RATEPAYERS’ ASSN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4838, 5 June 1925, Page 3

RATEPAYERS’ ASSN.

MEETING AT KEREPEEHI. The Kerepeehi Ratepayers’ Association met on Wednesday evening for tile first time for many months. Mr Jamieson was voted to the chair, and there were 17 ratepayers present. On assuming the chair Mr Jamieson called uopn members to rise and sing the National Anthem, Wednesday being the King’s birthday. PEKAPEKA ROAD. In opening the business Mr Jamieson said that the meeting had been called to discuss reading matters in particular. Cr. Nicholson had been invited to be present, and he would be asked to answer some questions for the benefit of ratepayers. It would be iemenibered .that (several deputations had waited upon the County Council and asked that the allocation of the old Netherton Roads Loan for Pekapeka Road be expended as quickly as possible. The council had replied verbally, and had also written to the effecl that the engineer had been instructed to call tenders for grading the balance of Pekapeka Road. The engineer had also, been instructed to spend the balance of the Pekapeka Road proporiton of the loan as soon as metal was. available from any source.

Cr. Nicholson pointed out that Pekapeka Road had been gazetted a main highway. The money had been available when the highway scheme was mooted, and the council had, after consideration, decided to delay the expenditure until something definite became known. The highways scheme bad been a long time eventuating, and then the council had decided to call tenders. iQnly one had been received, a,nd that was; £3OO or £4OO above the estimate, and the contractor was not prepared to commence work until July next. The tender w*s not accepted, and the council, being of opinion that the work round Turua would be finished about May, it would be better to utilise .the county plant. Since then the metal supply had run out. He and Cr. Hare had always opposed closing the Hikutaia quarry. The council had opened up the Puriri quarry, and now the work was held up until the Hikutaia quarry was reopened.

In regard to a loan to complete the work, Cr. Nicholson said that the matter had been gone into, but it had been found that the rate necessary would be 433 d in the £. The council had considered this out of the question, as it had only been able to collect a very small amount of rates from this road for reasons which members would understand. He had then advocated a scheme for all the roads of the riding, but had learned that the Kerepeehi township roads were not under the control of the council. They would be handed over by the Lands Department, in the near future.

Mr Jamieson pointed out that five years ago the settleiv had asked the council to go ahead and put. a loan poll to the ratepayers, and ever since they had been drumming the council to make a move. The rates were quite secure, as they were a first charge upon the land, and eventually wou'd be collected. The road had been neglected by the council. It had not even repaired a stringer in a certain bridge. . Cr. Nicholson pointed out that the read in question was still under the control of the Lands Department. During the ensuing discussion Mr G. Mclntosh pointed out that the Pekapeka Road from the Netherton Road to his gate had at one time been metalled' and it was quite possible! to motor over it in the depth of winter. Since then the road had been neglected nad graded up so much that all the metal was buried deep under the clay.

Several members spoke strongly on the subject and urged ratepayers to take a firm stand and demand that the unexpended loan money be spent as iso often promised, and that the Council put forward a loan proposal as it had promised.

Various aspects of the Council’s method of having work done were also adversely criticised. It was contendthat the council had called tenders for grading and debarred settlers from tendering as they had no plant. The contract had then been let to an outsider, and the council had agreed to lend him a county grader.

A protest was voiced by Mr Mclntosh at the action of the council in employing Foreman Cameron as overseer for road work in the Kerepeehi riding while it employed two engineers. His wages could be better spent on metal, or if an overseer was necessary a working foreman should be employed.

Cr. Nicholson said he was not aware that Mr Cameron had been employed in the riding. He would have the matter attended to.

The decision of the council to ask that Orchard East Road and the Tu-r-ua-Netherton road be declared temporary main highways was also discussed, and members advocated watching tne position closely, as in their opinion it was probable that this was the first step on the pait of the councillors of the northern end of the county towards getting these roads premanently part of the highways scheme to the debiment of Pekapeka Road. With reference to the suggestion by the council that certain roads should be declared county roads, Cr. Nicholson explained that, at present the scheme was in the air. The matter would be gone into thoroughly at a later meeting of the council, but at present ho could not support it because the road to the Kerpeeehi wharf was not included.

The principle of county roads was endorsed by several members present, and the opinion was expressed tlial the scheme would probably be of benefit to the Kerepeelu riding. RIDING FUNDS. tn reply to other questions Cr.

