THE KARAKA BRIDGES

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 208, 30 June 1914, Page 2

THE KARAKA BRIDGES

CONSTRUCTION COSTS APPORTIONED WAIUKU DISTRICT EXEMPTED FRANKLIN COUNTY'S SHARE REDUCED

The report of Commissioner W. H. Short, beinnr his findings with regard to the claim tor contribution towards tho cost of the Karaka bridges, has been forwarded to His Exctllercy the Governtr, The report was read at Saturday's meeting of the Karaka Road Board, r>s follows : "May it please Your Excellency.— "I have the honour to submit for Your Excellency's information the folbwirg report pursuant of thi terms of a commission, dated the 27th January, 1914, directing me to inquire aid rarort the Hingaia and bridges in the Karaka road district, Auckland, sh-juld be constructed, nnrl if so which local authority should be authorised to undertake the work, and in what pnirortions the ci.sts (»f th: same shouli us borne by any locjl uu'hoiity, t! e r.'tetrjets of whose districts will largely benefit by tuch wo k. Tne icqui y wris hi.M at tie Maci.Mra e'a CoJit, Auckland, on 27th and .lilth March, 1914, and th" parties to the inquiry were represented as folbws:-Karfika Koad Board, Mr Richmond; Papaku a Town Boird. Mr Godwyn Smi hj; Waiuku Road Board, Mr Prtnd rgast; Franklin Cojnty Council, Mr Banna. CLAIM. "The Karaka Rosd Board claims that the Karaka Road Board should be authorised to construct the bridges and that the cost, l?ss the Govern-

ment grant of £IOOO, and less r contribution of £IOOO from the Karaka Land Company, Limited, should be borne by the parties in the following p:oportions: Karaka Road Board 50 per cent. Papakura Town Board 30 per cent. Waiuku Road Board 7i per cent. Franklin County Council 12i per cent "The budges are proposed to be substantially constructed of ferroconcrete, a:.d as none of tae parti's objected either to the design or to tho work being constructed by the Karaka Road Beard, and as the bridges have been designed by a competent engineer, there is no reason why they should not be constructed by the Karaka Road Board. "The Papakura Town Beard is willing to pay its quota of 30 per cent, 8s claimed, provided that it will not have to pay a larger contribution for interest and sinki g fund on the necessary loan for same than at the rate of £SO per annum and as it is hardly likely that the cost will ba as much as this, and as none of the other parties attempted to show that the contribution was insufficient, it may, I think, ba accepted that the proportion in this case should stand, subject to the limitation prescribed by the Board.

"Thia leaves the claims of 7J per cent againet the Waiuku Road B.ard ar.d 12£ per cent, against the Franklin County to be considered, as both these parties decline to pay what is demanded. "Ihe line of road upon which these two bridges will be constructs has not yet been formed, but the Karaka Road Board und?rtakes to farm it without calling upon auy of the other partiea to contribute to such cost. The road itself is manifestly required to open up the land of the Karaka Land Company, and without tfce bridges the road would be of very little use. In fact, without the rosd and bridge?, the Company cannot successfully cut up its land for sale, I went over the ground on which the proposed road will run, and it is manifest that the road and bridges will be of very great advantage and will add considerably to the value of the lands of the Karaka Land Company. The road is, how ever, likely t> be of considerable benefit to the people in the Papakum town district, as it will bring the settlers on the Karaka Land Company's Land 3 into direct rcla tiona with Fapakura. The road will extend also Into part of what wa9 originally the Mauku road district, which is now merged in the Franklin County; ard for certain settlers in that distrct it will also be a nearer and more direct road to the railway and thence to Aucklurd, than is thf case at present, via the Drury Waiuku road. This is the basis of the claim sgainst Franklin County: and 8s it was contended that large quantities of stock came from th<. Waiuku Road district to the sak yards and abattoirs near Auckland, which would be likely to use thr cew road, via the proposed bridges. it is claimed that these bridge;' would be of considerabla benefit t< the people in the Waiuku district

and hence the claim against th. Waiuku Road Board. CONSIDERATION OF CLAJ J. "The claim for 12A par cem against the Franklin Couuty wasought to be supported by the cv dence of certain settlers living in th Waiau parish of the county, to som of whom the new road, and const quently the bridges, would be of con siderable benefit; but this evidenti was largely discounted by the fact that to enable the bridges ta be -A i much use arid benefit to the bulk <•' the settlers in Waiau parish livinc to the west of Whatapaka Inlet, ■< road connection would have to 1 made through section Git. block V the owner of which (Mr Hogwood) not willing that the roai should K taken. There has been an agitatit for some considerable time that th road connection should be made ar at one time a track was used tr-roup! thin land, but so far no > " evidence was given to show iV. ''• Franklin County Council has .;■ . J decided to take the road >i, ,o ] gorily. Evidence was, • >. , to show th '!v ••".< -1 this woula !. .»r. ,-\. - :i . . one to male. £'•»'* '" "■ *' wer<2 made. tin. . '..ii'i;..' .... ■ d that the vr! , "'< " ; '■■- ■' ", r '" ;''[ the peninsula to l> *;' ' '" Whatapaka ialet .■cu'-! i.' ''"'■ ' "; : rojd or get to the ■" "K'-> *' ' '"' n , a very long dct ■ ■ ,i »'. l land for a further r.-t . l "'"'•'" some could do so. an : ilu'., »*'■' ll '''

