/ PUBLIC WORKS AT FOXTON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 53, 27 February 1880, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS AT FOXTON.

'TO TUB EDITOR OF THE MANAWATU HERALD. Sib, — In your issue some time ago you devoted a leading article to the subject of harbor and other public works, to be coraircnced at Foxton in a very short time. You told us plans were being prepared, and ' that tenders would be called almost immediately. Well, ull this may be so, if I could but understand what " a short time," and " immediately " meant ; but 8 o far nothing has been done of the oharacter indicated. People have come here and pitched their tents in the expectation of work. The sound of £15,000 to be spent attracted many to this township who have since gone away disappointed. Will you, Sir, inform your readers and the public generally if there is any certainty of the work being commenoed say, in a month, or indeed wilhiu any definite period ; and if not, if there is any certainty that the vote may not lapse altogether in oonsequence of it not being 1 spent before the House meets again for business Suppose that nothing is done till the House meets, and it should happen that we get a change of Government. How about the vote of £15,000 then ? Seeing that the matter has hung fire so long, would it not be advisable for the townspeople to call a meeting and appoint a deputy to personally wait on the Minister of Public Works to urge upon him the im. portance of the work being carried out at once. If something of this sort is not done we may have a dull winter here for all elasaea of working men, tradespeople, and others. It is true the township is not dependent on public works for its support, but it is to some extent dependent on public works for the development of its bnck country and internal resources. It is also true that the Government have bought a piece of land from Mr Hulke, and a bit from Rev. Mr Dunoan, but all this pur together does not spend the £15,0 0, nor do the necessary work required by the people. I am, &c, Inqvxbbb. Foxton, February 23.

PUBLIC MEETING AT FOX TON. A public meeting of ratepayers in the Awahou Hiding wan held Ht the Foxton Athjnaoum on Tuesday evening last,, at 7 3 i o'clock, to consider th'j action of the Aw ihou rpprosenti\ti^?3 in pfopo-ilntj to etnehl A'tfOi) on th'i Foxton-^anrton road. There waa a large attendance, settl th being present from al: pput 8r t8 of the district. Mr Gray w.is v->ted to the chair. The Chairman read the advertisement i-onvoninir th<i meetintr, also tLe resolution moved by Mr Etookßt.ro w in the C uinuil, as to tenders bein/ called for th^ formation und nv'tnllina of the Koxton^andon road. He Maid they were culled together, to consider the matter. The^epresentatives proposed to spend all the money there. Some might bo necessary, but why should all the money go on one line of road ? There were other roads lending into Foxton which needed the expenditure equally with this one. He hoped the Councillors would Übido by the decision of the ratepayers. Ii so * they would get their money spent where it •was necessary. He would leave the matter in the hands of the ratepayers, and would call on the Councillors present to explain their action. An Elector asked where the County roads were in Awahou. The Chairman replied that ho did not know. Ho thought from the lnurapapaka bush to the Foxton ferry. He called on Mr Ronkstrow to addresH the meeting. Mr Rockstow said the resolution reported in the paper was incorrect. The amount he proposed shoul •• be expended was £800, not £700, a* stated in the paper. The Chairman said if it was £300, ao much the worse. Mr Rockstrow then said that he was rather surprised at the course the meeting was taking. The advertisement said "to consider the action of our representatives re Foxton-Sandon road.',' He was now called upon to explain his action. He had in tended to hear what the ratepayers said, and then explain his own action. At last Counoil meeting the upcountry members asked for large expenditures in metalling and formation. One Biding proposed to expend £1800 on metalling, and anothar to spend £300, or £600 if Government would give £ for £. He (Mr Bockstrow) then without forethought proposed an expenditure of £1400 on the Foxton-Sandoii road. They had only one mile of formed ro-id in the Hiding, and us a Coucillor it was his duty to attend to the main roada, or, if he were asked, get a subsidy for other works. Whenever either the Highways or Local Boards had asked him to obtain a subsidy for necessary works he had done so. Last year he obtained £100 for Moutoa road, and £50 recently for the Avenue Bridge, on the request of the Chairman of the .Local Board. When other Bidings asked for a large expenditure he felt it to bo his duty to do the same. He found that if the rates were all in the Riding would have £600 in hand, and he therefore desired to anticipate the next year's revenue, and get work to the value of £1400 gone on with. He was, however, peeled clown to the extent of £600, and then asked for £800 to be spent on the rond. He also stated to the Council that if the contract proved too expensive, he would not agree to acoept it. If the majority of Ihe ratepayers wished the money to be spent in other directions, ho would not object. lie had proposed the resolution in a hasty manuer, but his idea was to benefit the Riding. He would remind them that the road is at present metalled several miles from Sanson towards Foxton ; in fact up to the iron gate on the Larkworthy property the road was very good ; tbenoe to Foxton it was impassable. After the deviation was made, the present railway formation would make the nucleus of a good road some distance out, and he thought £800 or £1000 would make a large piece of the road towards Carnarvon station, and in course of time Kawakawa would make the road from the iron gate to the bouudary. A good road to Saoion would bring a large trade into Foxton from Campbelltown, Taipo, and other parts which now got their supplies from Palmerston. The only Councillor who objected to his proposal was a gentleman who was connected with that very road. He thought that if Foxton would make its share of the road, the other Biding would do its part, and the more good roads there were the better for the place. Against his proposal, there was a movement to get part of the money for the Moutoa road and part for that through Mr Johnston's land, liven if the £800 were spent on the Sandon road, there would remain a large amount available for the Moutoa road and other works. Regarding the road through Johnston's land an unexpected delay had taken plaoe, or a contract might now have been let. It would be unwise to vote the money on that, as it was probable Government would give sufficient to complete it. If grantß were wanted for the Highways or Local Boards, those I bodies must ask. He would act according to the wish of the ratepayers. He would not, however, accept any resolution of that meetiDg us the wish of the majority, as numbers were absent. A petition must be got up, and if it were signed by a majority he would be guided by it. There would never again be a surplus of fund 3, nor would he again vote for a shilling rate. The reason he did so last year was because the northern Ridings W6re so heavily in debt that they could not have managed at all with a sixpenny rate. He also thought a shilling rate would enable them to hand ovor subsidies to the Boards. In reply to a question, Mr Rockstrow stated that as a majority of the ratepayers were not present, lie would not accept the decision of the meeting, unless backed up by a petition signed by the majority. , Mr Loudon then explained at considerable length hifi.actiou in reference to the matter under discussion. He said he wrote out a resolution to the effect that the road be formed and metalled from section 80 to the Racecourse hill, but Mr Rockstrow refused to second it, saying he hid a resolution dealing with the same matter, Mr Rockstrow afterwards proposed the resolution which was carried, ho (Mr Loudon) seconding it. He saw that if Mr Macarthur's requests were acceded to, the County would be overdrawn, and he supported rhe motion in order to put the funds of the Awahou Riding beyond the reach of the Council. He pointed out, at the same time, that if these large expenditures were in - dulged in, a shilling rato next year would be inevitable, and he for one w.-.s not disposed to support that. Ho never expected the work to be done. He thought the road to the Racecourse hill should be done, ns the ratepayers in that vioinity had a right to expect some money to bo spent in that part. It would not cost much, and would add greatly to the appearance of that part of the town. He thought it a suicidal step to prejudice next year's rate. One section of the road should be gone on with at once, and he was determined to support that. He read a statement of the finance of the Hiding, as follows :— lncome. — Balance in hand (excluding special vote), £334 ; unpaid rates for 78 9, £72 ; ditto for '79-80, £225; subsidy die in March, £176; licenses, £100; rate at 6u" in the £, £290; subsiJy £290; total, £1487. Expenditure. — Contingent liabilities, £159; Local Board vote, A'so; Foxton-Sandon oad, £800; total, £1009, leaving a balance r

