THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 190, 18 May 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1872.

We are so firmly convinced that the benefits to be derived from a Municipality at the Thames so far outweigh its disadvantages that we are sorry to observe that the movement to establish it does not progress more favorably. At the first start, the movement was deemed premature, and collapsed. A; ter a considerable interval, a fresh start was effected, but its promoters made the mistake of attempting to embrace an area of country within the boundary which would bring on a great number of residence site holders on the hills, who not unnaturally complaind that they paid taxes enough already, and did not expect to have roads and streets made to their doors for some yeais to come. The committee then curtailed the proposed area, but adhered to tlie idea of including Paiawai, and the residents there did not appear to be unanimous on the subject. Then, somewhat unexpectedly, the denizens of Block 27 refused to be joined, and a counter petition was got up, and numerously signed. Despite of all these difficulties, a petition in favour of the movement, containing a large number of bona fide signatures, was forwarded to the Government, and now it appears that the Colonial Secretary has telegraphed to the committee for further information as to the boundaries. We did not apprehend this difficulty, at all events. We thought the boundaries had been all properly set out in accordance witli the requirements of the Act. A meeting was held yesterday, when it was arranged that Mr Goodall should certify as to the accuracy of the boundaries, and we presume this boundary question will soon be satisfactorily settled. As to the ultimate fate of the petition we are not so sanguine. We know that there is a very strong opposition, who intend to sign the counter petition, if they have not done this already, and if the number of bona fide signatures of ratepayers exceed in number those who have signed the original document, the Thames Municipality will again be shelved for an indefinite time. Any one who has observed what takes place at the periodical meetings of the local road Boards must see the difficulties arising from divided authority, and how much better it would be for the Thames to be united under one municipal head. This was allowed by Mr Swan at the meeting yesterday, and there can be no doubt it is a strong point. At the present moment there is a fierce scramble for the paltry pittance which the Government is doling out in the shape of subsidy, and in consequence of a squabble between the Parawai Board and the Kauaeranga Board, the chances are that neither of them will get a penny. The Superintendent is master of the purse strings in this case, and it is hard enough to extract the money from the Treasury when all is smooth, but when two Boards get quarrelling as to how a certain £SOO is to be expended, we may be sure that neither of them are improving their chances of getting it. Winter, with its wet and stormy weather, is close at hand, if not already upon us, and one hundred pounds spent on the roads when the weather is fine will go three or four times as far as a much larger amount laid out for the same purpose, under the disadvantages of lain and storms. We believe that under a municipality, the Thames would have much more control over the revenue raised in the district than it has at present. It would be sufficient at fiist perhaps to include only the townships within the boundary, as it is bad policy to force unwilling people: if a majority of the residents of Parawai object to being included, let them stay out. Whatever be the fate of the present petition and counter petition, we hope next session of the General Assembly will not be

suffered to pass by without a bill being introduced, which shall, so far as possible, meet the wishes of the majority. A short and simple bill we think might be drawn suitable to the wants of the place, which would meet with the approval of the majority of the residents. To draw such an act as would please everybody would be simply impossible. This is one of t.ie many questions which it would be desirable to have discussed between the constituency and its representative in parliament before the commencement of the session, in the event, which we fear is probable, of the present municipal movement coming to grief.