HORAHIA ROADING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4774, 10 November 1924, Page 3

HORAHIA ROADING.

DECISION OF RATEPAYERS. PORTION TO BE SEALED. A meeting of ratepayers of the Horahia riding was held at the residence of Mr F. Kneebone, Horahia, on Saturday evening to decide the fate of the riding reading proposal. Mr A. H. Rogers presided over an attendance of thiity, and in opening the meeting explained the result of the conference with Crs Milder and Hayward, the county engineer, and the county clerk.

The county engineer, Mr F. Basham, explained his suggestions for the expenditure of the loan and recommended that during the present season Piako Road be bitumen sealed and Hamilton’s Road metalled. Piako Road could not be done according to the original specifications with the amount available in the loan. It was a sound policy to bitumen seal the roadis, as the interest would be less than the maintenance of macadam. A rough estimate of the cost of maintenance of bituminous roads was £lO a mile every tenth year. In reply to Mr Willy Mr Basham said that he was of opinion that if Piako Road was given a coat of five inches of metal and seaHted with bitumen this season the road would last ten years without maintenance.

The riding member, Mr W. G. Hayward, said that he agreed with the engineer that it would not be wise to delay the matter until the present metal on the road wag gone. He pointed out that the first year’s interest was paid out of the loan, so there would be no rates for the first year. In the second year the rate would be very small, as only a small amount of the work would be done. He would urge that. Piako Road be sealed, and possibly the goad from Ngatea bridge to Parry's corner, and that the rest of the roads in the riding be maintained for as long as possible. Mr Basham said that if five inches of metal were put on Piako Road and not sealed the same would have to be repeated in. five years.

The county clerk stated that the point was, was it cheaper to maintain a macadam road or lay down a bitumen sealed road. The engineer had said that it would be cheaper to reconstruct Piako Road and seal it than to maintain it. For the other roads it was yet! to be proved that .1 would not be cheaper to maintain them as macadam roads. The loan rate for the whole work was about 3d. while if only Piako Road was done it would be %d, and if Piako Road and the main highway were sealed the rate wou(d be l%d. To maintain fill the roads in the riding would require an increase in the general rate ox about Id, so it was to be seen that done there would be little difference with Piako Road and the highway when all the factors were taken into consideration.

Replying to questioners Mr Walton said that as far as he knew it was not essential for the main highway to be built up to the general highways standard. No provision bad been made in cases where the local' body had refused to do this. The present general rate was not sufficient for the maintenance as it should be done, but the rate had been made as low as possible because of the bad season experienced. Asked for his views, the county chairman said that he considered the engineer’s suggestions very wise ones. The ratepayers had, in his opinion, done right in sanctioning the bitumen reading scheme. The council would not abuse its trust by insisting that the loan should be gone on with ; f it was not the wish of the ratepayers. To knock the scheme on the head would make a very awkward position for the council, which had called tenders for a big supply of metal and let a contract to a Tar,anaki man. If Piako Road was not done a further loan would have to be raised in a few

years. After more discussion Mr. H. H. Hicks moved, and Mr C. Dale seconded. that the recommendation that Hamilton’s Road be metalled and Piako Road be laid down as a bitumen road be approved. The motion was efirried by 22 votes to four. The meeting closed with votes of thanks to the councillors and council staff for attending, and to Mr Kneebone for the use of his residence.