THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1908.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 95, 14 August 1908, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1908.

THE conference of township delegates at Te Kuiti next week is a meeting which should have the interest and sympathy of residents throughout the district. It is also a welcome sign of the awakening of King Country townsmen to a sense of their responsibility; for it is widely recognised that the time has arrived when an alteration of the existing state of thnigs is absolutely necesary to the well-being and progress of our chief centres. Without dwelling .at unnecessary lene-th uuon nast history it cannot but not taken in the question when the township scheme was formulated to povided equitahle and reasonable conditions tor the progress which in the ordinary course of events, was bound to come as the district developed. However, the question to be considered now is the part which the people most concerned is going to play in present and future measures for the common good. Undor the Native Towuhsips Act, we were told '.hat. every provision was made for the good governance of our centres, and township councils were supposed to be on the same footing :is ordinary local bodies in other districts. That such is no (he case wo have pointed proof in the difliculties which have confronted the Taumarunui Town Council in its endeavours to carry out its funetons, and the fact that the Government has deemed it to legislate anew on the subject What, form the proposed legislation own behalf the residents will b nothing more than their dm may stand shoulder to shoulder, a:progress must operate for their r interest whilo the infliction of era and unnecessary restrictions is t< mutual detriment. To those intimately connected with the Country the feeling is deep roote the restrictions on township land

rectly opposed to the interests of both races and it is to he hoped that measures will he devised for making the burden less severe. It may be contended that the present legislation provides ample scope for the removal of restrictions, but it is well known that the proverbial passage of the rich |man through the eye of a needle is no more difficult than is the applicaton to the Native Department for the removal of restrictions from a Native owned section. The futility of providing machinery for the settling of the township lands when reasonable applications to which all parties interested arg agreeable, are consistently blocked in their initial stages, may well be pointed out. The fact that the machinery exists and cannot be put in motion is hardly a tribute to the confidence which the legislators should possess as to their efforts at law making. Nothing is more calculated to make the Native Department a mark for general dirision and the remedying of such an obvious weakness should claim immediate atten tion. The deliberations of the-dele-gates will be awaited with interest and it is to be hoped tha resultant recommedations will be supported by t"he weight of public opinion. The Governmental doctrine that those who want a thing should clamour for it, should be taken to heart, and in placing the recommendatons before the authorities the people should spare no effort to urge their claims convincingly. The suggestion has been made that delegates should be sent to Wellington to support the member for the district in placing the matter before the Government. Such a step has much to recommend it if adopted and will doubtless meet with general approval.