County Affairs Overhauled

Shannon News, 27 February 1923, Page 3

County Affairs Overhauled

STRONG PROTEST AGAINST RATES AND VALUATIONS.

COUNTY CHAIRMAN EXPLAINS

TO BIG MEETING OF RATEPAYERS

The largest meeting of farmers that has taken place, in Levin for many years was held iri'tlie Cosmos Theatre on Saturday under the. auspices of the Farmers* Union jto discuss the County valuations and rates. About, 130 ratepayers were present and the County Chairman (Mr G. A. Monk), Crs McLeavey, Broadbelt and Harkness (Wirokino riding) and the County Clerk, Mr P. W. Goldsmith, were also in attendance. Mr G. Tully presided, and the proceedings, though lively at times, were conducted generally with good feelirig, though it was quite evident that many of those present felt strongly on the questions before the meeting.

Mr W. H._FLeld f M.P., sent an apology for absence, and Mr J. Linklater, M. who was on his way to the meeting, was prevented by a car breakdown. The County Engineer, Mr W. N. Anderson, was unable to be present owing to indisposition. RATES NOTICES CAUSE' SHOCK. Mr Tuliijr said they were not there in any spirit of hostility to the County Council, but most of .them got a bit of shock when they received their rate notices. Trie: Farmers’ Union had been, asked to call the meeting, which he thought would do good by clearing the air. He invited the speakers to keep cooj and amicable, as being more likely to reach the desired end. He asked for a motion for discussion.

After some hesitation, Mr J. W. Taylor (Ihakara) moved that,the County Council be asked to return half of the increase in rates struck for the year. Mr W. G. Bishop (Ohau) seconded the motion pro forma. Mr Gimblett (LeVin) said the motion was a waste of time. They were there to discuss relief from the high valuations and future rates. Cr. Harkness said it was financially impossible, and further, illegal, to return rates once collected. Mr Taylor said councillors must have realised that they were overvalued. Tlhey took advantage of it to strike a rate-that would -bring in more money. lii view, of'the high valuations they should not have struck such a high rate. CHAIRMAN ASKED TO SPEAK. Mr T. G. Vincent (Levin) moved' that the Chairman of the County Council be asked to explain why it was necessary to strike such a high rate. Mr Gimblett seconded the amendment Mr Monk, the County Chairman, said he had been invited to come there and hear what they had to say, not to deliver an address on county finance. If the meeting wanted him to do fiiat, it Was only just to him and to the Council to have told him beforehand, so that he might have prepared something. The meeting was calle to discuss the high valuations, over Which the; Council had absolutely no control. However, he was quite willing to address them, if desired. . The chairman: They want, to hear about trie rates, and wish you to open up the discussion. Mr Monk: They seem to know ail about tha fates, sir. (Laughter.)RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE. Mr Taylor said there was no Reeling against the Council, but the rates had gone up until in some cases they were; about equal to rerit, being over a hundred per cent increase. They should be on the unimproved value. It was wrong that as soon as a /nan took off his coat and improved his place he should have to pay more rates.

The amendment was carried On the voices.

COUNTY CHAIRMAN’S CASE.

LOW-RATED WIROKINO

On taking the floor the County Chairman was received with applause. Mr Monk said he wanted them.to be quite clear that the County Council did not strike rates for the fun of collecting them. The Council was elected primarily for the purpose of keeping the roads and bridges in order. The Wirokino riding was mostly affected 1 by the new rates, and they must remember they had had a very considerable increase in the valuations—7o to 100 per cent. Until this year, also, Wirokino had been the lightest rated riding in the county.,' Mr Gimblett: On a very high valuation, sir. Mr Monk: No, the valuation Was low and you were the least rated. For the past ten years the general rate had been no higher than Id in Wirokino. The, result was that Wirokino had gradually accumulated a debit. Te Horo managed to keep a surplus because it collected more money from the ratepayers. JBIG ACCUMULATED DEFICIT. Two years ago, he continued, the

Government passed the Local Bodies’ Finance Act, which required the county to come out square on March 31. There must) be no overdraft. Wirokino was then a long way behind, with £SOOO to make up. The Council did not go to the ratepayers direct for it. They had to raise a loan to pay this antecedent liability, which amounted to £9OOO ior the County, Wirokino’s share being £SOOO. That loan had to be paid off in ten years, which, with interest, meant an annual instalment of about £IOOO. That was the first factor in the higher rates. COST OF THE MAIN ROAD. Continuing, the Chairman said every year there was ,an agitation to have everyone’s road included in the works’ schedule. The 'Engineer prepared this and the councillors for the riding went, over the riding carefully and came to the conclusion that they dare not put any more on., Te public works expenditure for the year was estimated at £7OOO out of a total general revenue r of “Have we spent too ; much ” asked ine speaker. Mr Gimblett: In places, yes.

