The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JULY 6, 1886. ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2339, 6 July 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JULY 6, 1886. ROAD BOARD.

The respective meetings of the Masterton and Eeatherston Road Boards on Saturday ware of Rome .special interest. The latter body decided to abolish all fees to wardens, and in so doing has set an example of disinterestedness which might be followed .with advantage- by the councillors of the Wairarapa East County. The Masterton Road Board, on the other'hand, drew the attention of the Government and the public to the necessity of defining a minimum area and rateable value for road districts, and giving counties further powers to determine new boundaries. There, can. be but .'little doubt that the Masterton Road Board has suffered severely by the undue facilities which now exist for the increase and multiplication of small boards. Slice after slice-has beau taken from the territory formerly under the control of.this-Board, until a large and influential corporation has been changed into a' small, and 'insignificant local body. If all the changes which have taken place had been iirthe direction of securing better and cheaper "road construction, the Masterton Road Board might have been reconciled to its' fate, and have sunk without a murmur into that obscurity which now threatens it, , It is, however, - well known that such, is not the case, and that 'a Road Board under the present laws however efficient, and sufficient is powerless to resist any effort'made for its disintegration. The only fault to be found with.the opinions expressed by the Masterton Koad Board'ori this question is that ita wisdom comes.' "too late for any practical purposes.' It has already been hacked into pieces,' and the process of division and sub-division has gone as far as it well can-go.- ■ We lookforward to spme re-action setting in ■■ to the recent mania for•- separation displayed by our local bodies;, and," no I

doubt,, in time t.ho Houko and'the Government will be forced to face the, questionsnow raised by theMasterton Road Board; At present the House cares little and the Government less for- subjects of this character, .and while a railway scramble ocoupies public, attention, Road. Boards and their grievances are likely to be ignored.