MAIROA LOAN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 111, 30 November 1908, Page 2

MAIROA LOAN.

* — Special Order Rescinded.

At the last meeting of the Wiatomo County Council the Mairoa loan which has been a burning question among the ratepayers of the district interested, for some time, was fully discussed. Cr Scholes proposed in accordance with his notice of motion that the motion levying the rate for the Mairoa Special loan, which was carried at last meeting be rescinded. Cr Were seconded. Speaking in support of the motion, Cr Were said it was desired by a number of the settlers to have more information about the loan. The matter had hung on for a long time, and mistakes had evidently been made in proceedure. The first proposals had not been strictly adhered to and, there was not sufficient information forthcoming as to how the money was to be allocate I. In his own case, though his property was included in the special rating area, the proposed road would rot come within two miles of his section. He would like to hear what Major Lusk, the late member for the riding had to say on the subject. He proposed that the Major be heard. The Chairman seconded the motion which was carried.

Major Lusk gave a short account of what had been done and explained the scheme, which was to form and metal about 28 miles of road. The loan was £7,000 and a subsidy was expected to the amount of £7,000. This made £14,000, which allowed £SOO a mile for the work. When the subsidy was not forthcoming, the settlers were indignant and some wished to drop the proposal. It was decided to hang it up in order to see what grants were made by the Government. The grants this year were satisfactory, and included £ISOO as £ for £ subsidy. Cr Hunt asked, if in the event, of the motion being carried, the Mairoa people had any intention of going for another loan in the near future.

Cr Were said the present scheme was not sufficiently comprehensive, and he wished to have it thoroughly investigated. He understood the ratepayers wished to reconstruct the loan. Referring to the estimate which had been tabled, Cr Were said if the estimtes had been placed before the ratepayers at any of the meetings or posted up, a great deal of discontent would have been prevented. There had not been sufficient publicity given to the matter. He wished to have a road as much as anyone. He had felled and grassed 1000 acres and had to have all his material packed. The ratepyers were not going to get the benefit they should get from the present scheme. In reply to a question from Cr Hunt as to whether they had considered what effect the dropping of the scheme would have on the Treasury, Cr Were said there would be no bad result.

Cr Scholes in reply, said the whole trouble appeared to be that the loan had been applied for together with a subsidy, on the granting of which the carrying out of the proposal depended. Without the subsidy only half the work could be done, and the Council could not start any work on the basis of the estimate which included the subisdy. Moreover, he questioned if the £SOO per mile estimate was enough. In reply to the speaker, the Engineer said he estimted the work would cost nearer £BOO per mile than £SOO. The motion was then put, when the mover and seconder voted for it. The remaining Councilors did not vote and the motion was declared carried,