Mr Monk: If we have, there is only one plhce where we spent too much—that was on the main road—(Hear, hear)—and we have no control over that. When he fold them that it had cost £lso'a mile to keep the main road in order they would know where a lot of the money went. Mr Monk referred to the injustice of the county having to keep so long a'piece of the main, road in order for the through motor traffic, and said they could expect relief when the Highway Act of last session came into operation about June, 1924. ■- The main road from Waikanae to Levin at least would come under the Board constituted by that Act and a considerable part of the cost of maintenance would come out of the Consolidated Fund or by general taxation. INCREASED HOSPITAL LEVIES.

The County Chairman next dealt With ,the increase in. hospital levies. In 1916, the County paid £2713 to the Wellington Board, and in 1918, £2786. Then they were transferred to the Palmerston district, for whicri they had to pay £2500 in annual instalments, the last of which was paid this year. Their first levy to Palmerston was £1649, and this year' it was £2410. Had they remained under Wellington they would have been paying about £SOOO, and he claimed that those responsible, lor the change had saved these local bodies a lot oi money. ' ,

PAY THE RATES HRt»MPTLY. AND ; ; GET REDUCTION. -

Mr Monk’s next point was the nonpayment of rates, which was one ol the difficulties the Council had been laboux'ing under. They struck the rates last year, and knowing the had times people were going through, the date for payment was extended from time to time. But the' result was very bad indeed, and the outstanding rates at the end of the year were enormous, contributing largely to the increase in rates this year. They might say the amount outstanding was an asset, but it was not until it came into their coffels. They would have to write uff a lot because the people were holding land In the County that they were unable to make'pay. Times were very much better now, however. 11 you will promptly pay your rates—l presume most of the people here have paid them—(laughter)—you will, pul us in the position of being able to say we will give you a reduction.” The Engineer assured him that the works expenditure would be very much, less. When they paid their rate the Council would know where it was. “When you have £2OOO owing of this current year’s rates, what are you to do?” asked the speaker. **

A voice: Sue for it. The County Clerk: Judgment. has been obtained lor a lot of it.

Mr Monk: Would you assess the result at £2000? Mr Gimblett: Is not the land security for it? A DELICATE POINT. Mr Monk: That is correct, no doubt, but in many cases the Crown is the eventual owner. This was a matter of some delicacy, and he did not want to -say much about it. but a lot of this land was held by returned soldiers, and the Council had not sued the soldiers. The Crown was not responsible unless the land was sold and was bought in by the Crown. The rates in numbers of these cases extended back three and four years. THE VALUATIONS. Coming to the valuations, the County Chairman said the Council had had to pay £4OO for the re-valuation.. MOiTOH AND MILK TRAFFIC INCREASED. He referred to the great cost of road maintenance on account of the motor lorries and through cars, which could be counted by the hundred as compared with three years ago. A voice: Why don’t you make them pay by a toll-gate? ; Mr Monk: Carry a resolution for a toll-gate and we will, put one up. Mr Monk did not, himself, agree with the toll-gate plan. He estimated the in-

creased milk traffic ai 50 per cent. Voices: No! No. The dairy factory carts its own milk.

Mr Monk instanced the increase in Te Horo, and maintained that there had been an increase in Wirokino. “HAVE A GO YOURSELVES.”

