MANGAITI RATEPAYERS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4710, 11 June 1924, Page 2

MANGAITI RATEPAYERS.

DISSATISFIED WITH TREATMENT. A THREAT TO SECEDE The following letter was received at yesterday's meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council, from Mr J. Johnson, a ratepayer in the Mangaiti riding and an ex-councillor of the county • “The Mangaiti ratepayers on the Old Te Aroha Road from the gorge co the boundary are dissatisfied with the manner in which your engineer fs treating them—his whole thoughts are for the travelling public, and the ratepayers are not getting consideration. “I have been asked to write to. your council informing you that it is the intention of; these ratepayers to wait on the Piako County Council and ask that body to. take over the Mangaiti riding, or part of the riding, as we are quite satisfied that we shall get better treatment. “Before going round with a petition for the ratepayers to sign I thought that it would be better to write and* inform you of our intentions.” Cr. Mace said that lie was strongly opposed to the attitude adopted by the settlers in that area, and he entirely disagreed with, the reference made to the engineer in the letter. The speaker stated that £3OB 7s had been spent on the old Te Aroha road, and only £736 8s on the main Paeroa-Te Aroha road, where the cost of maintenance was probably five or six times as great. There were some twelve ratepayers on the old Tc Aroha road, and he considered that it would be a serious matter for the council if they seceded. The council had already sustained a loss with the falling off in gold duty.

Cr. Morgan agreed .that it was necessary to retain the present ridings, but he was of the opinion that too much time and money were spent on mam roads, Settlers on the subsidiary roads were entitled to justice, it was not fair for them to be contributing rates when they were not given reasonable access on to the main roads. CT. H..M. Corbett said the point that struck him was that in the Mangaiti riding there were only .two roads of any consequence—the main road, which was. maintained from the general county fund, and the old Te Aroha road. He was of the opinion that possibly the member, for the Mangaiti riding could not control the roads problem, and suggested that perhaps he was building up a reserve in his riding fund account. Cr„ Corbett said that he, too, was of the opinion that too much was being spent on main roads, which largely benefited the travelling public. More money must be spent on the subsidiary roads or dissatisfaction in the ridings would spread. He thought the reference made to the engineer was uncalled for. Few people realised the difficulties the engineer had :.o contend with in regard to supplies of metal. (!r. W. F. Johnstone thought that tiie best cour.se to adopt was on the lines of the suggestion made by Cr. Macc some months ago, that the councillors should visit the locality and discuss the situation with the ratepayers. Cr. Morrison said he felt that the council should take the matter up immediately. The council had got to face the fact that it was absolutely necessary to tackle the smaller roads problem before launching out on to main roads schemes. The ratepayers should be afforded reasonable means of ingress and egress to their holdings. Cr. Mace was of the opinion that about thirty chains would make the road to the station passable. At present it certainly was in a deplorable condition.

In answer to Cr. H. M. Corbett the clnirman said that he Was agreeable to subsidiary roads being put in order where practicable before money was spent on the main roads. . Cr. Morgan: “Certainly, any rea-sonable-minded man would think so.” After further discussion a committee, comprising the chairman, engineer, and Crs. Johnstone and Mace, was appointed, with power to act and to meet the ratepayers concerned,