THE RATING POWERS OF ROAD BOARDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1236, 16 July 1872, Page 2

THE RATING POWERS OF ROAD BOARDS.

[from our own correspondent.] A public meeting was held at the Greenstone township, at the Oddfellows' Hotel, on Monday evening last, for the purpose of enabling the residents to give a public expression of opinion in regard to late proceedings of the Paroa Road Board, and its right of collecting rates in the town. The meeting was well attended, strict order and the best of good humor prevailing throughout the business. Mr Frank Eeenan, on being voted to the chair, briefly stated the objects of the meeting. He said it had been their intention of holding a public meeting for some time ; but as the member for the district was present it was more satisfactory that it came off that night, and he would now tell them at once that they meant to speak their minds in regard to the Paroa Road Board. Of late that Board had been levying rates there on property, but he questioned their just right to do so. The residents at Greenstone were not represented on that Board, and what was more, hundreds of pounds ha 3 been taken out of the place/ and not one shilling had been expended in return. They were intitled to some consideration in that way. For a long time this had been going on ; and if they could not upset this Road Board for incompetency and uselessness, they should at least say what they thought of it. They had heard lately through the press that a grant of money had come from the General Government for Road Boards, and the Paroa Road Board, expecting its share, purposed expending it on a road from Saltwater to, Greymouth. It being well known th£fT there were two good roads for tmffic existing at present, why was not .this money spent in opening up the back country, for which special purpose he was persuaded it was meant ? They had good reasons for the action taken that night in •quaring accounts with the Paroa Road Board. Little was known of that body until the raising of founds became the question. He (the Chairman) thought the meeting would take a proper stand in the matter.

Mr Clune came forward to propose the first resolution—" That in consequence of the Road Board districts of the County of Westland being thinly populated, and containing a small amount of rateable property! and the greater part of the rates collected being absorbed in departmental expenses, it is the opinion of this meeting that the Road Boards in the County be abolished, a«d some central body substituted for them." He said he wished to remark that he was glad to see the meeting of that evening, and equally so to find the public spirit determinedly asserting itself in regard to the Paroa Road Board. Now, he would say if the business of -these bodies was not pr >perly carried out they should be condemned ; and for all the good the Paroa Rcwl Board had been, in a public sense, it might as well be done away with long ago. He thought ftoad Boards were -becoming a political evil in the County, and he had no hesitation in saying that the County Council (although he wxa not in favor of it) would do all the business of the Road Boards, more judiciously and with more satisfaction to the County. In this place a large amount of money had been collected, and not a shilling expended in return for useful work*. Surely it w:is time to speak out. Th«y had he ird of a road from Saltwater to Greymouth thtit the Paroa Road Botr 1 thought of making. Now, he thought, it

was the pressing want of tracks in the brok country that should be attended too — far more necessary indeed than the road in question. It was a waste of public money, and he felt called to say, and he was sure the meeting would agree with him, that the action of the County Chairman in refusing to pay the Road Board its portion of the Government subsidy was a right and proper one. He asked Mr Dungnn was it not bo 1 Mr Dunga* : Yes ; the County Chairman has done so, but whether he can withhold the money is another question. The meeting should make its voice known on this point also.

Mr Clone thought so too. . He trusted this was not the last step that would be taken in the matter. They v*ere sorely tried, taxes on every side, with the expenses of shifting. to the new township. He also thought there was another question that interested them — the agitated one of one form of Government for the West Coast Gold Fields. He was in favor of it. The miners, he believed, favored the idea too. in his simple opinion the change would be for the better. Mr Stevenson said he seconded the resolution with great pleasure. He would at once frankly state his opinions relative to the Paroa Road Board. It ought to be thrown overboard altogether. He wished to know what this Road Board had done for them ? Nothing but to collect money when a rate was struck. From his own personal knowledge hundreds of pounds were taken in the way of rates, and not I one pound in return had been spent to make a single improvement where many wanted looking after in the locality. He could not speak too severely of the manner assessments had been made from time to time, and the great dissatisfaction given to property-holders ; in fact, he knew not ( in what sense the Road Board had given satisfaction. As a representative body it had been a failure, and its efficiency for public good was notoriously a failure. The resolution, on being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously. Mr Hanna said it gave him great pleasure to propose the next resolution — "That the ratepayers of this portion of the Road Board district petition the County Chairman, protesting against the great injustice of the rate struck by the Board, as the ratepayers have never had any benefit therefrom, and are never likely to receive any." He would simply remark that little was left for him to say, after the strong opinion already given by the meeting. He readily .endorsed all that had been said by previous speakers, and firmly believed they had just and urgent reasons for the course of action taken. The resolution was seconded by Mr Houlahak, and, being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously. A committee was then formed and appointed to draw up the petition and present it to the County Chairman. The Chairman thought as the chief business of the meeting that night had been dealt with, he had no doubt but that the member of the district would have something to say nn the subject, and tell a little of public matters generally.

