THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15, 1880. STARTED' BEFORE THEY WERE READY.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 71, 15 September 1880, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15, 1880. STARTED' BEFORE THEY WERE READY.

" "Words art thißfi, «.mi k drop 4t ink falllag like d«w upon a thought. prodiuMS that irkiek »tebec thousands, ptrkaps Bullion* think. 1 '

We K»ve been informed upon vtry excellent authority that the prevailing wish m the Sandon and Carnar-von-Wards of the Manawatu Highway Board is, to retrace the steps taken with regard to teparation, and allow matters to remain m statu 'quo. Whether, after the charges which were made as to the maladministration of the funds, and the presumed injustice with which the two ward* were treated, such a course- would be judicious or politic, we have our own opinion. But eve if it were, the time has now passe;! for, withdrawal. A petition, signed by the requisite number of ratepayers, and containing reasons vvhieh, though scarcely truthful, were tufficiently cogent to require attention, was presented to the Government ; action was taken upon that.petitiqn ;. the Eesident Magistrate was appointed as arbitrator, to t£irke evidence, and make his award upon* the books, vouchers, afid evidence. All that hat been done, the -Colonial Secretary has intimated tliat he has endorsed the decision made, by the arbitrator, and now all that remains is the intimation of the formal division of the Board. But no 1 , that is not quite all. ; Before Sandon and Carnarvon can cut the painter which ties them %o the old . Board, there is a certain little preliminary", to be first gone through m the shape of disbursement. ■ Notwithstanding the oftrepeated assertions that neither Nos. X, and 2 ■ Wards had received justice ; that while the great bulk of che rates Sowing into the Board's treasury was raked out of the pockets of the settlers of Sandon and Carnarvon-,, neither of those districts could get anything like a fair distribution' or expenditure of funds upon their Works. Led awayby this fale issue, the ratepayers very naturally, and we must also say, very properly, came to the conclusion of administering their own affaxrjs, themselves, and trust no more to the mercy of those who refused to distribute equitably the funds at their disposal. A thorough investigation into the' matter, how ever, ha« lifted the veil with a vengeance, and completely turned the tables.. Instead of Sandon and Car--ttltron fcftYiflgbeen. (Jefrauieci of Q ne

iota, or a penuy withheld from distribution within its boundaries to .which it was justly entitled, it now appears that the former ward has outpun the Gonstable to the tune of one hundred and sixty-nine pound*, fourteen shillings, and niuepence, aud the latter, four hundred and forty pounds, nineteen shillings, and fourpenee,- making m all the very respectable sum of six hundred and ten pounds, fourteen shillings, and a penny, which they have received, and to which they had no earthly claim. This was a boiling over of the pot, indeed ; and as circumstances alter cases, and the arbitrators' award makes it a sine qua 11 on that every penny should be disgorged before separation can take place, a change has come o'er the spirit of the dream, and a division of the Board does not appear to be the panacea which it was hitherto deemed, We are rather afraid that Mr. Sajtsow, who appears to have acted as a kind of Advocate-Groneral m the matter, has once more made a mistake, and placed his unfortunate followers upon the horns of a dilemma. He has now proceeded too far for the steps to be retraced. Certain accusations were made against the old Board, and certain statistics presented to the Government which entitled the petitioners to the concession they asked. The Government took the necessary steps, the business of the Mauawatu Highway Board has been virtually at a standstill for the past three months, awaiting the final settlement of the division, and consequently inconvenient as it may now prove to the malcontents, we are afraid separation must take place, and that also m accordance with the strict letter of the award. If the people of Sandon and Carnarvon are placed somewhat iv a quandary, they need only blame those who undertook to offer advice and giye a verdict upon'inatters of which they were profoundly ignorant.