within the town of Dunedin, and in, through, or upon the lands commonly called the Town Belt, which were thereby declared to be the limits of the town; and for liquidating the expense of all works authorized and resolved on by the Board, it could levy a rate upon all properties within the limits not specially exempted by the Act. Two years later, power was also conferred on the Board for revenue purposes to tax all vehicles using the streets for traffic, and to issue licenses authorising them to ply for hire.
The whole powers and machinery having been created, the registered electors for the town district in August 1855, made choice of the members of the first Town Board, who, having been duly installed in office, proceeded to take immediate steps to improve the condition of the town and promote the comfort of the residents.
Like other communities where liberty of judgment and free expression of opinion is allowed, there were battles, bloodless battles, to be fought. In Dunedin it was the battle of the streets, and it had three phases. First, every man who bought a section, even in the least accessible spot, loudly demanded that good access should at once be provided for him. These malcontents being discredited, their attack on the Board was of the lighter sort. The next was more formidable, and was over the levels and drainage. No systematic plan had been laid down as to permanent levels, for very valid reasons; there was no available talent to work out a suitable plan, and if there had been, no cash in the exchequer to pay the labourer for his hire. Hence, some houses which had in the dim past been built on piles, or were, as a wag of the day described them, "dwellings on stilts," had now the door-steps level with the street, and others that had in the same misty bygone times been built level with the surface, had now the "croon o' the causeway" topping their eaves. Darkness had been made light in some places, in others light had been made darkness. The diversion of the streams had made some sections desert which formerly were well watered, and old dry places of the earth were now morasses. Actions were on all sides threatened, and what could the Board do but remain dormant? Such would have been the case, on the principle that "keepin' a quiet sough things would settle
