THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1907. TE KUITI TOWN BOARD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 41, 2 August 1907, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1907. TE KUITI TOWN BOARD.

The residents of Te Kuiti, who have been moving in the direction of forming a Town Board, are requested to attend a meeting on Saturday evening next, to further discuss the matter. At the last meeting it was decided to obtain a legal opinion as to whether the Maori Land Board was liable for forming the streets-of the township, and further action was suspended pending the receipt of the opinion. The legal document is now to hand, and it states specifically that no liability rests with the Board in the matter. This reply, however unwelcome it may be to a section of those interested, effectually determines the position, and it now remains for the residents to decide upon further action. There is no further uncertainty; the issue is simply whether the Board shall be formed or not, with a full knowledge of the responsibilities to be undertaken. In any case the responsibilities continue to rest upon the residents, whether united under a Board, or existing merely as individuals. The only possible alteration or alleviation of the position lies in Parliamentary action, and as the Native Minister is cognisant of the facts, and has promised to deal with the "question during the present session, the situation is still invested with a certain measure of hope. However, there can be no further pretext for procrastination in the formation of a Board. There are many matters'demanding attention in the township, which can be dealt with at a nominal cost, and the advantages of uniting in a constitutional manner, are obvious. Still, it must be borne in mind that, in order to achieve anything in a small community, unanimity must be obtained. It is therefore devoutly to be hoped that those interested will pull together for the common weal, and by the exercise of moderation, and a judicious consideration for differently expressed opinions, render the best service possible to the place in which we are all deeply interested. . -*—— A SENSIBLE ROADS POLICY. A FEATURE of the representations made by the Waitomo County Council's representative at Wellington to the Acting-Minister of Public Works, which should have an important bearing upon the district, is the providing of stone crushers for breaking metal in various parts of the county. Notwithstanding the fact that untold quantities of limestone exist in many places contiguous to the main roads, we are continually and painfully confronted with the fact that, with the exception of a few trifling patches of gravel, our highways are utterly devoid of metal, and consequently in an almost impassable condition for a great portion of the year. In all fairness it must be said that this state of things is entirely attributable to the authorities at Wellington, and if the present agitation is crowned with success, the visit of the County's repre-' sentative will have been amply justified. The request for crushers is essentially necessary if the demand, so strongly urged, for increased expenditure on main roads, is to be acceded to, as the only policy which would justify additional expenditure in that direction is that of metalling. We have already had several years of experience as to the advisability of patching and mud-scraping, and the vote of the settlers, if taken on the subject, would be an emphatic negative to the perpetuation of such a manifest absurdity. Let us expend more money by all means, but, in so doing, it is to be devoutly hoped the cost of stone crushers will one of the first items considered in any additional expenditure.