In conclusion he said: “If any of you can tell us ho>v we can do our job better, or would like the job yourselves, come along and have a go. I have had a good long time at it, now.” He stressed the point that the Council did not want to> collect any money it had no use for. Every cocky was a. road engineer, but the speaker found that tile professional man generally knew more than the layman. He asked the meeting to show him any, public works where they had spent more .money than was necessary. He invited Questions. “Make it as Shot as you like,” he said. COST OF BRIDGE REPAIRS. Mr Monk read the public works allocations last-year, and to Mr Vincent, said most of the money had been spent on the roads for which it was, allocated. They had had to rob some of the roads, however, to do the Ohau bridge, which cost £7OO, the Council finding one-third. The Otaki bridge would cost £IBOO, the Government finding two-thirds. A METAL INTERLUDE. In answer to other questions, the County Chairman said they had acquired the pit engine and lorry out of the antecedent liability and were getting better value for the money spent as a result. To Mr Prouse he stated that whereas the contract price for carting metal from one pit was 12/6, the lorry did the job for 8/9 per yard. Other trips worked out: Contract 9/6, lorry 6/6; contract 18/6, lo’rry 11/6.

Mr Vincent asked was it not a fact that Mr Mottershead’s lorry put out as much metal as the County lorry.

Mr Monk: If Mr Vincent believes that he has been well gulled. Mr Vincent: No, sir.

1 Mr Monk: It is absolutely ridiculous to say that a small one-ton truck can put out as much as the County lorry carrying three yards of metal.

Mr Vincent maintained that his information was correct. Mr Ait-ken said the County lorry cut up the roads. (Laughter.) To Mr Vincent: Mr Monk said Wirokino’s overdraft had been as much as the other three ridings put together. WASTE AND INEFFICIENCY ALLEGED. Mr IL J. Richards said the essence of the matter was that they were not getting efficiency nor- value for their money in road maintain,ence—not any way near it. as one with nearly 20 years’ experience on the' Council in the old days, he considered money was being spent wastefully. (Hear, hear.) The Chairman said every cocky was his , own engineei', and they all experienced that feeling. The system of dumping metal was ex-/ ceedingly wasteful. He knew of his own knowledge that it cost 10/-a yard to spread the m<3tal after it had been dumped. It could be carted on for 6/. Sfippose they spent the whole 16/ in metal, it would be to the benefit of the roads. Mr Monk and the. oilier councillors could say what they like, but that system was no credit to the Engineer. Mr Richards proceeded to refer to the Ohau.-bridge. .Mr Monk:. I don’t want to stop discussion. But we are here to discuss certain things, and you should keep to those things. CLOSED BRIDGES.

Mr Richards said he would keep to the point. That bridge should never have been closed. It would only have been necessary f to have slipped in an ordinary decking plank along each stringer until' the materials required came to hand. Mr Richards pointed out that the Te Horo riding, which the chairman had compared with Wirokino, had not so many special rates as Wirokino, and its main reading loan had been paid off. Mr Monk: We have to thank you for that, and I give you the credit for it. SUE FOR THE RATES. Mr Richards: ’ Up here we are still paying off heavy loans. With regard to outstanding rates, he maintained that the Council should sue and obtain judgment in all cases; they could then enforce it or otherwise. Mr Monk: We took the course we thought best. We may be wrong. Mr Richards: If the ratepayers ceased to be the owners, the Council would then have recourse upon the land. THE OHAU ROAD. Continuing, he criticised the Engineer’s policy in regard to the Ohau road. Mr Monk: I would sooner you charged the Council. Leave the Engineer entirely out of it. He is responsible to the Council and the Council to you. Mr Richards: In the first instance the Council formed theiroad and left the tar and sand on the side of the read until there were pot-holes in it before it was tarred. Mr Mohk: It is not finished yet; am other coat is due. Look at the weather we have had.

THE COUNTY WORKMEN

Mr Richards said he. did not want to run down the County men, but they

were not getting efficiency there. The men nad greatly encroached on the working time. Mr Monk: Forty-eight hours a week. Mr Richards: No doubt, bu.t not on the roads. It was the. fault of the Council in not seeing that the Engineer saw that the men were there. CHAIRMAN REPLIES TO MR RICHARDS. Mr Monk said ‘when Mr Richards was on the Council they paid 8/ a day; now they were paying 12/ and they all knew the average man to-day. was not better than he was feh years ago. , (Laughter.) “How are you going to improve matters? Follow them round to see that they work P” Mr Death said it could be proved that the men did not work eight hours. '

The, Otaki bridge having been mentioned, Mr Monk said the VVaitohu bridge was condemned by Mr Malcolm . long before he died, but they made it last a little longer by putting in two new stringers. If anyone condemned the closing of the bridge, let them go down and look at the timber that came out. All was rotten except the two stringers Mr Malcolm put in to ! keep vehicles from falling -through. - A ratepayer said a ten-ton lorry went over, five minutes before the bridge was closed, and another wanted to .know who' cut the stringers with'' an axe.

