Tuapeka Times AND GOLOFIELDS REPORTER & ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, MARCH 14,1872.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 215, 14 March 1872, Page 4

Tuapeka Times AND GOLOFIELDS REPORTER & ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, MARCH 14,1872.

" MEASURES, NOT MEN."

The movement now being if A for establishing a Road Boanp 6 Tuapeka District, is a stejp c right direction. The statf 16 district roads has long beem c ® of complaint, and will col^° be so unless those interestel 116 the proper responsibilities r n ~ nection with them. These JQ" sibilities may be summed lll these words : In taking the X e ~ ment of the roads by the rp s into their own hands, and coi^" ing towards there formatiM maintenance. Some few |rs, who ardently desire goodp s > have a dread of Road Boarcjng estabiishecl|in their district, Iking that such bodies are cre»or the sole purpose of burdeniifem with taxes. But these indiM s forget that taxes raised byad Boards are expended sol£>y> among, and for the exclusive*^ of those who pay them. ! c s > the amount raised by rates ip~ plemented by a Government)" sidy, which would otherw be expended in tA vicij/ity he provincial capitals. 'T^^faihe taxation in aom ed Road Boara, district is sjly felt; while the beneficial Its, accruing from it in the si of passable roads are incalculal It appears to us that the issbhe inhabitants of the Tuapeka j "ict are called upon to decide, b oae who have undertaken the ne wy steps for . the creation of a > a d Board, is whether good rostra not more desirable to trave>on than bottomless quagmires, 'he advantages of these Boa in agricultural districts cannot b i n " sayed, and their necessity in me portions of the Tuapeka Disi is very palpable. But while * is the case, we cannot close oin*f*to some of the drawbacks whicP re ~ sent themselves to the properkking of these Boards on thepldtields — difficulties which timwill no doubt overcome. In tlw r st place, the settlers in the Tueka District are but few and scattered by far the greater portion olieir land is held under agriciiral lease. The question arises, pld a Road Board levy taxes upotroperty held under- lease froijthe Crown. Referring to the jago Roads Ordinance, 1865, we S- in Clause XXVIII, that " No jessment shall be laid or levied ckny Waste Lands of the CrownT on any lands or hereditaments bjnging to the Crown." This beiJthe case, the functions of Road Birds on the Goldfields would be conper- - ably crippled, unless a Bill Hre passed, empowering these Boats to levy a tax upon agricultural adenoid property. This difficult} nay; , . be met in the new Road B^s Bill, which was introduced last session of the Assembly, but i rich we have not yet been forfciate enough to have an opportune of perusing. Had this movement originated amongs^^the seflsTS themselves, instearjj^^fcKJSom^utside source, w iHH^BQavelhad more confidenc^P^^^^^"uperstand that Mr. Hardy, of Dunlin, has been busying himself irgthe matter, although, from what mli. ye we are at a loss to know ; unfps it be to increase the engineering fork of the district. However, if load Boards are practicable in thejdisdistrict, no one can say aj|ght against their establishment. J ne y have worked well in the 1 ieri, Tokomairiro, Clutha, Oamaru and other districts, as is evinced b] the excellent roads in these loca ties. Their organisation is simple and heir administration inexpensive. Before" going further, we should like to see a public meeting of settlers cjdled and an expression of opinion on tne subject obtained from those wfaom the formation of a Road B^rd most concerns. In another col lm & we give a synopsis of the Otago Roads Ordinance, of 1865, anrji we would invite discussion upon the subject. I Since the present Committee of the Tuapeka Hospital took office, ffeyk e y have reduced the yearly exrfnditure by £400 ; and yet theyTJannot get funds to keep the institution afloat. It will be asked, how is |this state of things to be accounted »or % The answer is very simple — Ist -A. subsidy on subscriptions and sfcms derived from entertainments, sv to the amount of £300 is due bj Rhe Government ; and 2nd. only lw or 12 out of 34 subscription pists which were- distributed last year have been returned to the Treasurer. tjQ gay the, Je§t of it, is nolt ag

it should be. Two months and a half of the year 1872 gone, and by far the greater number of the lists which should have been returned not later than the end of last year still in the hands of the collectors ! Unless people who undertake to collect funds for the institution show a little more alacrity than this, they will bring about such a crisis as will compel the Committee to close the Hospital. Storekeepers and others have hitherto, as a rule, contracted for the supplies of the Institution at extremely low prices, knowing that as soon as their bill was presented it would be paid ; but if they have to wait for weeks and perhaps months for tneir money, it is not to be expected they can tender at the same prices, if indeed they will be induced to tender at all. Let us ! hope that those who have lists, wilj not Jose a day in returning them to the Treasurer.

The neglect of the Government in not forwarding the subsidy due, cannot be too strongly condemned. If the, payment of one thing more than another demands a preference from the Provincial Treasurer, surely that one thing is the subsidies to Hospitals. We trust that in future it will be paid to the credit of the Hospital with more regularity than formerly.