I '■ >; , i <v "t '•■ stock, and this choice i.' .-■ . n.e rendition and state j; * ro >at the time he desires L 'V ' : • ■': :tock, cn>l it in imposu 1 i:- k. ,-.. t a , resent tunc to decide ~ |iV ;'. . . ro:ul will of necessity ' ' \. ni r \i. Terence to the oid rue. ■: Vi ;.i m y depen.l whether the . ' ,!,.j,,..i1l ii the stjck is the Diury o. !;t: :■• a: sale yards or the t . i .thi • : " tVcstfield. , *.' i ;'-. • i'ole, and as the Waiuku ( ,f\ ■ i- i: i,ny mile 3 distant from • i ;'* : -u- •'■ "Od trie only thing from ~ Uiy ". •■ ' ict likely' t) use the ~ i i r ;>. -. pt very occasionally) is :i .;i . .;l at certain periods ot !.';.•. i nof opinion that the h..\-\ .' i Board has failed io v i> V- . ■ ' of the daim against 1 Uu- « :>. ' istrict. UMMAIU. ! ; t"-* i'.i the I'apakura I'own ' ..♦ \. i : i ; ,< 30 per c:nt, and the ■i ,'.;, itv is liable for 10 per . 01 r. lis leaves GO p:r cent for tlie ! , | N ;u i Road Board to pay, if it j ;•• tha bridges. In mv opinion I j ti .'.: i rot at all an ■ !• ; • lien, 'lhe bridges are ustl'ul I b i..J oilier di.stru'l!", but they arc ' essoniißi tu die subjivision and BCt'.icincnt of a large part of the ] Karaka road iliatrid. It was urged ' that tho Karaka toad district would I really pay more than the r c pc nut, j which it offered to contribute, owing to the payment of X\OW by the '. Karaka Land Company. I oTcr no ;

doubt receive much benefit. I'honeA toad, and consequently the bridges, can be reached from lands in the i southern part of the old Mauku road district (now part of Franklin ; County) without using the proposed ' road through eectbn G9 aforesaid, but their more direct road to the ' rail vay wouU bj via ibe WaiukuDrury road, which is already partly metalled, and th: dca' road is hardly likely to be used by thim except f;r stock. In winter time tha new road would become almj t impassable for vehicles until it is metalled, consequenHy the new road for many years would not, in my opinior, be of much benelit to the fetibra in the south pa*t of Mauku district. "One of lha wit'u ssc-s for hsraka Koad Board (Mr J. K. McLa'in professed to represent thirty of t'.e setthrs ii the Waiau ustrict who live to the wo t of Whntapaka Inlet, trd he ikimeJ that ti.av are all in favour of the bridges and wo.ld be willing to bj rate J for them—sec Ivrhilii: 111. Hut t-.is exhibit fcliows that a Mr Litchfield whs also sppoiit'd to r present these same ratepayers ani bis tea immy did not agree with that of Mr MeLario. Mr Litcht'wlJ said that the settlers were not opposed to the bridges, but they objected n be rated t<ir them. He afterwarda said they objected to be rated unless the people at Fatumahoe wtro also rated. Thfse btter people would •not, in my opinion, benefit by the bridges to any material exttv.t, and

consequently it woul.l be unfair to rate them. It is v.-ry dilii ult ti knuw from this eorlflicting evidence what tin id.ai uf the people are, for even at the meeting that aupointed those two gentlemen to tepres-nt '.hem, no one, it appecra, hut Mr Mcl.arm spoke, and the meeting moreover was an informal one ard not called lo- that purpcac, and it is quite clear that unless and unll the cennccting road through Hogwocd's land is acquired anfl t!ie road mads ih'reoi the bridges will ha of. no appreciable bent fit to the setthrs in Mauku iising wt-Uvird of the Whstapaka Hlet. tut when that connecting road is mmlo the briiges will te of material benefit. 'Evidunc. l was given by Mr fc'. YaU>. of Messrs Yalea and Co., sc:d»inen. Amkland, and Mr H. K. Maihonzic. rh;)irman of the Manukau i Cuurw, to h of whom own or are I ir.t?re-«ed in a considerable area of land in Mauku district cl se to the new r.isil an J to the cast of the Wh<it(|p9ka Iniet These two gentlemen tistifhr! that the bridges would be of Considerable benefit and would ir.neajee thr value of their lands. It is marSfe.--' that a short direct road on gortii gr;.'!ca to a railway station wherevthcr: ar= many trains each day with fbeap suburban fares must be

