THE COUNTY ABOLIATION AGITATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1465, 24 August 1883, Page 2

THE COUNTY ABOLIATION AGITATION.

■ (From the WairarapsStandßrd).-' . It ia far easier to destroy than to build up. At the public ineetmg, held latt Wedoesdiy, it Mtsteiton, reioltttjoni were cimed. in favor of absliihliijftgß county;system of Koreanment •,•■ but tholL Who supported thit ursepinß proposal did" not appear to have any cloaif idea.of what •Would' follow 'should' their:; polio) ijjjj . deßtruciion.be carried out. Wo have jpng held the opinion that the dual "Byit'ea>;ot government, in the Wairarapa . cumbrous, and expensive. : There. is no neoesßity to hive both a; County BjjYem and a Highway Board system." Orie ? set (if machinery could be made to do all' the work whioh is required. A obab'ga in this dirootion will be effected in oourie of time, but any rash or precipitant action, audi as that BUgcested in the. resolution! : pateud at the Masterton meeting, would be alike fooliih and illconiidered. The work of building np a sound; eounoruioal aud good system of local self government'. for the country distriots oan. only, be accomplished by a series of careful and tentative .efforts. The County system of afoyera* moutaud the Roads and Bridges Cun-' Btruction Act are :t present on their trial. Under the Utter Act money asstntauoe Can begot by the Counties"for making roads and bridges. As Mr McGregor remarked:—

. " One raaion fur continuing the County was that the Council being a represent*, five body of a' large area, had more .influence with the Government than a Board could have. The teaßbn' for striking a general rate was that the Government luhsidtei, as was well known, had-ceased. Thiß necessitated taxation. Another reason-was that under the Rosdi aud Bridges Construction Act theMSov eminent gave three fourths towards main roads, and the Coanty had to find the remaining 5s in the £, Now he did not intend tu say' he approved of the Act He had always oppuied it, but at .present' it was a means'for opening up the country by means of roads and bridges which might booh be withdrawn and the County would have been guilty of great neglect had it allowed other districts to obtain the whole of this money for tho sake of savins a amall rate, It was clearly the : duty of the Council to take full advantage of tho opportunity offered." . •Now, supposing the County system were abolished iu the Wairarapai huvr would this Gove nment money con l / ii'iuo to be obtained ? It is all very if ell for the Mastettou people to .talk-'.of avrolishshing the County system,M.ihe country settlers want roads made aud kept in repair. We; woulo\ co'unselthe country settlors to pause before signing » petition for the abolition of the County system. The prombtori of this maverrient are bound to ehow how tliey prupnßu. to carry on, should the Counties be abolished before the settlers will be jusuiied in giving them their support,- The present ugii&tion Is only iu its first stage ut yet. The whole question mjst be fully discussed in all its bearings before the settlers come to any definite cono'usioti concealing it. We do not,.believe in these destractive : proposals. Bather indeed do we hope to sea the day come when the whole Wairarapadisi riot shall become one large, powerful and united Coanty,