TOREHAPE-KAIHERE ROAD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5192, 17 October 1927, Page 3

TOREHAPE-KAIHERE ROAD

METAL FROM LANDS DEPARTMENT

DEPUTATION TO PLAINS COUNCIL. At Thursday’s meeting of the H’auraki Plains County Council, a deputation from the Torehape-Kaihere settlers waited on the council, and • was introduced to the members hy the chairman, Mr E. L. Walton. On behalf of the deputation Mr E. W. Harris briefly outlined the steps taken to date with regard to <btaining metal supplies, and he paid tribute to th© assistance given the settlers- by Messrs. A. M. Samuel, and T. W. Rhodes, M’s.P.; and also to Mr Walton, who had also given considerable help. The amount of inetal required at least 3000 cubic yards. Some metal supplies had al- ■/ ready been received, and some of- it was slipping i-nto the drain and becoming lost. Advice ihad been received that the whole, of the subsidy would be available as soon as the council had completed its preliminary arrangements. The whole of ther ratepayers, numbering 24 '‘tilers, had signed the petition agreeing to support the scheme. In reply the chairman said that Messrs Samuel and Rhodes had approached the Ministers of Lmds and Public Works and asked that the shingle from the Lands Department should be made available free of royalty. The Ministers had advised that the matter would receive consideration. A letter had been received from the Public Works Department’s resident engineer, Paeroa, advising that £5OO, on account of £l4OO • (£2 for £1), had been entered on the . current year’s estimates. It was understood that the settlers desired the work done during the coming summer, and had asked to be advised, if this was done, whether the council would be able to obtain the full subsidy of £l4OO. As the council doubtlessly had otflieir works- to carry out, and in view of the limit, of allocation to £4825, it might not be abl,e to see its way clear to set aside £l4oo' of the allocation / for that road. It was therefore desired to know the maximum amount for which proposed to apply for this work. A letter was-, also received from the Local Government Loans Board with reference to the council’s application for sanction to raise a loan of £2OOO for the Kaihere-Torehape road. It had been noted by the. board that the council’s share would be approximately £llOO, the balance of the estimated cost, £l4OO, being met from subsidy. Also sanction for a loan of £2OOO was desired in order to enable the council to finance the undertaking by hypothecated debentures pending receipt of the subsidy. The Loans Board would not sanction a loan of a greater amount than the council’s share of the cost in view of the present, application being treated as an application for £llo'o only. The council was asked to confirm the advice forwarded. The chairman said that the £llOO ’ precluded the doing of any work unless- the subsidy was available. Mr E. W. Cowdrey said that alf though the engineer’s estimate was ' £2500, he believed a saving of nearly £5OO could be made. The settlers had been granted a subsidy straight out of £l4OO. In reply to Mr Harris the chairman, i said that the' ratepayers would be called upon to pay on t!he expended portion of the loan. Mr Harris explained that the metal was the property of the ratepayers by heritage, and as such they should not be called upon to pay for it. In answer to Mr Harris the engineer suggested that one contract should be let and a fixed time limit put on. Mr Harris asked if the council could guarantee a temporary loan of £3OO or £4OO if the money was needed to keep the contract going and avoid loss of time while the fine weather lasted.

To Cr. Fisher the chairman said that such a loan from the county fund would probably be for such time; as the work was completed. , To Cr. J. A. Reid the'chainnan said that calls of such a nature on the funds during the year were riot nu-

T Cr. C. W. Harris said the council had always endeavoured to help the settlers on clay roads, and he favoured the settlers’ request for the temporary accommodation. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Cr. Reid, it was agreed to loan the money if required to a limit of £5OO.

TOREHAPE CROSSING. A second request was made by Mr Harris, for improving the Tor eh ape crossing. The chairman said that any money likely to be available was all earmarked for metalling. After thanking the council for its promise of assistance the deputation withdrew.