BIDINGS DISAFFECTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4482, 20 October 1922, Page 2

BIDINGS DISAFFECTION.

Sir, —In the "Gazette” issue of Oct ober 4 appeared a letter pver the signature of “A Balkan Resident” dealing with the administration methods of the Hauraki Plains County Council, to which I would like to reply. The moderate tone he adopted is in pointed contrast to the bitter nature of the criticism levelled at the Council by extremists in his locality and elsewhere- I feel he Is in error upon every count. First, he credits me with saying “Turua turned down their roading scheme, and the same thing applied to Netherton.” I certainly did say Turua turned dpwn their roading scheme, but the connection with Netherton was not made there. My reference to Turua ended with “they are quibbling about no thing, and the same thing applies to Netherton.” If "Balkan Resident” looks up the "Gazette” report of the meeting he will note that I asked for information regarding the moneys available for expenditure from the Netherton Roads loan.

Regarding Netherton’s .credit balance, every Netherton ratepayer should know that this credit!was.absorbed jn legitimate expenditure, and that the Council’s books have to pass an inquisitorial Government auditor who works upon a system of double entry to check every detail of expenditure. Netherton’s credit disappeared in their share of general expenses, riding expenses, and Kikuta’a quarry. We all know how hard it is to keep on the credit side of the ledger. Almost every corporation and individual has had at some time a credit which surely developed an uncanny knack of merging into a debit. You can’t have your cake and eat <t, too. He inquires “How is, it that the councillors could not give us this information at a recent meeting there,” and then proceeds to quote the county clerk’s figures covering the matter. I presume he wished for a detailed account. If any information is required by a ratepayer and details specified the county clerk will be pleased to supply it. It is certainly unusual and unreasonable to expect the councillors to bring a sackful ofl statements, invoices, and Vouchers with a staff of sorters, to handle a business that has spread over a period of three years.

Netherton has not a debit balance of £2OOO. ' On April 1, 1922, they started off scratch. Their debit was funded in the antecedent liability and spread oyer the whole county Your correspondent has given a distorted version of Wilsons’ Road expenditure. Granted that the work cost £7 5s per chain, on £lO 5s per chain, it is not , at all a question pf Cost per Chain, but value for money expended. “Balkan Resident” makes it appear that only ordinary formation work was done, covering, say, 30 feet. It is a fact that Wilson's Road was formed to a width of 59 feet. In addition there was a tremepdous amount of stumping to be done, the contract price for which was £199 10s. Also a road drain—contract price £164 Bs, with timber and fascining to support drain banks, £l7 3s lid. Admitting the correctness of these figures, "A Balkan Resident” must realise that this class ofl work could not be, and never was, done by the Ohinemuri County Council, even jh the days of cheap labour, for 32s z 6d per chain.

Re cost of metal, 34s 6d per; yard. The county clerk could Have put this item in a more favourable light had be cared to deceive the ratepayers. That cost covers 1 depreciation of plant, overhead charges, and incidentals that might not be chargeable upon another metalling job. This co'-t was never charged to the Netherton Riding account, but to the general account, of which Netherton. finds about ope-third. Of course, seven miles 'of road was never tom to pieces to put metal on to 10 chains. The road in question was knocked up before the metalling commenced. All the Plains roads have bad foundations, and the oldest inhabitant cannot say where the mud is till he drops through, a faulty thatch and discovers that what appeared yesterday to be a splendid highway is to-day a vista of potholes stretching into the distance. The Netherton ratepayers required metal urgently, and their riding representatives went to the source of supply most readily available in an honest endeavour to supply their requirements, and rightly so. At that particular time metal was not obtainable by water. It is traffic that breaks up all roads, and traffic is constantly increasing on Netherton roads'. Regarding the last asking for a poll on the bridge proposals, surely “A Balkan Resident” can see that this is now impossible as far as the present council is concerned. Had the council when discussing the bridge question thought that the ratepayers as a whole, or even a considerable body of them, would Have desired a poll they certainly would not have made bridges a county matte*' without consulting those .whose rates they control. After the decision was come to there was a principle involved. The' Limits to which councillors can go without reference to the ratepayers are defined by statute. The Hauraki pi.ains County has never passed those boundaries. No councils lor with any backbone or faith in his judgment would consider for a moment the question of hawking a proposition to the poll after it had been decided in council. Would “A Balkan Resident” question the Council's r.ight to fix the general rate, and where would he suggest drawing the line ? Some Netherton enthusiasts desire to return to Ohinemuri. This appears to be an impossibility, for Netherton arguments in favour of the formation of the Hauraki Plains County were so well founded that they “have burnt their bridges behind them.”