Mr Monk said it was the Engineer. He could have cut them with ai penknife in their decayed , condition/ •.

Coming back to the rates, Mr MoijK said the Wirokino general Tate was not high, but the riding was saddled with an enormous number of special rates. They were not paid at the request of the Council, but of the ratepayers, who wanted Special pieces -of work. Probably 50 per cent of those present had changed farms in recent years. Did they ever ask what .the rates were when buying?.. Mr Pinhey: We could never sell today when we tell purchasers what our rates are. . - l

Mr Monk said the Council had sued for the rates- where they thought it. was any use; but there had been cases of hardship. In regard to the Ohau road, the Engineer had his Sympathy. Did anyone present know of a similar summer to the present. The work was done out of revenue because it was an experiment. WAS THE MONEY SPENT? Mr Vincent contended that the sums stated on the schedule of works were not spent on the road. He denied that £3O was spent on, the kawiu Road. Where they spent it was the new Foxton deviation. Cr. j. McLeavey: Where? . Mr Vincent:..At the Foxton end. Cr. McLeavey: That metal was put there by Mr Ross, and the Council had nothing to do with that. PAROCHIALISM. Mr Vincent said councillors did not know the business of their ridings. He asserted that Cr. Harkness had opposed a tar-sealing experiment, proposed by Cr. Broadbelt, on a-piece of road at lhakara that, 1 could not be washed out, but strongly supported the Ohau tar-sealing... on - low-lying-land. Mr Vincent strongly condemned whait ,fl).e .Mr,-... Harkness’s. village pump parochialism. Cr. Harkness. warmly objected to these remarks,,.and asked for ; a hearing. He,,,did . not think it right for the Coupty Chairman to .-come., in •. and; monopolise the meeting, and hoped

the other councillors " would 'get a chance. . ' ' ‘ • ,

Mr Tully assured' Cr. Darkness that he would get a hearing. “DICTATOR OF HOROWHENUA.” Continuing, Mr Vincent' said the County Chairman dominated the Council. He was no longer chairman, but dictator of Horowhenua. He had been chairman so long. He asked how much in special rates not hitherto collected had been collected this year, it having been-overlooked before. Mr Monk: Nothing to speak of. THE HIGHWAYS BILL.

Mr Vincent asked why, if the Highways Bill was going to relieve them, the Horowhenua County Council, opposed it when it was first introduced. He had asked the Chairman that, knowing nothing about it himself, and was told the reason was not that it was going to cost any more, but that it was going to shear the Horowhenua County Council of some of its dignity. • ,

Mr ,Monk: Rubbish! Mr Vincent asserted that he had it from the Chairman himself that the only treason was that the Bill would reduce the Council to, the status of a Road Board. Mr Mon.; Do you understand the Bill? Mr Vincent: No; . Mr Monk: Then you should not make statements like that.' Mr Vincent said he was strongly opposed to the spending of money on the maizi, road for the benefit of through motor traffic and. leaving the subsidised roads alone. The County Council should have taken hold of the Highways Bill with both hands. IN REPLY TO MR VINCENT.

Mr Monk said the main reason the Bill was opposed by the Counties Association was because, some of the Councils had been progressive Enough to raise -loans for tar-sealing and they asked the Minister whether he would be prepared to shoulder the i burden ot those loans or part of them. The Minister would not give a definite answer and the County Council felt they were not affected, but were bound to stand by i'hose that, were affected. The Highways Act as now on .the Statute Book.was a vastly improved measure. Mr Monk said it was Cr. Broadbelt who proposed the tar-sealing at Ihakara, but the motion was vetoed by the Engineer,- who thought it would be better to experiment where 'the road carried the whole of the through traffic. Mr Rolston asked how much more money the rates would bring in this year than last:. . ■ ' > Mr Monk said lie would look up the figures. .

