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The making of roads was probably easier in central Canterbury than anywhere else in New Zealand. As a consequence, the road boards which had few functions apart from providing thorough-fares for mainly small districts did little beyond rough formation and the spreading of shingle. Because in general roads were useable enough without much attention, rates could be kept low and at times reducing them further became almost an obsession.

As has been shown, the road boards multiplied. By 1885 there were nine in place of the four when the county was formed.^[1] This proliferation expressed the determination of the ratepayers to avoid payments from which they did not directly benefit. When those in one half of a district thought that their board was spending proportionately more on works in the other half, or that more expenditure might be required there, it was not long before they asked for a new district. Even that was not sufficient protection for ratepayers’ pockets. Districts divided into wards for the same reason. Thus part of a district was able to shed its expenses on to its neighbours. The Beach Road for example was used by the majority of Wakanui farmers going to Ashburton, but its upkeep was paid for by No. 3 ward. Again the cost of maintaining Rawle’s Crossing over the river—apparently on the main route to the Upper Ashburton district—fell on the people of the Allenton ward who scarcely ever went near it.

Although administrative costs absorbed an unduly large proportion of the rates, boards saved money in a number of ways. A dispute at the annual meeting of Rangitata ratepayers in 1888 and a legal action arising from it revealed that the board did not employ a clerk, that C. J. Harper as chairman acted as returning officer, and that members authorised and supervised contracts. Supervision of contracts was probably common to all districts. But Harper found that he got small thanks for doing the clerk’s work. His contribution to saving enabled him to announce that no rate would be struck. As against this satisfactory information, he had not carried out his clerical duties to the satisfaction of E. G. Wright who turned up at the ratepayers’ annual meeting in a carping mood, nor of a contractor, who was not fully paid. Moreover, an appeal against Harper’s refusal to accept a late nomination led to a court action. The Rangitata district also saved by making few roads. It was freely said that the shingled thoroughfares served