IMPROVEMENT TO INVERCARGILL.

Southland Times, Issue 951, 15 May 1868, Page 3

IMPROVEMENT TO INVERCARGILL.

The present dilapidated state of the streets of the town requires that some action sliould be taken in order to put them in a good condition, and afterwards to keep them ia repair. The modes by which tliis can be accomplished are threefold. — Firstly the Town Board can be resuscitated and subsidized by the Government. Secondly — The Local Improvement Ordinance can be brought into operation ; or Thirdly— A new machinery of city government, differing from either of the above can be estab; lished during the next session ofthe Provincial Council. With regard to the Town Board, the principal objection appears to be the expense of keeping such a body in existence, and the great probability that most of the rates would be absorbed in salaries to officials, thus leaving very little margin for improvements to the town. Invercargill is too small to support an institution having separate and distinct existence from the Provincial Government. Indeed a great argument in favor of Provincialism would be in concentrating the duties of Town Boards and Eoad Boards in the Provincial Government, whose existence in small communities would thus become a necessity. The Local Improvement Ordinance is an unworkable act. It provides for the raising of fates to be collected by the Government, but leaves the initiative to be taken by the people on all subjects of improvement — in fact it simply tends to afford protection to speculators — and does not aid the bona fide occupier of property. Next we come to the consideration of the third question, and we propose giving an outline of a body, which, if called into existence, would answer all the purposes of a Town Board, without incurring expense or losing its popular character. Por instance, a Board of Town Commissioners, numbering say, three, could be elected annually by the ratepayers, such body to perform all the duties of a Town Board, in fixing the rate, &c, which no doubt would be supplemented by the Government ; a separate account could be opened at the bank; the clerk to the Superintendent could act as the. clerk to the Commissioners ; the Provincial Engineer also could give his services without interfering with his other duties, and the only expense to be incurred would be the appointment of a Collector of Bates, so that by this plan the machinery for carrying on the business of the Board is created without much expense or trouble ; and from the limited number of the Commissioners far more \^ork of a practical nature would be accomplished than if the number.. were larger. "We feel assured that no citizen would refuse to contribute a small rate annually, to be devoted to the improvement of the town, especially when he felt satisfied thatthe money would be expended for the purpose for which it was raised. As it is at present, no one appears to take an interest in the progress of the town, simply because there is no recognised body to look to ; and it cannot be expected that the Government, beyond keeping the main streets in repair, is to bear all the expense of improving the city.