KAIRANGA COUNTY ROADS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 59, 3 December 1919, Page 2

KAIRANGA COUNTY ROADS

PROPOSED LOANS FOR IMPROVEMENTS. 'By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.' Palmerston North, December 2. A meeting of ratepayers of Kairanga County was held at. Te Arakura School, Cameron's Line, last night, to hear particulars of the proposed loans of .£IO,OOO on which a poll is to bo taken on December 11. The proposal is to . borrow 53500 for treating the Foxton Line road surfaco with tar and bitumen, and widening tho road so treated to 29 feet; .£3OOO. for similarly treating tho Napier road, and ,£3500. for Itangitikei Line, widening the roads so treated to 20 feet. The first loan is for Taonui Riding, the - second for Mangaono Riding, and the third for the two riding;) jointly. ■ The money would be obtained at li percent, interest, and 1 per cent, sinking fund. For tho first amount the special rate to be struck would be one-twentieth .of a penny in tho pound in Taonui Riding; oh. the second loan one-fourteenth of a penny in the pound in Ufangaone Ridin". On the third'loan ona-fortieth of a penny in the pound in Taonui Riding, and one-twenty-fourth of a penny in the, pound'in'Mangaono Ridijjg. The meeting- was presided over by Mr. J. Linklater (chairman of the Kairanga County Council)'and Mr. A. M. Wright (County ■Engineer) was also present. The chairman pointed out that with the changed condition due to the introduction of motor traffic, it was absolutely imperative to cater for better roads. The present system was most extravagant and costly. The council's, idea was to adopt the tar-scaling . principle for the roads of the county, so that whatever material was put on the surface would bo kept here permanentlv. They alren.dv had a stretch of this surface on the Foxton lioad, put down eighteen months ago, and it had cost only 2-ls. for maintenance. It took a trem'eritfousaniount of traffic, and 'showed but litC<s sign of wear. With tar-sealed roads tho cost to the council would not bo more than with tho present gravelled roads, and they would have a good surface, with'hardly ahy advance in expenditure. Owners of- motor-cars would save the cost, 'of contribution towards the 'loans,''.because "a"smooth surface would be provided,;'find tyres '.would, last much -longer and less-lx>nzine would be necessary: Those'with vehicles drawn - by horses would save equally by less draft and wear and tear, In advocating these loans ho maintained that he was advocating'an economic policy, because if they were not carried it would mean that rates would have to be. increased-to provide for increased cost of construction. Sir. Linlilater pointed out that the county expenditure had increased from .£11,862 for the year ending March, 1908, to <£IS,BOS for the year ended last March. Tho total cost of tve loan to llangaone Riding would only be-.£200 per annum, and tho council now often spent more than that on a metalling contract. Concrete roads were advocated by some, but the cost of putting down Rangitikoi and Foxton lines and the Napier roads in the county boundaries wo.uld be, for a road 18 feet wide and 5 inches thick, about .£88,500, and the interest and sinking fund on that amount would be Tho cost of the tar and bitumen wad proposed to be adopted would', be about JC32.000, and the interest and sinking found would bo ,£1782 per year. Ho urged the ratepayers to support the loans, and pointed out that the indebtedness of the county at present was not great, having 'been reduced from <£89,033 in. 1012 to £31,138 at the present time. ■ The engineer having explained matters from the practical point of view, several of those present expressed their intention to assist in getting tho loans carried, and a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers closed tho meeting.