AWHITU RIDING.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 478, 30 May 1919, Page 2

AWHITU RIDING.

ROADING THE PENINSULA £IO,OOO LOAN ADVOCATED. Meetings of ratepayers were held on Monday last at Waipipi and Kohekohe, for the purpose of considering the question of raising a loan fur road improvements throughout the whole of Awhitu riding. Despite the bad weather, there was a good attendance of ratepayers at both places, shewing that settlers are keenly interested in the matter. The County Chairman (Mr W. Claud Motion), Cr Short (Awhitu riding). Messrs J. F. McArthur (County Engineer), Alan P. Day (County Clerk), H. O. Mellsop (President Farmers' Union), and S. J. Oldfield (Organising Secretary Farmers' Union), attended both meetings WAIPIPI IN FAVOUR. At Waipipi, the County Chairman occupied the chair, and explained the object of calling the meeting, which was to ascertain whether ratepayers were prepared to go in for a comprehensive scheme of permanent road improvement throughout the riding. The Chairman stated that, in his opinion, there was a great deal of improvement necessary on their roads, and far more than ratepayers could hope would be undertaken in the near future out of rate revenues. The present general rate for Awhitu riding, of l]d in the £, as struck last year, produced £1,400, and about £l,lOO of this sum was available for works in the riding, upkeep and repair of wharves, etc. Ratepayers would realise that after maintenance was done out of this amount very little was available for permanent work. The Chairman suggested that in older to provide a substantial sum of loan money forthwith for the permanent road improvements so urgent and necessary, about £d of their existing rate of 1 • d in the £ should be devoted towards payment of interest and sinking fund charges on a loan of £IO,OOO. The Clerk could give the meeting particulars of the valuation of the riding, etc., and rate required to be struck as security for the loan. The Chairman, in pointing out the advantages to be derived from such a scheme, stated that he believed the Government would subsidise such a loan on a £ for £ basis. The Clerk then supplied details of valuations, special rates required, etc , as follows : I ALLOCATIONS. The total rateable value of Awhitu riding is £270,721, made up as follows: - £ Late Awhitu road district 119,948 „ Pollok „ „ 31,521 Kohekohe district .. 51,562 Waipipi .. 67,690 £270,721 A loan of £IO,OOO on this area, apportioned according to rateable values, would give the following amounts to each district: — £ Late Awhite road district ~ 4,428 „ Pollok „ „ .. 1,181 Kohekohe district . . 1,919 Waipipi „ 2,472 £IO,OOO Interest and sinking fund payable on a loan of £IO,OOO at rates of 5 J per cent interest and one per cent sinking fund would amount to £625 per annum. To raise a loan of £IO,OOO over Awhitu riding a special rate of about live-eighths of a penny in the £ would require to be struck as security for the loan, but only nine-sixteenth of a penny would need to be collected for interest and sinking fund charges. The scheme, as outlined by the Chairman and Llerk were then discussed bv the meeting. Mr Gordon referred to the existing riding boundaries, and he suggested that the same should be altered, so that the whole of the main Waipipi road into Waiuku could be brought into the scheme.

Other ratepayers said that the amount collected for Waipipi district did not appear to be .sufficient for the needs ol the district. A GOOD SCHEME The Chairman, in reply, said this could be got over by Waipipi district going in for another special

rating area loan later on, haps ratepayers in the Waipipi Riding towards Waiuku would join in with them and raise a loan for regrading and improvement of the main road to Waiuku and other roads in their district, but this need not interfere with the present scheme for the Awhitu Riding, and was only a suggestion for later consideration. The Riding boundaries could not bo altered till March, 1920, in any case, anil even then it was hard to say what might be done. The question was largely one of rateable values of respective districts, and community of interest. He thought the scheme as outlined was a good one, as if the loan were raised as suggested the existing rate of five farthings could be reduced to three farthings. The special rate for loan would be nine-sixteenths, bo that by increasing their rate by only one sixteenth of a penny they could secure £IO,OOO of loan money for immediate expenditure along with the probable Government subsidy of another £IO,OOO. This would not prevent any of the districts in the Riding from raising additional loans for any further improvements required. Cr J. A. Bhort and several ratepayers supported the proposal, and on the motion of Mr Jones, seconded by Mr Gleeson, the meeting resolved to support the loan proposal as outlined by the Chairman. Mr Gordon moved that the Council be asked to take steps to raise a loan for improvements to the Waipipi Riding portion of the main road up to Waiuku Town District boundary. This was seconded by Mr Barriball and carried.

A vote of thanks was accorded the Chairman and Or Short for attending the meeting and laying the proposal bctore ratepayers. KOHEKOHE APPROVAL

At Kohekohe there was a good attendance of ratepayers. Mr F. A. Harcombe (President of the Farmers' Union) explained the reason for calling the meeting and stated that some time ago the Kohe Kohe branch of the Farmers' Union had asked the Council to raise a loan over their district for permanent road improvements, as the Council had now brought forward a scheme for the whole Biding, the Kohe Kohe settlers would no doubt be pleased to hear details of the same. He moved the County Chairman occupy the chair.

The County Chairman and Clerk outlined the scheme as reported above, and the same wa9 fully discussed by the meeting. Mr H. 0. Mellsop moved "That this meeting of ratepayers of the Kohe Koho portion of Awhitu Hiding approves of the Franklin County Council's proposal to raise a load of £IO,OOO for road improvement in Awhitu Biding, and that the Kohe Kohe branch of the Farmers' Union be appointed to confer with the Council regarding the allocation of the amount proposed to be apportioned out of the loan for Kohe Kohe roads."

This was seconded by MrF. A. Harcombe and carried unanimously. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the County Chairman and Or. Short for attending the meeting and explaining proposals.