The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, AUGUST 4,1883. THE ROADS AND BRIDGES CONSTRUCTION ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1448, 4 August 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, AUGUST 4,1883. THE ROADS AND BRIDGES CONSTRUCTION ACT.

There has been a debate in the. House on the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and, thanks to the Government majority, it has come through the ordeal unscathed. We should have been sorry had any evil befallen it, (ecause, though it is fearfully and wonderfully made and easily put out of gear, it is the milch cow for country districts with few or no roads, and we cannot very well do without it. Major Atkinson, whilst proclaiming the Act a great success, speaking no doubt with parental enthusiasm, adr mitted that it requires amendment, ! and has asked the House for a Committeo to assist him in determining the extent to which he can twist such of its provisions as prove a little awkward in operation. We hope the precedent which has now been established of appointing a Committee of the House to determine the roads which should be main lines, will not be followed, It is clearly the duty of the Survoyor-General to recommend such roads to the Government, and tor the Government to recommend them to the House. If on the present occasion, lines arn made main roads by the Committee which would not be recommended as such by the Surveyor General, the element of log-rolling will be introduced into the administration of the measure. Pressure has evidently been put on the Government to modify the strict conditions of the Act, and by giving way to it, ministers have opened the door to further trouble, Under any circumstances we do not expect this bantling of the Major to be long lived, still we hope its existence will not be shortened by irregular indigencies,