CURRENT TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 74, 6 July 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

A VEXED QUESTION. The much-vexed question the overvexed question, we might suggest -of Omata riding finance, was duiy paraded at Monday's meeting of the County Council. On this occasion a unanimous decision was arrived at, quite an uncommon result. The Council is to approach the Government for assistance in maintaining the Main South Road through the Omata and Okato ridings. Whatever the chances of success ol the application, there can be no two opinions as to the necessity for son» suustantwl monetary assistance from some source or other if the main road is to be kept open. It is a difficult and very unsatisfactory position, and there is no use in shutting one's eyes to the fact that the councillors themselves have not been blameless in the matter. We have only to refer back to the lamentable bungling over the Oakura and Tapuae deviation and re-grading contracts—a bungling commenced during the regime of Mr. okey as chairman of the Council, and carried on through Mr. Tate's term—to make the assertion good. These works dragged on for years, aud cost double their estimated cost—perhaps more; we haven't the figures by us at the moment —and from that day the Omata riding overdraft has been heavy. It was extremely unfortunate for the people in that locality that at that stage of the financial problem the Carrington, Frankley and Eliot road districts showed their disinclination to contribute further to the upkeep of the Main South road, and formed a new riding, thus depriving them of about £BOO a year. The attempted solution of the problem by the establishment of the cordially liatect, out very necessary, system of tolls, has not been sufficient, nor has the imposition of a separate rate over the riding enabled the ratepayers of that' district to recover their leeway, for the secession of St. Aubyn town district threatened a further inroad into their already curtailed revenue. For the coining year the riding will receive the rates from this area, if the county solicitors' opinion is correct, as we presume it is. This £SOO will, however, be absorbed in the St. Aubyn town district itself, for the Council has allowed the road between them and Moturoa to get into a shocking state.

AN UNFORTUNATELY SITUATED I DISTRICT. It. is doubtful if any district is more unfortunately situated than the Omata riding of the Taranaki County Council. Here is a mala road, serving a closely settled district, and supported only by a very narrow strip' of rateable property between the Mountain Reserve and the sea. In addition to the through coach services, the whole of the import and, export traffic of about thirty miles of this country is necessarily conducted by road haukge, for there is no railway, nor is there communication by sea. The road is difficulty *.of upkeep, due to the steep gradients and the veTy heavy wheel traffic, which includes much milk traffic, carried-on narrow-tired vehicles. Metal supply is fairly plentiful, but the stone has to be saved from the beds of stream, and is consequently expensive. Moreover, much of it is of indifferent quality. These grounds alone show the need for the expenditure of large sums of money annually upon the road. Already the ratepayers have to bear a general rate of a penny halfpenny in the pound on the capital value,i a separate rate of three-eighths of a penny, special rates to provide interest on loans, and rates for the upkeep of the district roads. Can the land bear a further burden? A strong point is made, and rightly, too, of the fact that the Government, a few years ago, became a property-owner by purchasing private property for workmen's homes. Crown lands, when untenanted, is nonrateable, and unfortunately much of the Spotswood Settlement has been unlet for very lengthy periods. It is estimated that had this land remained in the hands of private owners the county finances would have been about £llOOl better off. Another drawback is the, amount of non-rateable native lands in. | the riding. Thus, although as a general rule we are not favorable to the Government making grants for the upkeep of roads ( in the older counties, where land is highly improved and closely settled, it is clear that £IOOO of the Consolidated Fund could be put to much worse use than in assisting the unfortunate ratepayers in the Omata and Okato ridings of the county.

A AVAIL FROM CANADA. The worst enemies of New Zealand are New Zealanders abroad. One of this brand of person lias got into print in Canada, and as every lin.e he writes is antagonistic to New Zealand, naturally Canada likes to read it. We do not propose to give additional publicity to his strictures on every phase of'lile in this country, because pessimism is a blight, and there is no good to be gained by disseminating falsehood. In every country there are disappointed men. A country is not to be judged by its few failures, but by the general condition of its people, the individual wealth of its units, and their ability to keep their heads above water. Any country is a bad country to the man who has not energy and determination to carve his way to success. If lie falls by the way, he has no right to decrv a country where he could have been healthv. wealthy nnd hanpy, if he possessed the qualities he lacks. There is. besides the' unsuccessful -failure who cries woe. the man who has made his pile in this country and lias <rone elsewhere to spend it. ITe also frequently assumes the roV of nronhet, and r-'-itic. shows the world tliat New Zealand spells ruin, and that life in this Dominion is a hideous miire. There ii 110 means of suppressin? these hurtful persons. The onlv consolation one Tins is that they s*o out of the countrv to tell their tales-of woe. Tt is a more creditable thinrr for a man to grit his teeth, and to fiffht. for the pvo="evitv n f his countrv. thnn to travel abroad and fiirht nnninst it. Tt i" 5 " c"untr" worth fir-hf™ for "•;<:*> bruins, mrynm'. Vinno siml s|W, ?- T^n+liiiciaom is needed more thifii ?tvp£piit<r and wailing; work is required before speculation;

optimism will win and pessimism will! lose. The unsuccessful weakling, if he can't fight for us, ought to have strength enough left not to fight against us. AVe wonder if the great army of mournful persons who lie to people outside this country want the rest of us to become spineless carpet-baggers of woe.