of £478. Ha had sone over both the Mou»oa roid und other Hneß in the district, and know rxaoly what was wanted. - If the money w»w likely to bo wo 1 spent, he would In other bolies have the sp nding of it, but if t was lively to follow the £275, he wou'd *ay, " Keep your eye on it !" JVdTi tHi« p'»ift^ tHe meo» ing became ex trernely mixed, mid it woiild b"e almost impossible to give anything like a conned od report of it. Mr Thynne n«verely cateohised the two rppresentutives, showing that their views of th" financial state of the Hiding wera quite Jiff -rent Mr Purcell nUo examined Mr London a« to workmen b.ing employed on the Rtreet3 of Foxton taking tip weeds, whilst they could with gieat advantap-a have been improving other roads. After a long time had been spent in this way, Mr Thynne rose and said he considered tho meeting should not hare been called, their representative's were not Worthy of the n«me. It was their place to say where the money should be spent, and what should be done with tho money. They lacked backbone. If they had it, they would at once say they would not abide by the decision of thut meeting. He held still, as he had in the past, that the first duty of the County Council was to make County roads, and that until they were made, and put in thorough order, no money should be spent on other works. This view had brought him into disfavour, but he s';ill adhered to it. In reply to a question from Mr Edwards, Mr Roekstrow said he would be quite willing to allow the tenders to stand over for a month, until a petition were got up. Mr Rui-sell thought such a course would simply prevent any mad work being done before the bad weather net in. He would move, " That in the opinion of this meeting the proposed expenditure on the FoxtonSandon road should not be proceeded with by the Council." There was no chance of getting the road made to Sandon, as the Carnarvon Hiding had no money to devote to the wirk, and if the money were spent at this end , the metal would be covered by the sand, before the other part of the road could be finished. Mr J. Symonn seconded tho motion, which was carried, with two dissentients. Mr Loudon moved, " That the first section between Foxton and Racecourse hill be accepted, not to exceed £150 ; the balance to be appropriated aa follows: — £300 on Moutoa road ; and the balance divided between the Avenue road and the road townrds Charles Symon9*." Seconded by Mr Saunders. 'to this Mr Purcell moved an amendment, " That the item of £150 be 6truck out." Seconded by Mr J. Symons, and lost. Mr Gower euid he was quite agreeable to do what was fair. Ho would be in favour of voting £150 for the Racecourse hill road, on condition that the money was not spent till after the deviation was made. Mr Llock9trow then moved a further amendment, viz., " That there be spent £200 for Aveuue road, £•>(){) for Moutoa road, .-6200 from Tramway towards C. Symons' corner." Seconded by Mr Beeve, and carried. The meeting then broke tip, after a vote of thanks to the Chairman had been passed.