PATETONGA RIDING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4910, 2 December 1925, Page 3

PATETONGA RIDING.

QUESTION OF SECESSION. COUNCILS AND SETTLERS CONFER A conference between members of the Piako and Hauraki Plains County Councils was: held, at Patetonga, yesterday to discuss matters in connection wrththe request of the-; ratepayers of the Patetong-a riding -to secede’ from the Hauraki Plains County and become parf of the ptoko County. There, were present on behalf of the Plains Council Crs. J. C. Miller (chairman), 'J. F. Mayn (Patetonga riding representative), Mi E. Walton ; (clerk), and Mr F. Basham (engineer). The Piako Council was repref sented by Crs. F. W. Walters' (chairman), W.'F. Stark, W. R. Lowry, E. R? Whitechurch, W. C. Kennedy, F. E. Hughes, W. McLean, Mr N. Ray - (clerk), and Mr W. J. Gibbs (engineer). Mr F. W. Walters was appointed chairman. In opening - the discussion Mr Walters said .that the Piako County .had • been approached by the ratepayers of the'Patetonga riding, and it had dezcided to take no steps until it had jheard • the Hauraki. Plains. County C ouncil’s views on the matter. The Piako County was not looking for more territory. / '' At the request of Cr- Miller Mr Walton /dealt wi.th the.subject He said . that the council had appointed a small committee to, attend the conference and hear ■ the Piako. Council’s which would receive full consideration by his council. The ‘• Plains Council had no information on the subject , other than the copy of the petition received, from the Piako z County. The community of interest of the Patetonga riding was naturally to the northward, but the disability was the unmetalled roads. The people" of the district had all along contended that the Lands Department should metal the roads, and only recently had it been realised .that if anything - was to be accomplished the settlers must take steps to" help themselves; The council now had a scheme -under which .the Patetonga riding would get more than a fair deal.. The council! felt that the Patetonga set- - tiers' should have taken it into their (confidence. The community of interest was northward, and it would be more so when /the . railwax was openz ed; : The district would then be within 70 miles of Auckland, which was, • much shorter than through Morrinsville. It was significant that since the ?Piako River launch service had ceased the- settlers had endeavoured to get another launch service, and j. also a motor bus: service, to Thames, -The people travelled northward, as could be seen, and many bf tnem were Thamesites. It was'" known that the “ mails came front Morrinsville. The -clay roads had been the blockage, but they ;were now being metalled. There was a proposal to open a shorter road,'and when this was done. it.would be: found that- agreater number of people would travel northward all the year,’ as they now did during the ( summer’ months. " The committee did net feel disposed to take much part in t.ie • subsequent meeting with the settlers, as the council, felt that it should have • been approached. lii reply to the chairman Mr Walton said that.the committee would answer reasonable questions, but it ‘ wanted it understood that it was not ' present to .make a fighC, nor.was it, on trial. ■ ’ . Replying’to a statement made by one of the’ Piako Council at its meeting .to'the effect that the’ Patetonga riding did not- appear o have had a fair : spin from the Plains County, Cr. Walters said that,this was due to 7 the figures given the council, by the ■ settlers of the amount of rates collected mid expended. Mr Walton said that he could not give the figures without consulting his books. The amount of unpaid rates was significant. The council had. nursed the .settlers, otherwise • -some of them wtouid have been driven off their farms. Many of them were still trying to make ends meet, and if • they were pushed they -would have to leaved It was not the fault of the SetTiers, but of the'country on which they were settled. Cr. Mayn said that the • reason for ; the jnove to secedje was that when the land was opened up for selection great —things were expected, but time had proved that- much of it was of little value. The (settlers desired a change, as they thought that anything would : be better than the present state. He - believed the desire of the association was *to obtain information from the Piako Council. < He was of opinion that the move was a hurried one, and that when the information vvas obtained the change might not be desired., - The land had been subsiding- for 13 •years; and the subsidence was not yet completed. ? On other .parts of the Plains where the subsidence had stopped the Government had metalled -the roads. Now the Government had shut down on free metalling, and Patetonga and district were suffering.- , 7 Cr. Whitechurch (Tahuna) said that - the ’ “Patetonga Ratepayers’ Association had been informed that the Piako County was not seeking territory, and that it would not take action unless the settlers were unanimous. Cr. .Walters said he was satisfied that the Plains Council, had been good to the Patetonga riding; He thought the settlers had expected ‘the Government to do, too. much and had not been prepared to assist themselves. The,- council should have told the settlers that they should have raised a loan for metalling. Mr Walton, said that three years ago/a scheme had been prepared, but the settlers were not prepared to accept the load. The council was of the opinion that the riding could not afford to pay for metalling. Some time ago >the Government' had- offered a £ for £• subsidy, which was refused, x The had later.offered a £2 for £1 subsidy to the Ratepayers’ Association. The council thought .that the offer should be. accepted. The department’s attitude was to help the ; through roads. The Patetonga settlers could not pay their present rates, yet they desired a comprehensive roading scheme that would mean a Bb-7 - '; 7 J;77... J 7

