King Country Chronicle WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12, 1913 THE ROADING QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 541, 12 February 1913, Page 4

King Country Chronicle WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12, 1913 THE ROADING QUESTION.

The highly common sense aspect of the recommedations passed at the recent conference of backblock local bodies in respect to the roading question is exemplified by the scheme r.ow being promoted by the Rangitoto settlers for the metalling of the Otewa road. In order to apportion equitably the responsibility of the settlers who will derive benefit from the work it is intended to make two special rating areas for the loan. The smaller area includes the settlers fronting the road which is to be metalled and in this area the rate will be struck to cover the greater portion of the interest and sinkinp fund. The larger area includes the settlers who will derive less benefit, but who will be making use of the road, and their properties will be rated lightly. By adopting this sys tem the responsibility will be distributed in as nearly an equitable manner as is possible, and the further out settlers will not be unduly handicapped when they desire to carry the metalling further. A glance at the map of the district in question, however, serves to indicate the necessity of the Government taking the roading' question in hand and laying down a

objective the complete roading of the district. Throughout the whole Rangitoto district thare exist large ureas of Crown and native land. Access to the Crown lands has been provided by the Government, and the native land has been left severely alone. The initiative has thus been thrown upon the settlers on native lands to provide their own roads, notwithstanding the fact that other unoccupied Crown blocks still exist in the locality. The temptation thrust upon settlers on native lands is to pursue a policy of inaction until the Government undertakes the roading of the remaning Crown blocks, when considerable benefit will be obtained by the settlers already established. It is obvious that if the Government undertook the framing of a comprehensive scheme by laying off the necessary roads, and clothed the local authority with power to rate the whole of the lands concerned for the construction of the roads a definite and satisfactory conclusion would be arrived at At present it is possible to load native land to a certain degree for roading by including such land in a special rating area, and when the land is in occupation by Europeans the special rates are collectable. However, the means to hand for carrying on the roading of any large district in which both Crown and native land exists are altogether inadequate to solve the question. The matter is plainly for the Government to handle in big lines and it is to be sincerely hoped no effort will be spared to carry conviction to the authorities when the recommendations of the conference are placed before ihem.