NETHERTON ROADING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4617, 24 October 1923, Page 4

NETHERTON ROADING.

OPPOSITION TO SCHEME. QUESTION OF COST. Opposition to the permanent reading seneme was expressed at a meetnig of the Netherton Ratepayers’ Association on Saturday evening, when Crs. J. C. Miller, H. Hare, and W. Madgwick, Mr E. Walton (county clerk) and Mr J. Higgins (county engineer) were present by invitation. Mr T. Vowles presided over an attendance of about 30. Tn opening the meeting Mr Vowles said it was desirable that further consideration be given the reading scheme. In his opinion the rates required would be too much for ratepayers to stand. The scheme should be modified. He asked Mr Walton if he would explain the position. Mr Walton : “I. have been aisked to supply this meeting with a number of figures regarding loans affecting Netherton riding, and, with the permission of my chairman,, I am going to add a few remarks on the question. First let me congratulate your association on the progressive spirit it has shown in an almost unanimous decision to go on with a comprehensive scheme for the permanent roading of the riding. I understand that the figures I am aboutj to give you have been for I>y the few ratepayers who are opposed to this progressive movement. Being prejudiced against the proposal, no doubt their purpose is to wreck it by drawing across the trail a red herring-—a device frequently used in debate. But I want to warn you beforehand against being misled. The red herring I refer to is the question of county bridges. They will tell you that the bridges will cost you %d in the £, that the river improvement will cost you so much in the £, that the existing machinery loan will cost you %d in the £, that the new machinery loan will cost you %d in the £, and I know not what else. Then, on top of this, the roading scheme. Now, all .these figures do not help you to decide whether you need good, permanent roads. This is the point at issue: Are permanent roads essential to your well-being and progress ? The best answer is that your own association has said ‘yes.’ What is the best type of road to ensure this end in the Netherton district)? The experience of road engineers, the press, and your own association has stated emphatically, ‘bitumen.’ There is no need to enlarge upon the benefits of this surface treatment; they are too well known and accepted by the experts to require that. I will therefore pass *to the ways and means. The engineer’s estimate as first given for all the roads was £4'2,500 —this included bitumen treatment for the main road. That for the wholje of the roads treated with bitumen is £52,500, a difference of £lO,OOO. Against this is to be set off tihe proportion of the existing authority for the Netherton Roads Loan, which affects an area greater than the existing Netherton riding. This proportion is £6200. Therefore the amount, of authority required tor the whole of the roads in bitumen is £46,300. For the main road in bitumen and the rest in water-bound macadam it is £36,300. You will notice that these sums do not allow for any subsidy. It is necessary to put the proposal on the assumption that there will, be none, so that the position which arose with regard to the old 'loan will not recur. But, while absolutely necessary, ifj is somewhat misleading to put the loan in such form. There are subsidies on the estimates now amounting to £3tOO, and this will, of course, come off the actual money which will be raised.

“This question of subsidies is of the utmost) importance, and is the key tothe whole position. For a proper understanding of this question it ’s necessary to know the Public Works Department’s policy. The Minister has stated this tp be as follows. Speaking of the road votes, he is reported in the ‘Herald’ as follows: ‘Next came the introduction of what is known in the Department as the automatic system of allocating votes for roads' and bridges to various Public Works districts. The factors which determine the amounts for each district were area, population, rates collected, loan charges, mileage of open roads, cost of completing roads (including allowance for accessibility of medal and climatic condi-. tions), and value of undeveloped Crown and Native lands.’ ‘‘Now you can apply any or all of these tests, and the Hauraki Plains show ample in favour of getting subsidies. While in Wellington with the chairman, the Minister told us that the Department mostly confined subsidies to new metalling, and it did not give subsidies to remetalling. But when it was pointed out to him that the Turua loan was for remetalling and treating the surface with bitumen he agreed to give a subsidy of 5s in the £. The bitumen made all the difference. “Coining now to figures. I have prepared a comparative statement on the subject as between bitumen and water-bound macadam as ii would be affected by subsidies. The rate in tho £ is that which would require to be collected —a point which must not he forgotten; the rate to be collected is always less than that struck as security. I have calculated interest at 6 per cent (it may be possible to get the money at 5% per cent) and 1 per cent sinking fund. “Bitumen roads, no subsidy: Loan £46,300 ; rate 5%d. “Main road bitumen, rest waterbound macadam, no subsidy: Loan £36,300 ; rate 4 l-3d. “Bitumen roads, 5,s in £ subsidy: Loan £34,700; rate 4 l-20d. (Note we have a quarter of tihis in respect of three toads only.) “Bitumen roads, 5s in the £ subsidy for remetalling, 10s in the £ for new metalling: Loan £28,500'; rate 3 l-3d. “In conclusion I sum up the whole position by saying: Don’t be sidetracked by others; each one of you examine the position for himself. Do

you want good roads or not ? That is the whole issue. There is no third alternative. Support bitumen, the approved surface treatment —it means success ; the other failure. Support Cr. Hare in his constructive criticism. Take an active interest in the expenditure of .the loan. Lastly, insist by every means in your power that the Council pursues a vigorous campaign for those subsidies.”

In reply to Mr Simpson, Mr Walton .said that a greater subsidy than 10s in the £ had been given in some cases, and in reply to Mr Whisker he said that a bigger subsidy should »e available for the Awaiti roads.

In reply to Mr Whisker, Mr Walton said that the difference in the cost per chain of various roads was accounted for by .the amount of the old Netherton loan in hand. The proposed loan would be supplementary, and in addition to the old loan, the rate on which, when it was all raised, would be l%d in the £. The proposed loan would not require a 6d rate.