great increase. Much of the land in the riding had been abandoned and the new revaluation was expected to greatly alter the valuation of the riding. The more the position was probed into the more difficult it was found to be. The council, had done its-best to assist. It had made offers, and these still stood. Cr. Mayn said that the ratepayers of Patetonga were not stupid. It mgy appear a stupid course for them to have stood out tor the Government to metal the The Government wais still reclaying the roads, and the land was still settling and might in ■time be under water.. It would have been risky to load .the settilersi wit-i the cos t of metal until after the land settled, and it was not 'reasonable' for them to offer to pay when there was, a chance of the Government giving them free metal. All. the roads were not yet in a fit state to receive metal. After some explanation of the method of rating in the past Mr Walton explained .that it w,as not until April, 1923, that; .the ’council, was, given control, of the roads, and that prior to then the settlers paid a rate to the Government for the maintenance of drains 'and roads.

Tn reply to Cr. Lotfry Mr Walton said that when the roadp: were handed over to the county it objected on the score that .the department should continue metalling .and continue claying those roads that were not fit to receive metal. The contention of the council was .that the department shoqld only hand over completed roads., and should continue with the metalling programme. The council had hammered at every Minister of the Crown who had visited the district, and had also sent deputations to Wellington.

In reply to Cr. Kennedy Mr Walton said that the council had always agreed to take a poll , of ratepayers on a road loan proposal when asked to do so. Was it fair for the council to raise a loan for Patetonga and seek a subsidy thereon, knowing that it would have to pass a resolution to maintain the roads while, knowing that the land could not afford to pay the rates To metal all the roads would mean a rate that, irt his opinion, the settlers could not afford, while the maintenance rate wohld also be sucfiT that the . settlers could not afford to pay it.

Cr. Mayn said that the settlers were considering a modified scheme that wtouid not be so costly. Under the special arrangement for Patetonga it would get some of its byroads metalled instead of .having Its main road bitumen-sealed. .Cr. Kennedy said he. didl not think, from the statements made.by Mr Walton’ and Cr. Mayn, that Patetonga ;would gain anything by joining..the Piako County. The Plains County had done all* it could, and the settlers would have to show some very, good reason for wanting to cede before he would agree to the Piako County taking them. The Piako County was a very big one, and he did not agree that the large counties' were run any cheaper : than the smaller ones.

Cr. Walters said he thought the conference had. been advisable, and the Piako, Council had learned much that would be of use to it when it met 'the settlers. z MEETING THE SETTLORS. After the luncffeon adjournment the settlers’ meeting ,was held. Mr W. Wallace, chairman, of the Ratepayers’ Association, presided, and there were s.ome 28 ratepayers present. / ( r ' ' Cr. Walters' was asked by the chairman What the Piako Council desired to know.

Cr. Walters said that the council "was not conversant with the features of .the case when it received the petition to take over the control of the area from-the Hauraki Plaiijs County, and. decided to confer with the members of the Plains Council and the settlers, before forming an opinion. He wais' of opinion that while the community of interest was now to Morrinsville, it would in time be with the rest of the Plains.

