NOTES BY A FARMER.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 121, 17 April 1897, Page 3

NOTES BY A FARMER.

LOCAL POLITICS AND POLITICIANS [By Candide]. A FEW weeks ago the chairman of a local body cast some rather unkind reflections on the administration of local government in the bad old days, when the representatives of the ratepayers got their own private property drained and improved at the public's expense. Now, I have no intention of defending local politicians of the past, nor of the present for that matter, for I believe one to be ejuite as bad as the other. When local government was first thought of, it was expected by its chain pions to be the most pure administiation pocsib'e, and in fact to be nothing short of government by the ratepayers for the ratepayers. Ratepayers were given the power to elect members from among themelves as trustees for the rest, and these trustees or tonds had the power to strike rates on all landed property, with a view of acquiring funds wherewith to make and maintain roads for the general body of ratepayers and the public general'}'. It was anticipated by enthusiasts that ra'epaylng boards would keep down all charges to a. minimum for their own sakes, white for the saur; reason all roads would be kept in a good state of repair. It was also hoped that all favomit sin would bs done away with and the common funds expended for the good of all instead of a few. Instead of the happy state of affjirs prophes'ed, what have we ? From the inception of local bodies, in Waikato at all events, we Mud that almost eveiy member has got himself elected solely with the intention of grinding his own axe, or at least the axes of a few of his friends in the same corner of the district, while the wants of the general body of ratepayers arc neglected altogether. If a mm wants a piece of good road past his property he becomes a member of a Road Board, and under the system of " You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours " the job is done, and the member take 3 the first opportunity of resigning. He has grounrt his axe. If another man wants bis swamp c'rained he gets himself e'ected chairman, and for a year or two he carefully scratches the backs of Irs colleagues, while they in return sanction the construction of a small canal for a mile or two round their chairman's estate at a cost of half the year's rates. This U all done with the avowed intent : on of draining some pot-hole on the public road which coulel be filled up in a cuple of days by a man and a wheelbarrow. It is notoiious that one n vcr sees a piece of good road unless it leads by the property of some past or present member of a local body, and yet we rail about corrupt practices in Parliament ! We aie all tain d with the same buish, and until we can attiin pure administration of local matters we should not criticise too severely those who have greater temptation. It is true that it has a'most become a recognised custom for irrmbers to represent the interests cf a few ra'epayers in their own quarters only, anel each man tl inks he does his duty if he gets three times as much money spent oo his own and his friends byroads, as he ough 1 ', but such a practice is wrong, and the most used roads should have the first attention, and then, if there is any mon.y to spare the byroads may have a turn. Our main roads throughout the district are in many cases disgraceful, and in a short time we may expect them to be worse. Yet, if we approach the responsible local body we are told that there are no funds and nothing can be done, wh le at the same moment money is most likely being lavishly spent in works on some isolated piece ot road which is used once in a blue incon. It is coneluct such as this which makes one almost think that local Government is a failure, anel that an inelependcnt engineer with a free hand would manage things better for the ratepayers in general. We have a boon in local Government if we only knew it, but until the ratepayers wake up and insist that the fjood of the n any is of more consequence than the benefit of a few trustees and their fritnds, local Government will be a curse to the country distiicts under it. Let the ratepayers pull themselves together and take more interest in the administration of affairs, and they will soon sec something for their money ; ami let the boards remember that they are appointed trustees for the whole of the distiic: instead of one corner, anel in a year or two the present rates will be more than ample to make the district a place to be pre ad of. Anyone appropriating public funds solely to drain or improve private property c; n be classed as nothing but a comn on thief, and in the esse of a coun'iy local body a person guilty of such conduct is, to say the least, a highway robber. I am well aware that a person is generally more lax in the expenditure of another person's money than bis own ; but far too little care is taken in many casus by public bodies in undertaking works, "and frequently half the cost Mould make a better job if done in a different way. I am also aware that a mm may spend a lot of time and trouble in carrying out a work, and when it. is done he may probably get nothing but abuse from an ungrateful public ; and I fancy that tlrs is the reason why so much of self and friends and hang the rest is practised. Whatever ihe reason, it should be put a stop to, and the sooner the letter. It is not so many weeks ago since we parted for last year's rates, and when we add up the amount we have individually paid during the past fifteen years, and compare it with the improvement of roads, it is enough to satisfy us that there is a screw loose somewhere. We each of us have a screw-driver. Let us use them.