SUBSIDY FOR METALLING

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

SUBSIDY FOR METALLING

AUTHORITY FOR PLAINS ROARS. GOVERNMENT ASSISTS COUNCIL. At Thursday’s meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council the following letter, through Mr T. 'W. Rhodes, M.P., was received from the Minister of Public Works (Hon. K. S. Williams) :— “Referring to the deputation from the Hauraki Plains County Council (represented by Mr E. L. Walton), introduced by yourself and Mr Samuel, which waited on my colleague, the Minister of Lands, and myself, requesting a £2 for £1 subsidy for metalling certain roads in the Hauraki Plains County Council amounting to £29,700, I have to confirm the replies given at the interview as follows :

“For the metalling of the following roads I am prepared to provide a subsidy up to £9900 from the the Public Works fund: Moetliau-Pipiroa township, £lO5O ; Hopai extension, £2400 ; Rawerawe-Ngate-a, £1700; Ngatea West, £2200; Ngatea-Kaihere Landing, £9750 ; Puhanga Canal East, £3BOO ; Kaik.ahu, £3300 ; Ngataipua, £4500 ; Kaihere (Ngarua boundary to Morrinsville Road), £llOO. Total, £29,700. ' “The Mniiste-r of Lands is prepared to provide a similar subsidy, which will equal a contribution of £2 for £l, provided the County Council raises a loan for its share, namely, £9900. The amount to be contributed by the two departments is £19,800. “With regard to the £2091 to remetal the I?aw?rawe-Ngat©a,and Kaihere (canal) to Ngarua (bridge) roads asked for, the Government considers it the obvious duty of the local body to maintain these roads, which were originally constructed and metalled wholly at Government expense, and no, subsidy, therefore, can be agreed to.

“The conditions under which the £19,800 will be provided are : That the* Government contribution will be provided from time to time as finances permit; that the local body must give an undertaking by resolution of its council before any authority is issued that it (the council) will .set aside a specific sum (which will be named by the district engineer in charge of the district) each year for the efficient maintenance of the metal after it has been placed, on the various roads. “The following sums have been provided on this -year’s estimates, and if funds p&rmit will be available for expenditure: Mpehau Road, on account of £4OO, £2OO subsidy ; Ngataipua East, on account of £3OOO, subsidy £100; Ngatea-Kaihqre, on account of £6500; subsidy £125.” The chairman (Cr. E. L. Walton) explained that the letter was a confirmation of the interview he had had with the Ministers when in Wellington recently. The results of his visit, as the communication disclosed, had been highly satisfactory. The council should feel gratified that differences that had existed between the council, the ratepayers, and the Government, had been so satisfactorily terminated; By the granting of the subsidies the council would have nearly a three years’ programme of work in hand. A debt of gratitude was due to Messrs Rhodes and Samuel ,M’s.P., for the considerable assistance given to him when in Wellington. Attention was drawn by Cr. J. A. Reid to the fact that the roads in the Awaiti area had not been included. Through the omission it made a difference in treatment, and he thought further representations should be made.

Cr. W. Madgwick extended hearty congratulaitons to the chairman on the tactful manner im which he had approached the Government departments. He had, by burying the hatchet, done a great service, and the results attending his efforts had borne fruit and were most gratifying to all concerned. ,

These* remarks were supported by Cr. C. W. Parfitt, who said that the chairman had done; splendid work. ■On the motion of Cr. J. C. Miller it was resolved to place on record the council’s sincere appreciation of the efforts of the chairman, and to extend to him hearty congratulations on the result of his visit to Wellington. Cr. C. W. Harris, who seconded, said that the - settlers had much to be thankful for.

In acknowledging the members’ tribute th© chairman said that he ihad adopted a line'of thought that had pursued it. He beieved that a precedent had been established for all time and that in future it would not be found that the requests were no quite exhaustive. He moved that the council forward letters to Messrs Samuel and Rhodes recording its appreciation of the assistance givep.