Nicholson. said .that there was no truth whatever in the statement that JC'lOO of the Kerepeehi riding funds had been allocated to the Netherton or any other riding. Mr Mclntosh asked about the grant of about £5O for the .Wharepoa-Kere-peehi road in the Turua riding. Cr. Nicholson said he had given the metal and the other ridings had made a grant, as the road wats impassable.

Several members' voiced strong protests against, the riding funds bespent in other ridings, and urged Cr. Nicholson to have as much money spent in the riding as possilbe, so that the riding account would be repaid, In answer to a question Cr. Nicholson promised to obtain full details of how the riding funds had been expended and lay .the particulars before a later meeting. Mr W. Booth aisked if any of the Kerepeehi riding funds had been expended on the Wharepoa Coiner culvert, which was in the Turua riding. Cr. Nicholson stated that the Kerepeehi riding had paid one-third of the council’s grant, and in return would get half of the pipes removed. This raised another protest. Speakers, while admitting that certain of the riding ratepayers would get a benefit, objected to the principle involved and contended that riding funds were not safe if the council could over-rule the riding member and make grants for work which should have been paid for by the drainage boards. The expenditrue on the WharepoaKerepeehi road was. again mentioned, and Cr. Nicholson defended his action owing to the necessity for keeping the outlet open, but assured the meeting that no further grants for this purpose would be advocated by him. Various other matters concerning county administration jrcre' touched upon, and eventually it was decided to ask .the chairman and councillors, the county engineer and county clerk to attend a meeting of settlers. ALTERATION OF RIDING. Mr W. Booth advocated altering the Kereepchi riding boundaries to include tne Kercpeehi-Wharepoa road, which was at present in the TuruS riding. He contended that the council was neglecting this; road and concentrating on the roads in the Turua riding. If it belonged to Kerepeehi it would have been improved, but at present it was used a’s a lever to get money from the Kerepeehi riding for theTurua riding. Cr. Nicholson said that he had gone into the matter and had found that the ridings could not. be atlered. He eontsidered this road, arid .also the one to the ferry, and the Netherton road, should be in the Kerepeehi riding. HEAVY TRAFFIC. Mr N. Davidson urged that, the county bring in heavy .traffic by-laws. Ci. Nicholson replied, that this was being done. SPEED LIMIT. In reply to a question Cr. Nicholson said that the matter of having signboards erected warning drivers to reduce speed past the school was receiving attention. SURFACEMEN. The necessity for a surfaceman in the Kerepeehi riding was mentioned by several speakers, who pointed out tire bad state the roads were getting into for want of maintenance. Cr. Nicholson stated that there were only two surfacemen employed—one in Waitakaruru and one in Turua — and when work in other ridings was; necessary one of these men was sent. The council also employed lorry drivers who did work in any riding. Metal for patching had been ordered, and would arrive shortly. STREET LIGHTING. Mr H. Hoff, of the Street Lighting Committee, stated .that at a meeting of that body a resolution had been carried asking the county council to take over the payment, of two of the existing street lights under ibs lighting scheme. The lights mentioned were those of most us.e tp. the whole riding. Cr. Nicholson had opposed this ’and had advocated the establishment of t.wo more lights. He asked Cr. Nicholson to reconsider the matter and have the decision of tne council altered. Cr. Nicholson explained his reason for advocating the new lights and no further action was taken, except that Mr Hoff pointed out that the donations in the future for the lighting fund would not be ais much as in the past as Mrs Hudson, who had organised so many functions for the purpose in the past was ill and there were .many functions arranged for other benefits. There was only a small sum of money in hand, and the district was faced with the possibility of having to do without the lights. PUBLIC LIBRARY. Mr I. D. Jones, on behalf of the now defunct Leadswingeivs ’ Club, handed over the sum of £2 5s 7d, the funds of the club when it was wound up. This sum it had been decided should be handed to the Ratepayers’ Association to form the nucleus of a public library. Mr W. Booth mentioned that the Hall Site Society had a quarter-acre section of land and between £l5 and £2O, and as there was now nb need for a publicly-owned hall the members had discussed the question of establishing a public library. The Registrar of Incopoi'ated Soicctios had been asked if this was permissible, and he had rpelied advising the obtaining of legal advice. This had been done, and it was learned that an alteration of the rules was necessary. A meeting of the society had been called for the purpose, but no one had Sttended. The matter could be arranged as soon as a meeting was held, and he would call one a a latter date. In the meantime he would urge the Leadswingers’ Club to hand the money over to that society instead of to- the association. No action was taken, it being agreed to bring the matter before a later meeting.