ROADING THE DISTRICT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 647, 28 February 1914, Page 5

ROADING THE DISTRICT.

A RANGITOTO SCHEME. PROPOSED AHUROA LOAN. The deplorable lack of suitable roads on the eastern side of Te Kuiti for the. purpose of giving acces3 to settlers in the Rangitoto district has been a material disadvantage to thoso who have been endeavouring to work their holdings under existing conditions. It is gratifying to learn that a start has been made by the settlers towards the satisfactory and permanent roading of the district. A short time ago Messrs Julian and Coombs waited on the Waitomo County Council with a view to having a scheme promoted for the formation of the Ahuroa road. The county engineer, Mr E. Gould, together with Mr Julian, was instructed to prepare a report and estimate for a suitable scheme with a view to raising the necessary money by way of special loan. A report and estimate ha* now been submitted by the engineer for forming, bridging, culverting and metalling the Ahuroa road for a distance of ten miles. The estimated cost of the work is £IO,OOO, and it is anticipated the Government will contribute to the scheme to the extent of £ for £ by way of subsidy. The road gives direct access to a block of Crown land of about 3000 acres, and there is every reason why a subsidy for the work should be ontained. This will mean the raising of a loan of £SOOO by the settlers for the purpose of getting the bpiiefit of a metalled road of ten miles. One of the difficulties to be overcome in the carrving out of such a scheme, in which the settlers further out will later be required to raise more money to extend the road, is the mattei' of adjusting the responsibility on an equitable bßßii. This has been overcome by a scheme drawn up by Mr P. Mora, county clerk, in which the oecesary money is raised in two special areas. The area through which the road passes is called upon to contribute two-thirr's of the necessary interest and sinking fund, while the further out area is made responsible for onethird. In the case of the proposed Ahuroa loan the inside area will he rated at ljd on the capital value of the land while the outside area will contribute j>d rate. The respective capital value of the inside and outside areas are approximated very closely, being £36,055 and £36,361.