Town Board for Normanby.

Patea Mail, 14 February 1882, Page 3

Town Board for Normanby.

Our correspondent has endeavored to arouse attention to the comparative slowness of progress which Normanby is making as a township, by contrast with the prosperous activity of Manaia and Hawera. He attributes much of this backwardness to a want of push and enterprise among those residents who ought to lead in local movements. Why is nothing done towards pntting into ferce the Town Districts Act passed last session ? That Act would give to Normanby all the local governing machinery and powers of a municipal corporation, except that the control of the- county road running through the town would remain with the County Council. Normanby would have a Town Board consisting of men resident in the place, whereas it is governed at present by a Road Board whose members are naturally interested more in district roads than in town improvements. Local control would arouse a feeling of local unity, and a more active interest would be manifest because the new powers to be exercised would induce a desire to exercise them beneficially. The Town Board would get a local revenue from a rate on town property and from publicans’ licenses. Even a hundred pounds a year spent on town streets would make a striking difference. A public pound could be erected, under town control, and bye-laws could be made on local matters.

To bring Normanby under the Town Districts Act, there must bo not less than 50 householders within an area of two square miles; and at least twothirds must sign the petition to the Governor, each signature to be verified by a witness, in the ordinary way. The town would be constituted forthwith, and election of the first Board would follow. The town would cease to be part of the Road District, and would not be rateable by the Road Board, but the town would remain part of the County, and be rateable for County roads only. In all other respects, the town would rate itself and spend its own rates.

Waveriey is already scheduled in the Act, and no petition is needed to adopt the new powers.

Kakaramea may be able to muster the requisite number of householders within a two mile area, and form a Town Board.