THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 116, 22 February 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 22, 1872.

Li’ the flood lias done nothing else likely to he beneficial, it has, at all events, called very general attention to the insufficiency of the culverts, and the great want of a comprehensive scheme of drainage on the flat. Lt was said in the old country hy the late Jlcv. Sydney Smith, that there would be no railway reform until they had burned a Bishop, and wc should be inclined to sav of the Thames that there will be nothing done to mend our ways until they have drowned the Superintendent or "the ft old fields Secretary, or some other distinguished personage. Joking apart, the recent heavy rains have pointed out in unmistakcable terms the absolute necessity of something being done to the roads and drains before winter sets, but the local Boards have little or nothing to spend, and as regards the AYniotalii Board, in consequence of disputes between that, body and the Superintendent, it is likely to have less than it otherwise might have had. A considerable amount of the rates now in course of collection will go to pay off a bill for which the members made’ themselves jointly and severally liable, and when that is paid off, it is, we have been told on good authority, the intention of one or more of the Board to retire altogether, and in view of the amount of official “snubbing” which the Board has received at headquarters. it may not be so easy to find competent and willing successors. The Kauwacranga Board has been content to cat more humble pie than its neighbour across the Karaka, and may manage to obtain, without further trouble, the miserably small amount it has to receive from the Provincial Government, but this Board also has an “ overdraft ” which has to be paid off, and other expenses to meet, so that a very little will remain to be expended on public works. The remedy for all this we believe to be, as we have said on more than one occasion, the cstablishme.nt of a Municipality, but in consequence of a want of unanimity on this subject, and from the existence of an opinion that the present Municipal Act is not in all respects a desirable one to be incorporated under, a very long delay may be looked for before this panacea for our difficulties is brought about. In the meantime the place is liable to be flooded, as it was on Tuesday, and a large amount of valuable property may be again swept away, as was then the case. The large amount of revenue raised at the Thames is amply sufficient to do everything that is required, but under the present state of things, Auckland gets the Lion’s share of it, and the small moiety of its own money, which is voted for the goldfield, comes to it in miserable instalments, delayed on all kinds of pretences until the very last moment. Work is postponed from day to day, the fine season is allowed to’ pass by, and winter approaches before anything is done. In our issue of vcsleniay vie expressed a hope that the present visit of the Goldfields Secretary might be made productive of benefit to the district in the matter of a more vigorous prosecution of the contemplated public works. AYe also expressed our belief that, so far as Mr Sheehan is personally concerned, lie would give the subject due consideration, but, at the same time, we stated our doubts as to the extent of his powers in the matter, which we believe arc very limited. The real power, unless we are greatly mistaken,

rests with the Superintendent, who is not supposed to be inclined to do more than lie can help for the Thames. If this opinion be erroneous, and it is one felt from one end of the Field to the other, his Honor can very easily prove it to be in error hy giving every facility to the expenditure of the money voted by the Council last session in aid of works on the Gold Fields, with as little delay as possible. If he has no confidence in the road boards and their engineers, let him, as was suggested at a recent meeting of the AVaiotahi Board, spend the money in the district under the supervision of the Government Engineer, or anybody else he likes, so long as it is spent. No one can say the works are not imperatively needed. A large proportion of the population who walked knee deep in mud and mire along the so called “streets” of Grahamstowu and Shorthand on Tuesday can bear testimony to that fact; and the residents near the Moanataiari Culvert especially could add a little to the same effect. At the last meeting of the Ivauwacranga Highway Board no business was done, and yesterday there was no meeting of the AVaiotahi Board for want of a quorum. In the mean time we arc getting nearer and nearer to the time when rain and storm will be the order of the day, and if something be not done in the matter of roads and drains a great waste of valuable property, and an immense amount of individual inconvenience and suffering will take place, which might easily be prevented.