Meeting of POhangina Ratepayers

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 25, 16 August 1892, Page 2

Meeting of POhangina Ratepayers

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) B Mr Lucas took the chair at the above meeting of ratepayers held at the schoolhouse on Saturday afternoon. Thirtyeight were present. Speaking on the 1 separation question the Chairman said 3 f that every jot and tittle required by law I had been complied with, and the petition is now waiting (as it has been for some i time) for the Governor's signature. It ij has first to pass through the hands of Sir P. Buckley. No doubt it is snugly en--1 Bconced m one of the many pigeon holes attached to the office. The Chairman B was of opinion that it ought not to be allowed to R.LP. any longer, and that c the best plan for the settlers to adopt 9 would be to send a deputation, and let it see the business through before it leaves. 3 The complaints reaching the Kiwitea " Road Bourd from the Awahou and adjoining country as to the state of their ' tracks, were well founded. The only ' way to improve matters is to get this 3 everlasting separation question settled ; they would then be able to convert tracks and mud holes iuto roads. The loan proposals for roads for Awahou, a poll for which was taken on 10th May, ' 1890, were not carried, for out of the 40 who might have voted only 10 came to 1 the poll. All now see the mistake then | made. It is supposed that the estimate then made for tue Main road would re- ' inaiu the same, viz, £2500 for 630 chains, 1 It is proposed that this road shall be ! formed aud metalled out of the first loan of £3000 which can be borrowed as soon as separation is a fait accompli. This is \ the proper time to get roads formed, that thej can be metalled in summer. The interest on £3000 at 5 per cent (which under the Loans to Local Bodies Act extinguished principal and interest in 26 1 years), £150 a year, would be paid bj the thirds accruing from the Awahou block through which the road will run. The Chairman said it was very easy to talk about getting the thirds from Government but was difficult to obtain them. At present the Road Board had to send down word where the money is to be spent, and a great many folios of writing had to go to and fro, and after all that the money does not come. A scheme is under way to alter this system, and the thirds will be paid to the Local Body pro viding the settlers sign a paper requiring it. The money will then be received in a lump sum by the Road Board and applied to the payment of the interest on loans, any balance will be allowed to accumulate in the bauk to pay interest after the thirds cease. Mr Lucas explained that a special rate would have to be struck to cover the interest as a security for the Government, but that with the financing of thirds in the manner just described, it would not be called up. Settlers would thus get their roads without any extra cost to themselves for about eight years. * La fiyo years the thuds

from Awuhou would come aud in 3or 4 years after the accumulated interest would be used up, after which the properties being all in working order the rate would full comparatively lightly. Up to the present the thirds of a large portion of the properties up river have not been applied for, and another portion from the Ruahine Ward thirds, has gone towards lDipvoving tho Feilding Special Settlement. One reason why we separate is that the new country on our side wants all the money that can legally be borrowed in it, spent for roads and bridges, J aud another reason is that whereas the Kiwitea Road Board had for years about £2000 to its credit at the bank, it has now an overdraft of £2000. The meeting was glad to hear that our Warden's ward was free of debt, so that no hindrance will arise on that score. Messrs Arbon and Lucas were authorised to go to Wellington on Monday as a deputation to urge on the signing of the separation petition, and report to a meeting of the residents at the schoolhouse on Saturday, August 27th, at 2 o'clock. Those present agreed to pay the cost between them.