The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1884. THE MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1811, 11 October 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1884. THE MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

The Wairarapa East County is, apparently, not the only local body which is in trouble. Suddenly and unexpectedly the Masterton Road Board, which was supposed to have been sailing in smooth waters, is discovered to be among financial rocks. Its position is, happily, not a very serious one. At tho commencement of the current year it was assumed to be supplied with stores sufficient for its annual trip, and now when half the veyage is accomplished, it is found that its provisions are exhausted. There is, however, one aspect of the financial position of the Board which appears to require some explanation. It has been the custom of this body shortly after the end of each financial period to publish its balance-sheet for the information of ratepayers, This year it departed fiom the practice it had hitherto adopted, and merely announced that its balance-sheet could be seen at the Board office, The practical result of this change in the method of giving publicity to the balance-sheet is, that whereas formerly everybody saw the balance-sheet, this year nobody, or next to nobody, perused it. In is evident from the present financial position of the Board, that last year's balance-sheet was of a less satisfactory character than that of its predecessors, and it is somewhat unfortunate that this particular sheet was

selected for non-publicity, It suggests, almost, that the Board was reluctant to take the public into its confidence, We do not say that this is the explanation of the course pursued this year, but in the absence of any official explanation to the contrary it is a fair assumption. It has been stated that the impecuniosity of the Board is partly due to, charges being made against ordinary revenue which should have been debited to the works under the Roads and Bridges Act, How far this is the case ratepayers in the absence of a balance sheet will hardly be able to form, an intelligent opinion, Apparently the Board has been drifting towards a condition of impecuniosity for some time past. On- the first of April, 1882, it had in hand a balance of £4716s Id, but on the first of April in the following year it had to its credit a balance of eight shillings and fourpence only, and no doubt on the first of April in the present year this small credit balance bad given place to a considerable debit balance. The cessation of subsidies to Road Boards was no doubt a heavy blow to the local body to which we refer, and explains in a great measure the position in which it now finds its finances. As we said before, the position is not a serious one, but it is suggestive of two alternatives, viz., increased rates' or neglected roads. The administration of local self-government in Counties, Road Boards, and Boroughs, since Government aid was withdrawn from them has been beset with difficulties, It is hardly fair under these circumstances to nensure the administrators, who have had to discharge heavy responsibilities under unfavorable conditions. We have no doubt that the present position of the Masterton Road Board is an example of this character, and if anything is to be regretted it is that the trouble has in a measure been withheld from the ratepayers upon whose shoulders sooner or later it must fall,