CR. HARKNESS’S TURN

i Cr. Harkness said lie had been on tbe Council five years, and this was the first time the ratepayers had taken any interest in Co'unty affairs. However, he was delighted to meet them and answer any criticism, as he considered himself a critic on the Council, but was answered'there by their worthy Chairman and the Engineer. He considered the closing of. the Waitohu bridge one of the most disgraceful things ever perpetrated. For three consecutive meetings he pressed tjit, matter of the Lindsay road, and it was then fixed up. As for the tarsealing in the Settlement, it was most nece'ssary. That had been a most difficult piece of road to maintain. It, was dead level aud straight, and the through motor traffic opened up to 56

miles an hour on it, if they wanted to find out whether the Engineer was efficient they should put him on the worst piece of road they had. The

Engineer put the road down in the •Settlement' in the hope that the Council would give him permission to tarseal, aud lie put down a perfect road for tar-feealing. Unfortunately the weather had been against-, him.

A voice: Why, they are tar-sealing in the borough allAthe time! Cr. Harkness said the road at lhakara was not put down for tar-sealing, it never being in the Engineer’s mind that he would be asked to tar it. As for .the charge that he wa s parochial, the estimates showed that only £SO was spent on the Duller, Bruce and Boulton roads—not an. extravagant amount to spend round his own back door. The maintenance of the main road was a big national question on account of. the through motor traffic, but the Highways Bill.was not- worth a silap of the fingers in solving it. It was not going to relieve the ratepayers. They had a Government in power that absolutely failed to cope with the question. Cr. McLeavey: What did you s.up- 1 port them for, then? WILLING TO STAND ASIDE. Cr. Harkness said it was for the people to agitate and make those pay who made the profits out of the motor -traffic. His idea was to raise a loan for road construction and set up toll-gates at each end of the county. Charge motors 2/6 and it would relieve the ratepayers. If the ratepayers could find a better man for the Council he would be delighted to stand aside, but if anyone came along and nominated him, he would put up a * fight for his seat, and if beaten would

take it like a man—as every feilonr ought tovdO; , ... : . ■ ‘ OIIAU’S VIEWS, Mr W. G, Bishop said 4ie was there to express the view's of a meeting of ratepayers of Ohau. He: asked' whether it was necessary to strike so heavy a rate in any one year, if it was possible to get a rebate, or whether the increase could be paid in instalments. Had not. the Council power to erect toll-gates, and so get at the people who caused this heavy expenditure? Toll-gates were the only method of getting immediate relief. As far as they knew there was no relief to be obtained under the Highways Act.

The Chairman: We promise to give relief on certain conditions in the coming year. Mr Vincent: If we are good boys. Mr Bishop said they would like to know what, was the objection to tollgates. The 1 Ivuku soldiers’ rates had been. raised from 70 to 80 per cent, but most of them had. paid their rates. It was not encouraging to know that others had got off free. It was a case, of those willing to pay having to pay for those who would not. There could be no objection whatever to obtaining judgment. Mr Monk: That has been done. Mr Richards: With exemptions. The Clerk: Would you spend £5 to recover £1? ' Mr Bishop: The Ohau meeting considered more efficiency should be, required from the staff. Had the, Council investigated every possible means of running County affairs economically? He described the increased rates as enormous, and referred to the Taranaki roads, the up-keep of which he understood was paid for by the tollgates. ’ , TOLL-GATES ANTIQUATED. Mr Monk said he was in the Elthaxn County some time ago and'came back full to the neck of toll-gates. Theyhad to look beyond their own county in this matter, and remember that they would catch a section of their own ratepayers. All the revenue was not free-, as it cost something to collect. To establish a gate cost about £IOOO, a cottage having to be erected and wages paid afterwards. Every other 'county would have as much right to set- up toll-gates a& Horowhenua had They were antiquated. His idea of getting at the motorists was through the Customs.. A voice: How do we get it? • Mr Monk: The tyre tax would be used to pay interest and.sinking, fund on loans to be spent' on tbe roads. PROMISE OF REDUCTION.,

Mr Monk said, coming to the question of what reduction could be -expected, they hoped to come out with;, a credit balance of £ISOO. The rate was struck in good faith and they, had that- sum to go into credit next year. They would have an opportunity before next estimates were drawn up of putting in a, new Council 't j Mr McMenamin said when the j Valuer was on his place he said the j County Council would not strike such a high rate on the v new valuations. J He had no right to say that, as it prevented owners from objecting. His valuation went up, £4OOO. Mr Monk: You must have a very good farm, then. TYRE'TAX FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC, j Mr Bishop: What suggestion have j you to make to cope with the heavy '

traffic ? Mr Monk: We would like to frame by-laws dealing with it, but asj soon as you do, no Magistrate will give a. conviction.

