THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY. FEBRUARY 25, 1924. HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4666, 25 February 1924, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plain Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY. & FRIDAY. MONDAY. FEBRUARY 25, 1924. HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY.

In hi.s criticism of. the Hauraki Plains County Council and officials a correspondent fails to give any credit whatever to that body and-its officials. Reading the letter without having prior knowledge of county affairs one would almost be inclined to the opinion that all the rates, that have been received have been wasted. To say htat nothing has been done seems to us ridiculous, and if the writer of the letter will cast his memory back to the inauguration of the county and compare the Plains and its then roads with the position as it is to-day he must retract his statement. It is quite true that the roads are in many places not good, and. until .sufficient loan money can be obtained to make them they will not improve. The revenue at the disposal of the county from ordinary rates is never suffiicent to make roads with, and this fact lias been ftillv borne out by nearly every local body in the Dominion. Comparing the Plains County with much older counties or boroughs, it must be said that it has done well, especially when it is considered that all the initial expenses and disadvantages of a new organisation had to be met, and met out of rates from only a small area of the whole county-. Another telling factor against the county is the enormous increase in traffic—and this over roads that have not yet consolidated. If Mr Sutton would compare any- of the Plains toads over which the Plains County' Council has been wholly responsible xvith, say, the road from Hikutaia to beyond Thames on the Thames Coast, a road that has been under the jurisdiction of the Thames County for the past fifty years, he must give the Plains County some credit.

Touching on the amount paid for salaries, it is well recognised that the amount paid the clerk is not an excessive one. considering the ability with which Mr Walton has discharged bls duties. Tiie county in this respect is indeed fortunate in having such a capable officer, The large extent of

the county makes it absolutely necessary for the engineer to have an assistant and wc might point out that many smaller and older counties have even more than ouc assistant en-

gineer it "oukl be ridiculous for us to say that mislalo'S have not been made and money expended possibly where the twenty shillings’ worth for the pound expended has not been received. We ventinc to sa.v that had it not been for the great slump in dairy produce which affected in tun the land values, little would have been heard of bad roads. The reading of the Plains is a most difficult problem, but we do believe the Council’s policy is a sound one. and should be heartily supported if th" object of good roads is to be achieved. With its own quarries and transport, the ratepayers will even-' tually benefit very considerably. Let Mr Sutton remember that every councillor is a stake-owner in the counl.v. and is not likely to waste either his own or his neighbour’s money if it can be helped. It would be. more helpful for the council to get some constructive criticism instead of being blamed for maladministration.