POLITICAL REFORM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2670, 22 August 1889, Page 2

POLITICAL REFORM.

TO THE EDITOII. Sin,—l have noticed in your c ilnmns lately several letters.upon the above subject, and notably a very good one in to-day's issue by Mr Hermann, Pateraogi. He is quite right iu saying that we uinnot d< i away with taxes, we have spent the principal and must now pay the interest, and I do not see why property, that has iu many cases been rendered so much more valuable by the expenditure should not piy ib-i quota toward . the taxes as well as what we eat, drink and wear. Wa should by rigid retrenchment and economy place the colony upon a sound basis, and then capital would How in, in spite of the Property-tax. Why, Sir, is it necessary we should have two local rating bodies doing practically the same work ? I mean the County Council and the Koad Boards. 1 cannot see why the County Council cannot look after all the roads in the district as look after those they have charge of. The engineer rides over the whole district, and the collector either calls upon, or posts collecting notes to, the same people. I understand that the cost of working the road districts i:i the Waipa County last year were from 15 to GO per jont. of what was actually spent on^ the roads in repairing or new formations. This, Sir, is more than we can afford, and as 1 thiuk the Comity Council can do thn necessary work much better than the road districts, it is quito time tho latter were swept away. Retrenchment begins at home and this matter needs looking into, I hope there will be some correspondence upon it. —I remain, yours, etc. Rout N. Buttle. Innesfallon, Ohaupo, August 20th.