The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1895. TAUNGATARA TOLL.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 54, 8 January 1895, Page 2

The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1895. TAUNGATARA TOLL.

We learu from from a telegram received from the delegates to the Taranaki County Council—Messrs Rogers and Hickey—that the Council has decided not to erect a toll at Taungatara. This will be very pleasing news to the ratepayers at this end of the district, who feel, whether rightly or wrongly, that they have paid more, by far, than they have received from the Council. Had the toll been erected, it would have been a very serious blow to this town and district, without in any adequate manner enhancing the revenue of the Council. Both of our representatives on the Couucil— Messrs McGloin and McCullum —did tbeir best to oppose it when it was first introduced, but were outvoted without any good or valid reasons being advanced in its favor. However, when they were backed up by a petition and a deputation from the settlers interested, the proposal was negatived. This bears out what Mr McGloin ha 3 been urging since he has been a member of the Council. He asserts that a member might as well stay at home unbss the ratepayers will take an intelligent interest in public matters. We do not advocate senseless agitation, but where any question is at stake, which affects the welfare of all the ratepayers in any particular area, it is the business of each one of them to strain every nerve to give a decided expression of opinion and not leave it to one or two to do. If a public meeting is called, the rule is for each settler to say there will be plenty there without him, with the result that meetings are poorly attended, and those who recognise the importance of united action, and attend, are consequently disheartened. We would, therefore, impress it on every ratepayer that it is his bounden duty to put in an appearance at public meetings which concern him, and to bear his fair share of the burdens of public affairs. This neglect on the part of th 9 individual is what produces mob rule, by allowing the blathering demagogue to take charge of affairs, because more solid and practical men arrive at the conclusion that if they are not backed up by the people they can better employ their time in attending to their private affairs. Mr W. Pearee recently put the matter in a nutshell when he asserted that if he had thrown off his coat and put in the same number of days on the roads that he had spent attending futile meetings of local bodies, he would have had a much better result. Let the ratepapers then Avake up and choose on all occasions practical men to represent them, and, having obtained these, extend them the courtesy of attending and thanking them for . their services, or condemning them if their actions do not meet with their approval.