BACKBLOCKS ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 262, 3 April 1914, Page 6

BACKBLOCKS ROADS.

A NEW .SYSTEM. LAX 1") KEVEXUE TO liE UTILISED. When a Crown tenant takes hjj land, | lift is supposed to lie provided with reasonable access. but tin- promised road is sometimes a long while materialising, and to meet this kind of grievance the Minister of Lands inserted in last session's Land Laws Amendment Act: a section authorising the expenditure of land revenue in special districts upon the construction of roads. Where Crown tenants can make, out a good ease for it. , they may, with the concurrence of the Minister, form a committee and constitute their holdings into a special district. Then for a term not exceedingfifteen years the revenues from their lands, instead of going into the Consolidated Fund, will be placed to the credit of wkut might lie termed their local public works fund. .Roads and bridges may be constructed in the area or outside, it. Herniations under, which this section will operate have juH been published. Tliey gave the .Minister of Lands power to hold meetings »f settlers, and eomimittoes of settlers, tho membership of which shall no exceed five must be. set up to direct the expenditure. An officer of the Public Service will preside over their deliberations, but wili not lie empowered to vote.

So far, the Lands Dl'parlment is unable to give any indication of the intended setting up of these committees, and it is apparently not clear whether the initial move is to ,be made by the Minister or the settlers. The ycarjy revenue from ordinary Crown lands (exclusive of the well roaded land-for-uet-tlements estates) is .C!G2,119, foul only a small proportion of this amount is derived from blackblocks districts devoid of road access. It appears doubtful whether these committees when set up will be able to command sullicicnt revenue to do effective work of a permanent character.