COUNTY v. ROAD BOARDS.

Patea Mail, 2 November 1880, Page 3

COUNTY v. ROAD BOARDS.

[communicated.] The days of the Patea County Council seem to be numbered, and Road Boards are to supply the place of the more pretentious and expensive system. Looking at the duties of the County Council, we find that this body has charge of the main roads, the hospital, recreation reserves, hawkers’ licences, slaughtering licenses, and cattle pounds. Two local bodies have charge of roads, and one could do all the work at less expense than the two, and as efficiently. Road Boards are to be preferred, as centralization is objectionable, since the petty wants of places far removed from the centre arc neglected. The foreman to the Road Board could superintend his portion of the main road at very little extra cost; and the Act makes provision for roads and bridges in a boundary between two Road Boards. The Hospital would be better managed by the Patea Town Board, as it would be under direct control of the Patea Board, while each Road Board would pay a weekly charge for each pauper patient from their respective districts. The Recreation Reserves would pay a weekly charge for each pauper patient from their respective districts. The Recreation Reserves would be much better managed, and with greater satisfaction, by local trustees such as the district Road Boards or Town Boards. As to hawkers’ and slaughtering licences, failing Government fixing the amount of licencing for hawkers’ fees and other fees, the Council could fix the amount, and the Road Boards issue the licences ; while the Road Boards could appoint pound-keeperc, and administer the Provincial acts which now regulate pounds. In these times of retrenchment, cost is of great consideration when efficiency is not impaired ; and it will be instructive to compare the cost of working the County Council with that of the Wairoa Road Board, thus ; County Council, Secretary and Collector - - - £l7O Foreman of Works - - - - 200 Chairman - - - - - - 50 Councillors 108 Advertising, stationery, &c. (say) 100 Total £628 Wairoa Road Board. Collector £lO Foreman of Roads - - - 70 Chairman and Secretary - - Nil Wardens Nil Stationery and advertising &c. (say) 100 Total £IBO At present the expense of the Wairoa Board is less for Foreman of Works and advertising; but allowance has been made for the increased duties of the foreman and a larger number of advertisements ; and for argument’s sake the total expense might be put down at £2OO, which would be certainly outside the expenditure. The officers in all road districts would require very little extra pay, owing to the small increase in their duties; while they would be a clear saving of £l5B at present paid to the Chairman and members of the County Council. Again, the work would be done at less loss of time to the representatives of the ratepayers. Members would meet and talk about what most of them had seen, and vote for work to be done which they knew was imperatively necessary, whereas it is a good day’s journey from Waitotara to the other end of the Patea County, wants must often be supplied according to the able appeal, rather than the urgent neceseity.