CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 958, 6 July 1881, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We do not hold, ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by our correspondents'].

THE NEW COUNTY BY-LAW

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I beg to make a few remarks through the columns of your valuable and independently conducted paper, in reference to the proposed by-law, and how it will affect the carriers. That this by-law shapes to be oppressive and unjust is plain (except to Councillors). Ist. The expense of altering wheels. 2nd. Suppose a carrier get a load weighing 30 cwt., by law he is only allowed to carry 25 cwt., therefore he must either break the law or leave 5 cwt. behind him ; if he fetches this 5 cwt. he loses as much time over it as he did carrying 25 cwt. 3rd. This law compels him to give up a large portion of the means that earns bread for himself and family by reducing his carrying power, and, probably, when he can least afford it (in the winter, when roads and weather are againsthim). Thereisno doubt thatthe carrier, as a rule, takes a great deal out of the roads, and pays very little in the way of rates. I think that justice could be done by making all carriers, excepting bullock drays, take out licenses at a fixed price. These should pay more in proportion to light carriers. This plan could be made to act partly in the carriers’ favor, by allowing no one to carry for hire without a license. Carriers themselves would see that that portion of the law was carried out. It is most unjust to take bread out of a man’s mouth by saying you shall carry so much and no more. It is not the way to encourage bone and sinew to abide with us. It seems that Councillors are quite willing for any one to wear the shoe that pinches so long as it does not come near their own corns. Most of the County Councillors are sheepfarmers, and of course their clip is carried when roads are good, and freight is cheap ; they can get their supplies at the same time, and they have the best of it, so far as carriage and freight are concerned ; but the general public are not so fortunate; they have to use the roads at all seasons, good or bad. There is no occasion to strain at gnats for something to make a by-law upon. There is the Bathurst burr, that threatens to be one of the greatest scourges of the district; it can now be seen clinging to the hair on horses heels, and tails, and the tails of the cattle ; in fact it dings to anything that touches it. Patutahi is full of it, as well as County roads, and by-roads. It is bringing itself into notice very surely,quietly, and rapidly, and getting

carried into all out the way places. This cannot be hid from our local bodies ; but it is far pleasanter to let it go on till it assumes proportions beyond local power (like the river), then we can get our member to apply to the Government for a short Acl of Parliament, or a big sum of money to enable us to cope wi h the demon.— Yours, &c., Settler.