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Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1077, 21 April 1882, Page 2

So much hag been said in connection with the proposed Municipality that we did not intend to make any further remarks, but to leave those concerned to exercise their own judgment without further argument. It is, however, necessary to briefly reply to some statements made in connection with the subject, and having done so let the question rest till the ratepayers have decided the issue. It is alleged that tho formation of a Borough would disturb the good relations existing between Reefton and the country districts, What possible ground can there be for such an allegation ? The Borough would not affect the country districts one iota, for as to the insinuation that tollgates would be erected

and tolls imposed, such a thing would only be dreamt of by people utterly unfit to be councillors, and could never be carried out. With reference to £400 being amply sufficient to pay the necessary staff, we will undertake to procure requisite officers for that annual sum. In respect to the income to be derived, the figures of our contemporary are completely astray, and the amount would be more than double without having recourse to any of the oppressive bye-laws or other illegitimate or vexatious means of raising revenue. If the Borough be formed, and proper application made to Parliament, it will be easy to get a handsome land endowment that alone will give a revenue, whilst the rental of reserves till needed for use would at least temporarily swell the Municipal income. The Wellington City Council only last year applied for and obtained an endowment of nearly 50,000 acres of land, which almost immediately returned them a very handsome sum, and in years to come will nearly relieve the ratepayers of all ordinary jstes, and though fc&eefton could not such a splendid* grant, it would 'lo^Dtkissly^Dbtain^one in proportion to its importance. T|(is source of income has evidently the count of the Borough's opponents. With refererce to money spent in Reefton by the Council, we spoke of the expenditure of the last year or so, and not of that undertaken years ago. There never was a desire to deny that the County Conncil has done good work, and river protection was one of their best efforts. Now, however they are not likely to do more in a hurry. With respect to borrowing £20,000, that was only put as a nominal sum, for the probability is that not one half of it would be required, whilst the interest, 7 per cent, is altogether out of the way. The highest rate paid in the colony is 6 per cent, and money can be obtained in large sums for even less. Even supposing that paid, the annual interest would only be £600, whilst the blessing of good drainage and water supply, both for health's sake and the protection of property, would surely be ten times worth it As to saying that £2,500 is now annualy spent in Reefton, or within the proposed municipal limits, such a statement is utterly opposed to facts. That large sums have been spent, we cannot deny. What we urge is that, now the town is advanced enough to become a borough, it will better spend its money itself than the the County Council can do, that there are no grounds, or cause whatever, for a Borough Council to impose harsh or vexatious bye-laws, and that it will be to the great benefit of every resident, should a municipality be created. If it be alleged that the pro posed Borough Council cannot obtain the the necessary funds for a water supply, how. can the County Council do so, even crediting that body with the best intentions ? The income of a borough from all sources, supplemented by a land endowment, will be quite sufficient to meet all charges, and to do so it will not be necessary to bring into existence tolls, gravel charges, or other ridiculous bogies that have been created, in order to dissuade the public from erecting 8 municipality for their own good. As we stated before, enough has been said on the subject, it now remains for the ratepayers to say, by their signatures, whether they will, or will not emancipate themselves from the County Council and govern themselves, or whether they prefer to perpetuate the reign of misrule to which they have of late been so unpleasantly subjected.