Mr Wallace, In reply, said that the idea of secession from the Plains Co unty .was not a new one, as it had prevailed since the institution of that county. It had been lately considered carefully by the ratepayers of the riding. The settlers had been led. to believe, when .they took up their holdings, that their roads would be made, had been done on. the lower parts of the Plains. The settlers did not consider that the time was ripe for handing over .the Patetonga area to the Plains Council, as the roads were -not completed. From the first opening of the area the community of interest was towards Morrinsville- The question of seceding had not been brought up before, not even .when " Tahuna fading seceded', because ’ t.he roads; to Morrinsville were impassable, there was a launch service on the river, and negotiations Avere in train to get the Lands Department to metal the roads. It was 30 miles to Thames by bad roads and 18 miles to Morrinsville by a good road. Probably not a settler •had visited Thames three times by road since he settled in Patetonga 12 or 13 years ago. Mails came from Morrinsville, and it was to there that the settlers went to do do their shopping,; consult doctors or lawyers, or get on thetrailway. The stockbroking firms, and the bankers and the shopkeepers would state that .the community of interest lay to the southward. If the Plains could show any reason why the Patetonga riding should remain within the county he was sure it would agree to do so. Mr H. Taylor pointed out that the advantage of'.the railway should not be stressed, as it could never compete ''with direct water carriage from !A!uckland.

Mr Walters said that if he told the meeting of the many items; that were paid for out of the general "account by the Piako Council the setters might not desire to join up. He had noted the remarks about having to go to Morrinsville to shop, but he desired to know where the produce went. The Piako Council desired to know how it could assist the settlers better than could the Plains 'Council. Mr. Wallace s'aid that the cream

went by river to Ngatea, but about 150'0 pigs were car,ted to Morrinsville last year.

Mr Taylor said that the Patetonga people never went north,ward,, as there w ; ap nowhere to go. They used the Piako county roads daily.

In reply to Cr. Walters Mr Walton said that under the Plains, county bridging ■scheme the Patetonga riding was getting more than its share by way of the Maukoro deviation and bridge. If the riding seceded it would get the advantage of the rest of the Plains paying for the bridge, and would not have to pay for .the other bridges under the scheme. Cr. Mayn said that the rates; from the Patetoqga riding amounted to £BO4. It was not all collected. The riding was always in. debt.

Mr Wilkin said that at a recent meeting of the Ratepayers’ Association a scheme for metalling the subsidiary roads had been discussed and adopted. With subsidies it would cost £lO,OOO.

In’reply to Cr. Lowry Mr Whiteman said that the petition contained the signatures of 55 out of .the 68 resident ratepayers.

Mr Walton stated that there were 120 or 122 owners of land in the riding.

Cr. Lowry ,asked if it would not be possible to get the additional signatures to complete .the percentage required by law on such a petition. It was-explained that there were many absentee landowners who had bought land as a speculation. Cr. Lowry said that the proposition was a sound one. The Piako, County had the plant and could asisist the district, and the Plain County had not stated any reason , why the riding should not cede.

Mr Walton pointed out'that there were 33 miles of roads in .the Patetbnga riding. He would like to know ■how these were to be metalled for ,£lO,OOO. :

Cr. Lowry said .that there was no doubt that the lower parts of the Plains had received thousands, of pounds contributed by the Patetonga riding. The argument .that the riding would derive a benefit from the Maukoro bridge, etc., being paid for. by the whole county was out of court. Mr Wallace pointed out that there was a £2 for £1 subsidy on one road, and other subsidies ,wtere( anticipated. Mr Walton pointed out that this, proposition had never been put to the Plains Council.

■ Mr Wilkin said tha.t only 1,3 miles of roads were included in .the latest scheme. '

Mr Walton pointed out that this would mean a special, rating area, or else rating the whole riding without giving parts any benefit.

Cr. Walters' said the settlers appeared more unanimous than he had expected. The position, would be looked into very carefully, particularly the £lO,OOO scheme, but he could not see that the Piako County would be in a position to serve the riding better than the Plains County could.

Mr Wallace, in concluding the meeting, thanked the Plains' and Piako County Councillors for attending.