ALFREDTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2437, 28 October 1886, Page 2

ALFREDTON.

[Fuoman occasional Correspondent.] The attitude assumed by the Alfredton settlers towards the present County administration, I see, has already borne fruit within the Council itself. How long will County ratepayers generally continue to pay heavy County rates, when a much smaller rate economically administered would suffice? In years gone by a good County system was a necessity, and the argument about Crowij Lauds to open up, &c., &e,, was quite a reasonable and a true one; but is this argument any longer a trood one? For, has not the Council deprived itself of this source of revenue, and how ? By its extreme extravagance, coupled with its arrogance in attempting to dictate to the Government. Why should not now the sensible example of tho West County be followed lii that of practically suspending itself, so far as rating and road maintenance is concerned, and does that Bame County suffer in consoquouco ? No! 011 the contrary. Settlers aro satisfied with the arrangement, And why, let me ask, should not this north end of the Wairarapa follow a good example l Much more digiiified would this bo than tho indignity of the present begging position, in its acknowledged inability to maintain even 0110 of the arterial roads in the County, I notice a growl from your Tenui correspondent, which predicts, if 1 mistake not, breakers ahead for the County derelect. If I mistake not if one riding more than another has received a lion's share from the County chest, it is this said Riding. Mistaken or not as 1 may be in this, I promise that wo on this side intend for the future to keep an eagle's eyo on tho pence and then wo shall have no fear for the pounds. Pahiatua is very raw 011 the County Chairman's non-visit, a joke on the part of the local Star. I have 110 doubt tho Star intensified the joke by printing what seemed to me a semi-official apoloey, by giving a3 tho reason, that tho Alfredtou Riding was at the timo minus a representative, as if the Riding was or mild ie without a representative, 1 will try and explain the reason of the noil visit to Pahiatua thus: That district will have none of the County, The ratepayers thore have too much County already, in the shape of paying a farthing rata for what? For nothing, How could this farthing in the £ representing, I should

think, considerably;.over £IOO a yeaf: to the district. iW .would the money suit 1 say in the Road Board chest or the pockets' of the ratepayqra? Ponder this ye ' Pahiatua pioneers.. How would it suit the Eketahuna district to retain in that district the three farthings paid to the Council, find maintain the eight miles of the Alfredton road within the Eketahuna district themselves! I will put it thusEkutahunii and Alfredton districts have one maintenance man between them, for this three.tabbing rate.. Eketahuna cani have one man to. itself, and the cost would be § of a penny iiwtaad of- |d, just oim half of the cost, and a whole man instead of one half of one; Alfredton ditto. I may have something to say about the othor division of the County nuxt time. ..