Correspondence.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 28 March 1918, Page 3

Correspondence.

— * -j (To the Editor). Sir, —At the last meeting of tlie Horowhenua County Council a resolution was passed agreeing to help the Te Horo riding to the extent of £250 to cover a Government grant towards widening the main road. The Chairman remarked that it was more of a through road than a main road for his riding, and that he would be willing to help other ridings in the same way. I have no doubt he would keep to his word, but Councillors come and go, and cannot be bound by'promises and not always by resolutions which can be rescinded. Wirokino Riding has part of its main road that is similar to Te Horo's and far more difficult and costly to metal and it has not, as far as I know, ever asked for help. However, in both cases the _ district roads would be useless without the connecting main road. 3? urther, this proposed grant breaks the arrangements of the first Council, which agreed that each Riding should do its own work and pay for it and thus prevent a scramble for the money. The three northern Ridings have made | tlieir main roads by "borrowing heavily, without asking for help. I Te Horo was very backward m ' doing the same and did not make j much of a start until the Govern ■ ment granted it some money ' and I believe have had ! all the help the Government have given towards the 1 main road. The other ridings did not object to its getting aiJ the money, but rather rejoiced

I ' . s f that at last tlie road would gc 0 I through. The only other grani e ' given by the Government was j j about .1877 for the Foxton-Otaki I road before the railway was tho- ' ught of, and it about did the cost r of survey and bushfelling. a In my opinion the Council ' should stick to the Riding ac--3 counts and carry them on as the 1 fairest, and I know that Te Horo has benefited by them more than any other Riding as it has never had to pay interest on the overdraft of the other Ridings when it had none of its own, which was its position for some years. Before the Horowhenua County separated from Manawatu that ; County abolished riding accounts and consequently when we separated we could not recover a sum of £1500 of native rates it spent on the Foxton-Sanson tram. If, however, Te Horo cannot raise a loan or obtain the £250 without increasing its rate, the other Ridings might help it by lending the money with or without interest as Councillors 'jnay decide; by so doing they would , not break up the old policy. On | the other hand, if they stick to • the resolution they should, take | the cost of the main roads out of j the Riding accounts and formulate a new scheme striking a general rate for it and a separate rate for district roads. I hope some Councillor will give notice of motion tcf rescind- the resolution so that at next meeting there can be another discussion. I should have written this before but have been too busy. Yours etc., J. KEBBELL. Ohau.