BOYS’ TRAINING FARM.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 310, 17 October 1929, Page 3

BOYS’ TRAINING FARM.

QUESTION OF ACCESS,

Matter of Free Grant.

The Salvation Army Headquarters, Wellington, wrote drawing the attention of the Matamata County Council to the state of the road to the Salvation Army Farm at Putaruru. It was pointed out that the work had J been promised but nothing had been I done, beyond what the boys on the farm had done. In view of the fact ! that the farm was rated to the ex- ; tent of £7O per annum, and. as it J served for over 100 young people, in I addition to the staff and other set- j tiers, and it was in its present state l in wet weather a danger to life and limb, the consideration of the council [ wn c a clra/1 -f t

was asked for. | A further letter from the Minister of Public Works admitted that the raising of the road was one of urgency and would overcome the present difficulties, and should be undertaken as soon as possible, and the I metalling of the road could then be ! proceeded with as funds permitted. ! The cost is estimated to be £3500. j Concerning Government assistance this received consideration and the Minister decided that the Govern- [ ment would be justified in bearing the whole cost of the formation and i bridges; but that the local authority j should be prepared to assist with the ' metalling. The council was unable | to contribute anything for the work | during the current year, and in view J

of the fact that the formation work is the most urgent, consideration was only given to the question of providing a portion of the amount required. From information received it appeared extremely doubtful whether the Matamata County Council’s allocation would permit authorisa-

tion of any funds for the road this year, but in order to enable funds to \ be available in the event of the council being prepared to proceed with the work an amount of £2OO | free, on account, has been included I for consideration by Parliament. It j rested with the County Council as to i whether the work will be credited as I being sufficiently urgent as to war- . rant inclusion in its programme this year. The question of the provision of further funds for the completion of the work will receive consideral tion when next year’s estimates are being reviewed. f The engineer stated that some-

I time ago he made a bargain with the f ! manager of the farm that the county I f would quarry the rock and the boys j put it on the road. I The clerk stated that prior to 1927 I they paid no rates, and since then j they had paid £69 over a period of ! three years, of which only £22 was | riding money. / The engineer stated that any'free grant would come out of the county's ■ allocation. | The chairman stated that many people were under a misapprehen-

j sion in regard ho free money. The ] point was that though this extra ; grant was given it would be deducted from the council’s allocation of free j money for the whole area. The | principle was wrong; it was a na- I j tional institution and the grant I

- should be an additional one. Matters were drifting now so that instead of councils having charge of roads, politicians were regaining control. There were many more settlers on the back Lichfield road than on this road. Cr. Morriss: It should all be free

money. Cr. Anderson: Yes: a Government job. On the motion of Crs. Morriss and Cox it was agreed to write and ask | that the full amount of £3500 be made free money apart from the council’s usual grants. Cr. Cox explained that the council’s usual grant of free money was about £4OOO annually, and if this amount of £3500 were taken off it would leave only £SOO for the rest of the county. The motion was carried unanimously.