LEVIN’S GRAVEL PITS.

Otaki Mail, 7 April 1922, Page 1

LEVIN’S GRAVEL PITS.

SOME ANCIENT HISTORY. The point was recently raised in the Levin Borough Council whether the Horowhenua County Council was not getting the better of the deal in :e----gard to the metal taken from the local pits, and whether the borough was being adequately recompensed for the use that the county was making of the pits. At last meeting of the Borough Council, Cr Goldsmith made a statement of some interest regarding the matter. He said that when the Borough was formed the County Council was n possession of two gravel reserves —one extending from Mr Pink's shop to the library and back to Chamberlain street and the other the Weraroa Domain They had never used, the latter, but had taken gravel from the former. They had leased the grazing rights of the town reserves to a lady with whom they quarrelled. She put up shops and the Council claimed the right to take metal and even undermine the shops. The lady beat them in law. Then the Borough was formed and it became a matter of consideration on the Borough's part to get the reserves transferred to itself. The County was approached and was willing to allow the reserves to be vested in the Borough Council. The Government, however, asked that, before this was done, provision be made for the town, the County and the Government if it needed it. This was insisted on before then necessary legislation was put through. The Borough Council, thereupon, secured the present pits, one on each side of the town. The money was obtained by the first loan the new Borough raised. There never was any serious opposition from the County to the exchange: it was the Government that required the present pits to be purchased to serve the future needs of the district. The old gravel reserves \Vere changed to municipal reserves The Borough had had many thousands of yards of metal out of the County pit and lie was quite sure they had a right to come into the Borough pit. Before the Borough got the reserves In the town it had f o satisfy the Government, that the metal needs of the district were provided for. The Council accepted this explanation as justifying the County’s use of the present Borough pit.