TURUA ROADING SCHEME

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4525, 9 February 1923, Page 2

TURUA ROADING SCHEME

CHAIRMAN RESIGNS* A PROTEST. At Wednesday’s meeting of the Turin Town Board the chaii'man (Mr J, Bennett) reported on what had been done at the recent meetings of ratepayers which were held to discuss the reading scheme. Mr Bennett explained the position to date, giving details of the amount of time and money expended by himself, and said he had not had the support of the members of the Town Board, so would tender his resignation. Mr Bennett then left the chair.. Several members rose to speak, but gave way to Mr J. T. Davies, who stated that Mr Bennett had the confidence of the Board (cries of Heat, hear), and they would be very sorry to see him resign. They had never doubted his sincerity, and though they did not always,see eye to eye with him they recognised that, what he did was in the interests of the town. None of the members had had much experience on local bodies, and had a great deal to learn, but the general public had no idea of the difficulties and the amount of work necessary in a public office. At the last meeting the Town Board had been practically united in deciding to go to the ratepayers with their scheme. He was very sorry to see' Mr Bennett, resigning because he thought he had not the confidence of the Board. Mr Bennett said there should have been a full attendance of town board members at the ratepayers’ meetings. One question had to be brought up—that of defining the rating area—and he wished the ratepayers to do this. He would support the rpading scheme no matter what area was to be rated. He had considered his move thoroughly, and would not reconsider his decision. He wished to see the reading scheme go ahead. Mr Davies' said that, the matter tha; had held up the scheme was small' and of little importance. Mr Bennett repeated that he was prepared to support the scheme, whether the back area was included or not ; but when a meeting was called only two of the Town Board members had attended. Mr Gardiner appealed to Mr Bennett to resume the chair, at least to deal with the rest of the business of the meeting, but Mr Bennett said he had only attended that evennig to deal with the business with the Drainage Board. Mr Scott: “Do you mean to say you have not had the interest of the town at heart to night Mr Bennett: “I won’t stay after that.” Mr Bennett then left the room. Mr C. Scott said that his absence from meetings was on account of illhealth, and he had contemplated resigning for that reason, but did not want, to put the ratepayers to the expense of an election. The deputy-chairman (Mr C. A. Ansfcrd) then took the . chair and read Mr Bennett’s resignation, whicn was as under: — “I accepted nomination as a member of the above board convinced of the vital and urgent necessity of some permanent road scheme, and have given a good deal of time and gone to some expense ,in that, direction. As a protest against the indifference of the majority of the members of the Board I hereby tender mv resignation as a member of the Board.” Members were surprised to hear that Mr Bennett had resigned membership as well as the chairmanship, ■and desired that he should be asked to remain a member of the Board. Mr Mules proposed that a deputation wait upon Mr Bennett and ask him to reconsider his decision to resign his membership. The motion was seconded by Mr Ansford and carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr Olsen, seconded by Mr Stott, Messrs Ansford, Gardiner, Davies, and. Mules were appointed a deputation to wait on Mr Bennett. , THE BACK AREA. Mr Gardiner, -speaking as a deputy from the back area, said that since the last ratepayers’ meeting the settlers affected had had a meeting and decided that they would fall in witn the scheme provided there was no other opposition. He (Mr Gardiner) had submitted figures on the rating to the meeting, but the question was raised as to whether the rating for the loan was on the capital or the unimproved value. Mr Williams had had legal opinion that as the Town Board was still within the County of Hauraki Plains the rating must be on the unimproved value for the whole of the area as long ns that system was in force in the county. Mr Gardiner said it was an amazing fact that the scheme had been talked cf for so long, and everybody had assumed that the rating would be on the capital value. The Town Board could strike a general rate on the capital value, but rates for any loans were county matters, and therefore on the unimproved value. At the meeting of settlers referred to the following motion had been proposed by Mr Luke, seconded by Mr Ansford, and carried unanimously: “Seeing that the back area men are to be rated on the unimproved instead of the capital value, as suggested by the chairman of the Town Board, we withdraw all opposition to our back area being included in the proposed special road loan,”

Mr Gardiner pointed out that the 1 area affected, and the method of rating, had never been discussed at a: meeting of the Town Board. SCHEME CARRIED. Mr Gardiner moved,“That the roaming scheme as outlined at the last, meeting of the Town Board be forwarded to the County Council for their approval, and that the ratingarea be the Totyn Board area phis the' back areas of the farm sections in.' the Turua riding of the Hauraki’ Plains County adjoining the O.R.P. boundary, from Willow Drain to Duck Creek, the rating to be on the uhini--proved value.” * The motion was \ seconded by Ansford and carried unanimously. "3