KIWITEA ROAD DISTRICT

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 116, 25 March 1890, Page 2

KIWITEA ROAD DISTRICT

.-(.'v „ , SEPARATION; ■_. ■ , r: ; ...- TO THE RIIITOR «>P THE STAR. Sir,— As the cry ibrr " separation '" seems to be the order of the day, Will you allow me to give a. few items for 1 the information of the settlers in the Kiwitea. .." ;First : ;The Pohangma ;Rbad District (if made into a Board) will consist of the country on the eastern side ; of the Oroua River, now in the Kiwitea' Road District. This takes in the Harbor Board Block, the Feilding and Foxton Small Farm Settlements, and about as much unsold land (now coming into the market) as that; already sold. It will be divided into ; five wards, and then the settlers will get a member to look > after .their particular wants. The valuation of the Pohangina "Ward when I took office (and which comprised the same piece of country) was £34,100. Now it is £120,982, having thus increased £86,882, and is likely to double itself again in the ne;xt;three years. The annual valuation of the whole Kiwitea Road District, when . '.K., .became a . member of the Board, was £130,505. The Pohangina District is now £120,982, \ so you will see that the Pohangina has •grown to be as big as its parent. The valuation of the whole of the Kiwitea Boad District at present is £360,796, with^ an income from rates alone of £1502'ils~ lOd; The income from rates alone in the Pohangina District is £410 8s 6d. I mean by rates, the. rat€iß, which the settlers pay only. As to the expense of working the proposed new Board, I do not see that they need increase very much from what we contribute to the- . present Board. If the Kiwitea Boad Board could lie worked on a valuation of £130,505, surely the Pohangina can be worked on £120,982, an amount which will largely increase each year. , Another important fact in favor of separation, at least from my point of view, is this: The total valuation of four wards, viz., Kimbolton, Oroua, Waituna and Makino is £111,151. This means, on any matter, important or reverse, four votes to one. But, however, the main object of the movement is to get roads for the settlers. The Kiwitea' Road Board; has no less than five special settlements within its boundaries (the Pohangina will take two of them) ; the people there want roads as Well as the rest of the settlers. You cannot make roads by rates, but you can do so by borrowing as much money as your rates will pay the "interest for without further taxing the people. From this the present Road; Board is debarred by is limited borrowing powers, and the large demands on it for money to make roads. For instance, the Board now. requres £16,000, , but it can oniy get iJ3OOO . in any one year. ■ I may say that I am not in favor of small Boards, but the question for the settlers to consider is this (and it lies entirely with them as we have to get twothirds of the signatures of the whole of the ratepayers in the district to go out) : Is it better to be in a small Board and get roads,' or to be in a large .Board and; get no roads ? That is the question. Now, fellow settlers, work it but for yourselves.—l am, Ac, I •: G. B. Lucas.