THE Manawatu Times FRIDAY, FEB. 16, 1883.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 188, 16 February 1883, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times

FRIDAY, FEB. 16, 1883.

" Worda are things,- gnd £ drop of ink falling Ukf dew upon a thought, pi^pces that which make; thousands, perhaps raj^Ks think. '

At the request of several ratepayers, we explain the provisions of Part 11. of " Hie "oads BHdgos Construction Act," renting to grants for district roads and river works. Section 21 provides for £100,000 of money to be set apart from the Public Works Fund during the present year for " The District Roads A ccount," This £ L 00.,000 is to give the fund "a start," given to the Treasurer to borrow a sum of £100,000 from certain funds m the hands of the Government, but as the, principle of this part of the Act is that of loans to be repaid by the borrowing local body, the fund, having once been started, is intended to be self-supporting, the money returning to the Treasury and being loaned again, and; so on from time to time. When a local body desires to obtain a grant under this part of the Act, it has to apply to the Minister m just the same manner as application is made for grants for main roads, that is to say, plans have to be prepared according 'to the standard adopted by Government, esti^ mates sent m, th? consent of* the ratepaye s obtained, a special rate levied to repay the amount, and so forth. The difference betwefn grants for main roads and for district roads is that wll^3 for the former Government give three-fourths of the amount l-equired, for the latter they give nothing, but merely lend. Hence, before obtaining a grant for district roads, the local body must hand the Treasurer fifteen debentures, each Representing nine per cent, on the amount borrowed, payable yearly, thus repaying the loan m that time, with interest at about 8 per cent. It is as well to bear this m mind, as there is a common opinion that loans under tbe district roads part of : fjhe Act are free of interest. There are of course a large number of district roads m the Manawatu County which need forming and metalling, and the Highways Board should take early steps to get plans, estimates, &c, prepared, m order to apply for grants m aid of their construction at the next half-yearly distribution; of funds under the Act m June.