendent of each Province shall divide the Province into three classes. 2. That Class 1. shall comprise road districts in the vicinity of towns and comparatively populous places. 3. Class 11. shall comprise road districts outside Class I. or less populous places. 4. Class 111. shall comprise outlying road districts, in which the population is sparse and scattered. 5. That self-rating shall be an essential condition to any contribution to the fund, and no money shall be paid thereto until the highway or road rates are levied and paid, provided that in outlying districts in which it may be difficult and inconvenient to construct Road Boards, voluntary contributions shall be deemed equivalent to money raised by rates. 6. That the amount appropriated to the several Provinces shall be divided in the following proportions: — 1. Districts belonging to Class 1. shall be entitled in proportion to the amount raised by local rates therein, to half as much as districts in Class 11., and one-fourth as much as districts in Class 111. 2. Districts in Class 11. shall be entitled, in proportion to the amount raised by local rates therein, to twice as much as districts in Class 1. , and half as much as districts in Class 111. 3. Districts in Class 111. shall be entitled in proportion to the amount raised by local rates therein, to twice as much as districts in Class I. 7. That the money thus appropriated be spent exclusively in the formation of new roads, bridges, and culverts, in the maintenance thereof for one year ; and in ,' the completion of such works commenced last year as are not yet finished." It will thus be seen that local rating by the various Road Boards is the gist of -the proposed plan, and in the event of there being no Road Boards, voluntary contributions shall be deemed an equivalent. This latter principle, we think, is objectionable, as, although it's all very well when applied to the making of streets and roads in populous places, it becomes a very different matter when the public money is to be expended in making what are, to all intents and purposes, private roads in a pastoral country, the only benefit being a means of communication from one station to another, for the benefit of a few runholders. The great majority of Road Boards in the Grey District would undoubtedly come under Class 111., and by which it is laid down that the inhabitants of that class shall receive in proportion to the amount raised by local rating, four times as much as the Districts included in Glass I. Although the instructions laid down to the Superintendents of Provinces are stringent enough, still there will be great difficulties in dealing with such a Superintendent as Mr Curtis. The resolutions are framed evidently with the intention with of opening up new country and promoting settlement, as it will be seen by the 7th resolution — " That the money thus appropriated be spent exclusively in the formation of new roads, bridges, and culverts ;" and this is just what is wanted on the Gold Fields ; but then it is pretty certain that Road Boards will increase rapidly in every direction in Nelson Proper, and as there will only be a certain proportion of the grant allotted to each Province, with- j out some amendment it is very probable that the money that v wanted for works

of necessity may be diverted to superflous works or luxuries. The remaining resolutions can be shortly summed up. Resolution 8 provides that the amount appropriated bo deposited in a bank to the credit of the Road Boards. 9. That no money be drawn out of the account except by the Provincial Treasurer, under the authorisation of the Superintendent, and countersigned by the Chairman of the Road Board. 10. That the money shall be paid subject to the satisfaction of the Superintendent. 11. is important, as it relates to the establishment of new Road Boards, fand we give it in its entirety : — " That one-tenth of the sum allotted to each Province be held in reserve for districts in which Road Boards have not yet been established, but in which such Boards may be established before the Ist day of July, 1872, and be payable to such Boards on the same terms and in the same manner as to the forementioned Boards." 12 relates to money not appropriated. 13 to 14 to the auditing and furnishing of accounts. Such is a general outline of the resolutions as ■proposed by the Government, which, if carried out according to the evident intention of the proposer, seem in many of their details to meet the requirements of the Gold Fields ; but which will be very difficult to give effect to with Superintendents and County Chairman of stunted idea? and narrow local prejudices such as at present rule over the Province of Nelson and the County of Westland.