THE ROAD BOARDS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 61, 21 January 1913, Page 2

THE ROAD BOARDS.

Waipipi and Waiuku Rate* payers Discuss the Merging Question. Town Board for Waiuku Suggested. About 40 ratepayers attended the meeting held at Waiuku on Friday eight to consider the question of Road Boards merging into the Franklin County Council. Mr Higginson, chairman of the Waiuku Road Board, was voted to the chair, and called on Mr Renal!, chairman of Waipipi Road Board and membei of the County Council, to addre63 the me?ting. Mr Reoall dwelt at length on the benefits to be obtained by the Road Boards merging, and explained in a lucid manner the proposed workings of the Council. He said he was ;orrv to see so few present, and could not understand why Waiuku had not taken the matter up better. At Waipipi last week he had over 60 present in the school house. He stated that in all business concerns it had been proved that there was considerably less expense to work one large body than numbers of small oaea. In his former district of Wairarapa Road Boards had beon bundled out years ago, and thev now had the best roads in the country. By a majority vote the Council took the Koad Boards over and it was necessary for the Boards to see this was done. At present the Council were sitting: as nonentities, because the Road Boards had not merged and the goud works of the Council was blocked on ttiat account. Some objectors said under the Council that the back roads would be neglected: that was all nonsense, the engineer would see to that, and he was not going to risk his billet in that way. On the County Council were prominent members of Road Boards; lie •asked, were not those men going to take the same interest in their Council work as they do as Road Board members? If the ratepayers had confidence in them in one place they should in another. He would not hesitate to say that under the Road Board system fully on 3 third ol the money had been wasted, not becaus3 the members were incompetant, but because they had rot sufficient funds or machinery. Wnile not disparaging the work done by the workman he likened pick and shovel work to an eld hen scratching, a3 compared with a modern road grader. Men could not compete with up-to-date machinery. By the antiquated methods of Road Boprds money was just frittered away; there were some 14 or 15 local bodies whtre they proposed to have only oie. The expenses all told amounted to over £IOO each; in this manner alone nearly £2OOO was wasted which would go a long way in the County Council. Do what they could members were not able to attend to things as a competent engineer could, and he asked them what had been the results in other counties? Had they ever heard of a county wishing to revert to Road Boards? He never had. Some stated that they objected to sign the petition because they woiked on the roads and might not be employed by the Council. Why, to these he said the Council would still want men and if they were good men they would be Btill employed. He was very dissatisfied with the way road work was at present being done, and he thought they all were, so why not give tha Council a trial? They could not surely he worse than the present system. Mr Claude Motion, Chairman of the County Council, explained the reason for calling the meeting to as to give the ratepayers a chance to discuss this matter and hear all sides. He did not think they should dictate to the ratspayers how to vote, but place the matter before them and let thsm use their own discretion. The Council were to take over the main roads. These roads were by far the biggest problems, so Burely the Council could bn trusted to look after the side roads. The matter entirely rests with the ratepayers, and it would be for them to say whether they had the Council and Road Boards or the Council alone. He said he would do all in his power to prevent an extreme rate being struck. The councillors were all large ratepayers and they would feel a heavy rate as well as othrrs. He was quite convinced that the Council would be far the cheaper scheme for the ratepayers. QUESTIONS. Mr Hodgkinson asked what would be the position if they didn't merge? Mr Higginson: If the Road Boards do not merge the County Council will strike a rate for Council work and the Road Boards will do tne reit. Mr Hodgkinson: What would be the position of the loans in hand? Mr Renall: The Council would take over all work at present being carried on and have it finished as arranged by the Road Boards. Mr Motion: If a Road Board does not wish to merge they can send their wishsti to the Council, who would inspect the roads and strike a rate sufficient to maintain the county road in that area, t

Mr Hodgkinson said he came from a county were rates where so high that it drove him out of the district. Mr Robert Hull: Will Road Boards, whether they merge or not, have to pay the engineer? Mr Motion: The engineer's services would be needed for arterial roads, and Boards would have to pay pro rata where his services were most required. Mr A. Hull asked how th<! one engineer could louk after the work that it now took 14 or 15 local Codies to do? He considered there would be more work on the main roads alone than the man could look after. Mr Renall said there were good men in th° County Council, and the wcrk would not be enough to keep them warm. j Mr Hull said that Mr Kenall had j pointed out the present bad state of the roads. As these men on the Council were all Board memDers now he did not see how they were going to be so much better as Councillors. Mr Kcnali: 'lhey would have an engineer, a competent man to do the work an J he in turn would employ a competent, foreman, pjr Williams asked how much o*

the larthing rate struck had been sp-int in the County. Mr Higginson said this had been al! reported in the "Times.'' Mr Hodgkinson thought the Council thould feel their nay by taking over tne main roads and let the ratepayers see how they shapsd before giving them full control. Mr Rossiter said when the Government brought in this Local Government Bill they had nodoubt given the matter careful consideration, and believed it would benefit the people. He was «ure it must save expense. He thought Mr Reuall had laid the matter very clearly betore them, and they should agrae to hand the business over to the Council and be done with it, He wanted to know why Waiuku Road Hoard had not sent a petitiun round same as Waippi had done.

Mr Higginson: This matter was to be dealt with at last meeting, but fell thrcugb owing to there not being a quorum present. Mr Rossiter said they certainly wanted something different than the present system. Their own township of Waiuku was a disgrace to the district, the streets wanted laying down, while the footpaths and kerbing needed fixing up. He thought the Council might bring about a Town Board.

Mr Higginson said that he would line to see a Town Board.

Mr Renall: They could define a special area under tne Council and levy a special rate, but be would like also to sea a Town Board at Waiuku. A vote of thanks to the chairman and councillors terminated the meeting.