Mr Dunoan remarked that the sitting of the County Council took place during the week. He was glad to meet his constituents at the Greenstone, and hear their mutual interests in a public sense spoken of ; he was aware that they had some knowledge of the fact of his time*\iot being idly spent looking after their interests; of his endeavors to have the wants and requirements of the district attended to, so that any lengthened explanation could be dispensed with, the more particularly as the chief business of the meeting was relative to the Paroa Road Board, he having heard, although not being in town many minutes, that a movement was on foot to give a public expression of opinion on the Board in question, and he gladly availed himself of the opportunity of being present. Now, he could only say, in the first place, from the number of queries put by the meeting in regard to that important body, for the moment he thought himself a member of it, but so distinguished an honor had not as yet descended upon him, and he might modestly assure them that it was not likely to come to pass. As to the legality of certain acts of Road Boards in the County that had lately taken place, and referred to by the meeting, he was incompetent to give an opinion, but when they brought the Paroa Road Board ' to the bar .of public opinion and charged it with the systematic neglect of your locality, and that of incompetency, he might take the liberty of saying a few words on the subject too. They could take his word for it that the action taken that night had the sympathy and support jq£ nine-tenths of the people of the district;; He knew their tempers well in this regard. From the Greenstone to the Arnold there was an opinion common amongs} the people that the Road Board did not represent, or had the confidence of the, people. MrDungan then proceeded, to say : Refer a little to the past, and what a fund of information there is on this point. You have spoken of another matter very bitterly— that of a contemplated road being made from the Saltwater to Greymouth by the Paroa Board, and you have pointed out that the existing lines of communication (that of the Tramway and Beaoh-road) are excellent ones. He considered with them in both respects — nothing can surpass the cool assurance of the Paroa Road Board in their attempt to transfer from its legitimate channel, the expenditure of this money in opening up inland country with new and useful works— where the presence of our miners with their frames of iron and h*vl toils, of pur business men with untiring energies maintaining life and trade; the very esssence of that prosperity enjoyed by towns on the Coast, and from which the mushroom town of Paroa mainly has it existence. You say there are tracks wanting in the district. Yes ! there is one wanting from here to the Lake, where not alone a mining, but an agricultural country is spoken of. A track is required from Maori Gully to Stillwater Creek, where waterraces are at work to the value of thousands of pounds, with other intervening places, having the same wants. He joined with them in the protest made against the Paroa Road Board, and it is gratifying to see public spirit aroused in the matter. It is the right way of dealing with business of this kind. There Is something manly and intelligent in action of this sort, when abuses croj> up in public institutions, and unbecoming conduct on the part of publio men becomes manifest. He would now passingly allude to a lew local

matters. It is a satisfaction to know that the township dispute is amicably: settled. As you have spoken of the. education grant ; he hoped their share of assistance would soon come to hand. It is a great hardship that the country schools do not receive their meed of help at proper time. He shall attend to the necessity of haying the cemetery fenced, in. Ho might also mention that tenders had been called for a foot bridge over the Greenstone Creek, and other parts of the district had been provided for. The country generally has had a recognition in this respect from the Council. But there was another question that ought to have their attention just now, as it had been freely commented upon on many parts of the coast, namely, the suitableness and expediency of one form of Government for the West Coast Gold Fields. He believed their opinions were in favor of the like being established, and had heard the practical remark frequently made— "That the simpler the system of any such administration the more likely its acceptation." However, he supposed it was thought whatever action the people might take in the matter that a change was likely to take place. In conclusion, he thanked them for the welcome given him, in looking after the interests of those he represented he had striven to do his best.

Mr Miller moved, and Mr Roberts seconded, a vote of confidence in the member for the district, upon which being carried a vote was passed to the Chairman, and brought the meeting to a close.