The opinion is steadily growing that Netherton is being used to pull Turua chestnuts out of the fire. If the Council is' not moving to your liking, don't go on. the warpath, but meet the offenders and state your case. Satisfaction lays in that direction. I take this opportunity of dealing

with a reported meeting of the Turua Ratepayers’ Association' and statements emanating from that l’ oajr ' (^“ e chairman objected to the term Ba kans of the Plains” being applied to them. It. was certainly not applied to the latepayers generally, but to the extreme section in Turua. and Netherton, and was the outcome of natural resentment at what I consider the unfair tactics adopted. Let it stand, A member objected to the holes in tlie road being filled “mud.” No doubt it was clay. During the summer months it is a good substitute for met.ai. The engineer gave no positive instructions to have, this done. Reference was made to my action in opposing the bridge, proposal in council and afterwards bringing a petition from Patetonga in favour of it. I was quite consistent. The “big action” arose from a—discussion that centred upon a notice of motion to fix the Kirikiri bridge rating area to include Patetonga, I objected to the inclusion of that riding, as the ratepayers there would derive ho, benefit for the most part. The meeting went a step further, and a proposition was tabled making all bridges a county matter. Ever th'ougn a promise was given to build as required in the Patetonga riding the following bridges, Maukoro deviation, Pa'tetongl (tramway), and Ngarua, I opposed the measure, as I considered an injustice was being done to"Tahuna, the ratepayers of that riding having no use for any of the Plains bridges and requiring no bridges within their area. When the secession of Ta'huna to the Piako Countv was made possible I had liberty to examine the position as it' affected Patetonga. Pate.tonga must benefit by the Bridges Policy, for, in addition to the structures mentioned, there will be eventually a bridge at Maungawherp Road, and another at the Maukoro Landing road. These are all inexpensive bridges, but will serve even as Kirikiri. I have heard no objection to the bridges proposal in my riding. As it does not take the Patetonga ratepayers long to decide upon local political issues I take it that they are/satisfied, and will “stick to the bridge that carries them over.” It is really a case of distorted mentality to say in one breath that’ a body is autocratic and weak kneed. A further statement was made to ths effect that “all the noisy section was put. into one riding.” This is merely a coincidence. The riding boundaries were fixed upon a valuation basis, and values are within a few pounds of one another. If Turua ratepayers feel that they have a grievance in that respect the Council will, if approached, readily consider an adjustment. The chairman asked that mam roads be county matters if our bridges be such, Such an arrangement would be quite unfair in principle. Many of our main roads are laid upon country that is still subsiding, and will be for m.any years—country that is thick with timber, and altogether 1 unsuitable for, qarry-

ing metal. Surely it would be inflicting a hardship to compel people residing in those localities to meta! Turua roads, foij instance, where conditions favour permanent j-cad formation and yet offer nothing in return ? One objection raised to the Kirikiri bridge was that it would mean a main road through to the Waikato and upkeep costs would increase. Truly a perverted idea of the meaning of progress. Thus 1 , ratepayers would object to the erection of a factory in their midst on the grounds that their roads were detrimentally affected, Turua has “hitched her waggon io a star,” and must recognise the responsibilities entailed. Turua’s friendship for Netherton wanes when the latter desires to secede to Ohinemuri. Not that way out, please. Of course I agree they are wanted. When the Antecedent Liability Act came into force Tuma broadcasted a debit of over £2OOO, and that is where Netherton came in. It is evident to many that the objection of Turua to the Kirikiri bridge is not bridge policy at all, but the knowledge that a decent margin of mudflat on the north renders it possible for Turua to compete with Thames as the port for Hauraki Plains. The Thames Harbour Board has magnanimously provided them with the sinews of war. Mention was made regarding'the resignation of a Netherton represenattive., This gentleman spoke of long before the present crisis, and for private reasons. To-day’s trouble has nothing whatever to dp with his action. Netherton has been, well served by her councillors, who have at all times taken the keenest interest in their riding business. The last Word reported was to the effect that the council has “put us in a hot corner.” It may be a hot.corner, but, the Council never put them there. When one looks down upon the Plains the eye is arrested by a tracery of rivers’ and mountain streams that require tp be bridged. And the canals of the future will require bridges. In no county in New Zealand are ths conditions so. distinctly uniform and favourable to a policy that makes bridges a charge against the genera! account Is this not the business of the Council ? When ratepayers arc assured tha.t the benefits will be'universal and the rate equally distributed, why object ? On the other hand, a policy that made roads a county matter would' be ridiculous. Those who had to be content with formed roads would certainly prptest at having to pay for the other fellow’s macadam. Metal is wholly a matter for the ratepayers concerned. No council can metal roads out of rates. Let • those who desire gbpd roads form themselves into rating areas, and *f the Council is satisfied that interest and sinking fund is assuredJihey will, have metal. Bad roads are a reflection upon the ratepayers. Bridges appear to be the bbnte of contention in certain quarters just at present but it seems to me that Kirikiri is the nerve-racker of them all. Take heart, Turua, it may not be built for years, so “don’t cross your bridge before you come to it.” J. F. MAYN. Patetonga.