of as ijiucb benefit, to these particular iHiids aa if they were In Karaku district e!,:.=o. to the bridges "i-'or thisj reaaons, I am of opinnn thnt when the new read in Karnka district is made and the biidtfea thereon have been erected, they wi'l be of so much henefit to the northers part of the Waiau portion 01 tha Hauku district that the aettUra there will then insist on the road through. Norwood's being made, i r-onsidar. therefore, that it is just a<id eijuitable that Franklin County should make some contribution toward.' the cost of the bridges, UuU oww-.g to the uncertainty i»s to ; the mi,: tinough Hcgwjd's land j amf th<- i'a« t ihat n railway is to be J maJf to the Mauku district, I am ot j opi,,|pn that the 12J per cent claimed ! is to-: much and consider that 10 per j cent wouid b? fair and just. j "An aginls the claim of 7J rer cent fi.i'. Waiuku Koad Board, the I Km-.* a l.'oad Uoard endeavoured to ! s-iippfi-i thn cairn by evidence as to | the itock traffic from Waiuku that j wi'ull ut-e the new road and bridges j in pjjt'creiicc to vising the Waiuku- ! Ururt ru:ui, but it was demonstrated ! that.a groat deal of the stock that | now goes bv the latter road, and j whiej the Karcka Road Board supI posed had enme from Waiuku, really j i :n:ic frt.ii! swamp lands beyond : Waijku district. It was also shown J thai, there would not be a very , greai' saving in distance from j WaiVk'.i by tne new road, and that j the tendency was to truck stock by • the •rat'nay rather than to drive ; theii r.y road. Some peoplo will, ' i howi\«.r. iv. inuc to drive stoik by ] ia\\ lm ivaraka Koad Board also ! erulif^'iirt, .o i»how that the stock I w»i.. v . !•£ .1. i ly t3 go by the new 'j t..-v : prtfeu.'ce to the old one, I .t wtulrl to a quieter road, '! h'.t,j:i i v opinion, the question of ' ■.].-.■ h-.i ' will be taken is a | ::,aV' f ' h ' > ce un lne P art °f tnc

opinion as In the .•.iilfic'n.noy or otherwise of this piiyincut. l! v. ill cot rime out of the funis of the Katnka Kor.d Beard, and, n > it is cltar that aa li?twicn the parties to this inquiry the Hoard will benefit mriY t!,r>n t*ie.! ns much as Mil till llid other parties pm t tether, I consider that HO per c:nt. is u fair piopoMion for it to pay.

"For those reason* I rcniinmo.il that tii3 Karahi l!n-.| llo.ni he empowered to const-urt the hridjfcs, ard that the cost of i-untrue" nn. ]>•« the Gowrnmtml uraiit anl le.s the enntiibution of iMOnu hy t'o Kiraka I.urd (Vnpnuy. lo np:ortiorcl ns follows: -

Karaka B.ii r.l f»<' |ur cent I'ripakura To«:i Hoard :to p.r cent Franklin ('cti ty Coi.n il lop, rcet.t

"ProviJiil that the I'uj.nkura Town Hoard thall nut n any ius 1 be required to pay more than .150 p:r annum as irlemt and sinking fund on it* shaic ot tha ban f:r the work.

"The new road upon which tin budges will exist is r.ot aid \i nut all legalised as a toad, and the bridges therein v.ill thetefur. I.e useless to th ■ (allies wl.o havj to contribute there I a until the road 11 madj an I legalis (i. L'nd r thc:c circimatenees, I recommend th.U tlu proportion of cost payable bv the Franklin County and the Papakura Town Uourd respectively bo nut recoverable until after fie Karaka Hold H ard has obtained a clear titb in t v e name of His Majesty t'i the whole of the said nail, and until the road dnOl have nho been fo.mcd by the Karaka Uoiul Hoard id a manor s i n\\: tot vehicular tafli' to the ratisfacti ui of th.' District Engin-er of IhJ Fuolic \V >tks Department, at Auckland (O'Trf. In my ipini r», Hi rj was soma justification in cti g tha Waiuku Head iloa d, ard as lh<j i,ther pit ties have fail d in part, and the i'jpakura Town Foard did not employ couns.l or ad uce e.iJencp, 1 coieider that each party blioul 1 pay itt own co ts, and • si order." Tru chairmin (Mr Hatty* said Mr H. 11. Mackenzie, chairman of the Manukau Canty CauncU, had btated that hi c'ii no', think the Board would ha?e a great deal of trouble In gcttii? the inn:ey f-om frba Gover r rr.ent, provided early application was nude. The Bonn had written to the Papa';ura Town Boßrd and the Franklin Ccunty C uncil, askinst them if they cbsir d the Karaka Road Board to raho their prcporlion of the ban or whither thev would attend to this themselves. The Papakura fow.i Board had replied uskirg tha Kaiaka Board to raise their share, but no riply had been received from tl.e County Council. As far as the arrount was concencd it was better to have more money than they required rather than to) littlt. 1 hey need not lake up more than they actually wanted. On Hl2 motion of Mr Glaasqn, seconded by Mr Sutton, the chairman a-.d clerk were authorised to till in the necessary papers for an application to the Government for a Man cf £4500.