LETTERS

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 503, 14 September 1993, Page 4

LETTERS

Cost-effective safety • Why can't the Raetihi Road/Clyde Street intersection be made into a compulsory stop? A large sign on the Raetihi side of the swimming baths such as 'Major Intersection Ahead' or 'Stop Ahead' would be far better than cramming up the intersection with traffic islands and having to change the footpaths ete. It would also be far more cost effective.

Ron

Frew

Up profitability • I see the mayor has called a special meeting and has given Jim a ring. Why, because AFFCO are doing to 80 workers what the Ruapehu District Council did to a substantial group of workers a few weeks ago. I am sure some bright spark at AFFCO will

come up with the same excuses the Council came up with. What was it? - reorganisation, rationalisation, the excuses are endless. Bright ideas are coming forward - cut the water cost, cut the power cost to AFFCO to save the jobs at all costs. Had the mayor called a special meeting when they put all those council workers down the road, we could have come up with some cost-cutting ideas - cut all the top salaried council officers pays by 20 per cent, put all council employees on a 35-hour week. This could have saved all those jobs. Mind you'it would not have had to be for long - only until Jim's economic miracle comes along. I feel deeply for those workers and their

families that are to be tossed onto the redundancy scrap heap. But as AFFCO will say and the Ruapehu District Council have said - sorry, but we must keep up profitability.

E

Pasquill

Rural rates • Having lived on the, Mangarewa Road since 1961 in our family home, our rates have escalated to a very high cost. Under the County Council in 1980 it was $54; amalgamation with Ohakune mid 80's, $74; amalgamation with Taumarunui, $362. We have the same roadway and frontage and our own driveway with no culvert, no drains, no footpath, no sewerage, no lights, only a rural mail service costing $80. Valuation of a quarter

acre under District Council 's rating is $3,000 which makes $12,000 an acre. Is there oil or gold under Mangarewa soil? I fail to see the District Council' s ratings as a legal tender for money, beyond my means, or any one of us rural residents, at $12,000 per acre in valuation, who will buy land at that price? At 74 I am now giving up and leave my family to carry on the keeping of the quarter acre and the home. I can assure the District Council that they will put someone into the home. May God put oil or gold under our quarter acre section to make it more rateable!

John Jellicoe

Waerea.

Plunket turns 80 • This year marks 80 years of service by the Taihape Branch of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society. In the

early days the Taihape Branch included sub branches as far afield as Hunterville and Marton but today the area is smaller stretching from Waiouru to Ohingaiti and Rangiwahia. Over the 80 years many women and men have made very valuable contributions to a most worthy free health service that continues to grow, providing a much

more extensive range of services to the families of the area, than ever before. It seems very fitting that this important milestone should fall during the year in which 100 years of Women's Suffrage is celebrated in New Zealand. To mark the milestone, a luncheoq, is to be held on Thursday 21 October, at the Pirates Club Rooms, Kuku

Street, Taihape, to which all interested are invited. We hope that as many former committee members, Plunket Nurses, Karitane Nurses, supporters and friends as possible will join us on this occasion. Enquiries regarding tickets etc can be made to: Dianne McCarthy 06-3887-597 or Jenny Jones 06-3825-559.