Mr T. Vowles said that with the river improvement and other ratjes settlers would have to pay £1 an acre. He thought the scheme too comprehensive, and suggested that only the main road should be bituminised. The other roads would be, be sufficient with metal. He was sure that the loan would then be supported unanimously. Mr Simpson pointed out that at a previous meeting Mr. Vowles had been, favourable to a comprehensive scheme. He asked why he had changed. Mr Vowles said that the present scheme was too big, and he could not pay the rates. Mr IV. Madgwick said he was surprised at the change of opinion from bitumen to ordinary metalled roads. He asked if the ratepayers could not afford to finish their roads with bitumen. The cost would be only about id more, and would last, if properly, attended to, for ever. He quoted the cases of the Taranaki counties in regard to the lightness of the rates for bitumen roads.

Mr J. Reid said that the proposition was to get a loan carried. In his opinion the main road only should be; of bitumen, and the others ordinary macadam. These back roads only carried light traffic, and ordinary metal would last for as long as the present ratepayers. Mr H. Hare said that he had previously advocated this, but was now whole-heartedly in favour of all bitumen, The figures Mr Walton had given showed that considering the subsidies that woufljd be available for all bitumen road this scheme would cost Id in the £ less than the waterbound macadam for by-roads and bitumen for the main roads proposition. A .saving of a pound butterfat on the cost of bream cartage and Hie saving on running repairs to farmers’ vehicles would pay their rates, and settlers would have the advantage ofr being less in the backblocks than at present. The extra comfort would be worth something. Mr Madgwick said that two pieces of road in the county had been put down at the same time. The Turua Road, put down in bitumen, was as good as when laid, while there were two furrows down the metal at Troughton’s. Huirau Road had to be remetalled within three years. Mr Vowles asked when the bitumen road would be laid down providing the loan was carried, and how would the money be spent.

Mr Higgins said that he would advocate the Council having the work done by its, own staff. Mr Reid thought that the scheme was too big, and moved that the resolution passed at the previous meeting that all the roads be of bitumen, be rescinded. Mr T. Vowles seconded. Mr Jamieson said it appeared that the only opponents to the scheme were residents on the main road, which wou'tyl be of bitumen. Mr Simpson pointed out that the back roads settlers would bring in subsidies and grants. He appealed to the settlers to look at the matter from a moral point of view. By passing the resolution they would become the laughing stock of the country. The Netherton Ratepayers' Association had been right against the County Council, and was hindering itj as much as possible. NowJpr once they were doing something for the benefit of the whole district and the present resolution was a direct reversal. The councillors and the engineer had given their advice from a business standpoint, It would be a disgrace for the ratepayers. to say that they were too poverty-stricken to pay their rates. Mr G. Death said that it was useless to put down metal without finishing with bitumen, but; his opinion was that the ratepayers could not pay the rates. Mr J. Reid said that he would like to see the proposal modified to ensure that the poll wOuld.be carried. That was his reason for moving the resolution. Mr Hare said that in ordinary circumstances a notice of motion was required to rescind a resolution. Mr W. Madgwlck said that in Turua a certain section had been against the proposal, so had been cut l out of the area. Now they had gone in for a scheme of their own which was costing over 2s an acre more. Mr J. C. Miller pointed out that the difference between the all bitumen proposal and the bitumen and ordinary macadam proposal was less than one penny. Mr Madgwick said that the extra penny would make all the difference. Ho asked that they consider the compensation of the lesser cost of maintenance, the comfort, and the less cost of repairs to vehicles. Mr Hare said he was now of opinion that the bitumen was worth half the road. The Wharepoa-Kerepeehi road had had thousands spent on it, yet just recently it, had required repairing every few yards/ He thought) that a bitumen or concrete road would be the only road worth while on the Plains. The bitumen road would mean much greater subsidies. Ho had met a man recently who was coming to the Plains to purchase land, but on seeing the state of -he roads he had turned back after go-

ing two miles, stating that he would not have the land if it were given to him free. On .the resolution being put to the meeting it was carried by 13 votes to 5. Mr Jamieson said that the meeting was not.a representative one. If the ratepayers of the Southern Area had had any idea of such a meeting they would have been present. Mr Hare said that the previous meeting had been unanimously in fvaour of bitumen. Mr S. Taytor said that there was no question that bitumen would be the better proposition. Settlers would find that if the roads were not properly finished they would have to raise a loin for bitumen finishing later on. The only question was, could the ratepayers bear the cost. Mr Hare said that if the bitumen was not put on the maintenance rate would probably increase in future. In reply to Mr Jamieson, Mr Higgins said that the life of bitumen with ordinary treatment would be much longer than the period of the loan.. Continuous repairs would be necessary for ordinary macadam roads, and this would cost more than the penny required for the bitumen. In reply to Mr J. Munro Mr J. C. Miller said that in view of the evening’s discussion it might be advisable for the Council to meet and discuss the matter before going on with the poll. Should the loan be turned down it would be eight weekjs before any further proposition could be brought forward. Mr Reid suggested that the original scheme should be put to the ratepayers. Mr Madgwiek asked if the main road settlers would be agreeable to the raising of a loan later to remetal the by-roads when they had worn out. The meeting closed at 11.30 p.m. with a vote of thanks to the councillors, Mr Walton, and Mr Higgins for being present. In returning thanks the county chairman urged the ratepayers to consider the matter thoroughly. He did not know pf any county that had gone back to ordinary water-bound macadam after using bitumen.