The Standard. (PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND SATURDAY.) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1874.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 139, 24 February 1874, Page 2

The Standard. (PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND SATURDAY.)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1874.

“ We shall sell to no man justice or right: We shall deny to no man justice or right : We shall defer to no man justice or right.”

The suggestion thrown out by the Superintendent when addressing the settlers lately in Gisborne, namely, that a public meeting should be held for the purpose of discussing the subject of our most pressing wants — ought to receive the immediate attention it deserves. The Provincial Council will meet again on the first of May, and there is not too much time left to devote to a consideration of all that is to be done. We propose now to touch upon the more prominent points of His Honor’s speech, and from time to time as our other duties may give us opportunity, we shall address ourselves to a further discussion of the principles involved in it.

Amongst the many subjects of interest promulgated by the Superintendent, there is not one in which country settlers are so deeply concerned as the proposed alteration of the High ways Act. In looking over the reports of Mr. Milliamson’s speeches in other Districts we find the same principles relative to the future of Highway as that enunciated by him in Gisborne, but, in some instances, in an extended form. In his speech at Mangonui the Superintendent deals somewhat largely with this particular question, and shadows forth an out-

line of what the Government are prepared to incorporate in the new Bill, th uh :— Ist—An extension of the boundaries of existing Highway districts. 2nd To make the boundaries of Highway districts conterminate with the bounda.ies of Electoral districts. 3rd 1 o give the Provincial Council membersof these Electoral districts ex effi/.o f ats at :he Highway Boards. 4 h— To c >nfer on Highway Boards power 0 o trol over the management, of the sc oo s within the limits of their districts. 5th —To make provision for the payment of Highway Board Members. 6th— To extend the official term of Highway Boards from one to two years. His Honor also suggested that the rating clauses in the Empowering Act should be altered, and that Hoad Boards should be invited to pay interest on money advanced to them for special works. If we take the first and fifth of these proposals together, it will be seen that the one is the natural outcome of the other; ergo, if we keep the area of Road Board districts within such limits as that any set of men may be found to fulfil the duties, we shall be able to dispense with the additional incumbrance of salaries. It is not desirable to lower the status of our Highway members by asking them to become paid officials ; and it would appear to be false economy to take from the settlers the advantage and privilege of gratuitous service, in young and struggling districts, by enlarging their duties to such an extent that salaries would become a necessity. To extend the boundaries of this district from East Cape to Mahia —the boundaries of the Turanganui Electoral District—would be practically to shut it out from all economic administration, in fact such a large area would of necessity, require a proportionably larger expenditure for management than more conveniently sized, districts. If however, it is the thin end of the wedge by which the county system may be brought into play, with the ultimate view of granting a Corporation to the town, the matter may be worth considering, but we cannot conceive of a District Road Board presiding over an area large enough for a colony. There are certain advantages in the Council Representative having an ex officio right to a seat on the Road Board ; and, we are prepared to support this proposition to a limited extent ; so far, for instance, as to allow him a voice in the deliberations, but to have no vote except in the one to which he may have been elected as a Trustee. Asa connecting liiikbetweeu the Provincial Council and the Board (or Boards, if more than one in his Electorate) the couusi 1 and advice of a representative, in a dual capacity, must be productive of much good, of course, in the case of there being more Boards than one in the Electoral district, the member would be a supplementary addition to the membership of all others beyond the one at which he held an elected seat. Giving him the prescriptive right to deliberate, would keep up an official union between the two forms of Government calculated to facilitate business. We admit there is the question of concentrating too much power in the hands of one individual, but if he has not the power of voting except as a Trustee, there could be little fear of his action being antagonistic to the general welfare, for although he might have local prejudices, be could not give effect to them, and he would be responsible to the body of electors for any action he might take, by reason of such prejudices, in the Provincial Council.

We object to the proposition of Road Boards, as such, holding supervision over local schools, for many obvious reasons, the chief of which is the impolicy of one individual holding a multiplicity of offices, and* if admitting the policy, the additional argument it would furnish for the creation of salaries. “ Philip drunk,” playing into the hands of “ Philip sober” is an objectionable feature in all local Government. The Road Board members already complain of the time their unrequited labor takes up ; and to give them the extra duty of school supervision would be distasteful and impolitic. There is no district whose population is so scattered that there cannot be found men able and willing to undertake local school supervision, and if there be, the schools are before their time.

The proposal to extend the term of the Board’s official tenure from one to two years we also think is fraught with much mischief, at any rate as the question of responsibility stands at present. This country cannot afford to hand over the local management of its affairs to Boards with autocratic? powers, to ride rough shod over the opinions of the Ratepayers. The m chief that Boards mat/ do in the short space of twelve months is quite sufficientto indicate what they woulddo if timeisgivento themas well astether.

To extend their term of office to two years, with no corresponding consequences for perverted action, is virtually to give them 10!) per cent, more power, which we think anything but desirable. At present they are not amenable to public opinion ; they are not representative in character ; they are not responsible for anything short of peculation, and to create even a worse condition of affairs, by granting them an extended lease of their official life, is not to be thought of. These and many other matters of minor importance possess a value which the settlers should endeavor to turn to their own profit as they pass into law, for which purpose we repeat the advisability of holding a public meeting without delay ; and as it is no body’s duty to do this, we suggest the appropriateness of Mr. Johnson calling the electors together at an early date.