Mr Bishop: No one suggests the •traffic should be stopped. It is here to stay. . What remedy do you as a Council suggest? , - Mr Monk: Collect a tax through the Customs and expedite the operations of the Highways Act. Mr Bishop again urged a toll-gate. Mr Monk said every Council from Wellington to, New Plymouth would then set up gates. Mp Young: We would have better roads. Mr Monk: It would cost more to collect than it was worth. SIX MONTHS TO PAY RATES.

Mr Bishop asked whether it was not possible to pay the rates in instalments.

Mr Monk: Some; people will not pay until the 10 per cent penally goes on. They think it is good business'. When that goes on you have to apply it to everyone. That is statutory. in Wirokino the ratepayers had six months and ten days from the time of demand in which' to pay their rates.

Questioned as to why it was necessary to levy £ISOO more than was required, the. Chairman said the Council was faced with £6OOO of outstanding rates at the lime. Mr Howell said that when they talked of inefficient workmen, they forgot that the men had no proper tools to work with. “PAY BEFORE YOU VOTE.” The Glerk: I will tell you a little secret. There is an election of councillors in May. No one who has not paid his rates can vote at that election. (Laughter.) Mr Rolston, jun., said a concrete' culvert that must have cost a good

deal had been put in ou Lindsay Hoad, but it was above high-water mark. The settlers, had aslfed for some culverts at their front gates, but these were refused and they: had small lakes there as a result. He thought the money spent on the. culvert could have been used to better advantage in putting in,the small culverts. Another matter was;, that the Council promised to take two furrows off, the roadside as it was too narrow, but nothing hp-d been done, and when they wanted to- pass, they had to pull of t the road on to the grass.

Mr A. A. Brown (Waikanae): You are lucky to be able to to grass. Down my way we have to go into the swamp.. (Laughter.). 'On the question, of the valuations, Mr Monk said any ratepayer could get a revalution, but it would cost £lO.

Mr Gilmour (Kopiitaioa): thought they should leave the valuation alone and go for the heavy motor traffic. • It. -being now 1.30, discussion took place as to whether an adjournment, for lunch should be, made. The County Chairman said he would'be unable to return, as he had another meeting. Mr Vincent said that he thought the meeting had gone as far as possible at the present'-stage, but considered that it should not end there. He proposed: That-a Ratepayers’ Association should be formed to deal with this 'question finally.

At this stage the chairman., read a letter from Mr Field, M.P., expressing regret at being unable to attend the meeting, the objects of which he was in sympathy with. Something should be done to have the whole question of revaluation gone into. 'Mr Taylor considered that the rates had been increased by too much. Half would have been quite enough, even a’ they had to go slow for a while. Mr, Gimblett said he was not in favour of a Ratepayers’ Association. They had an organisation at present in the Farniex's’ Union, and he suggested that the matter be left iu the hands of the different branches.

Mr Tully also favoured that course. Mr Vincent said that- if the * Farmers’ Unions were prepared to take up the work lie was prepared to withdraw his motion.

Mr Alf. MeLeavey that the mqtion that the Farmers’ Union should take up the matter was discussed at Ohau, and that they were, quite willing .to do so. Cr. J. MeLeavey pi’oposed that the meeting pass a resolution condemning the present heqvy traffic and suggesting that the County be asked to arrange something in this connection. Mr Taylor said that what they wanted was present relief. ‘ : Mr Brown (Ohau) suggested that the only thing to do was to pass a resolution asking the Government for a revaluation of the county. Cr. MeLeavey said that a revaluation would, not affect rates,, although it might affect land-tax.

Mr Alf. McLeavey said that he was pf opinion, that a resolution should hr passed; advocating the regulation of motor traffic, which was the crux of the whole matter -

RESOLUTIONS PASSED. IMr Vincent moved: ' f That this large and representative meeting strongly urges the Horowhenua County Council to take steps to have a re-valuation made of the lands in the County. Mr Vincent said the Government lendr ing departments would not recognise the valuation of 1921 for lending purposes and surely this was a strong argument to ask for a re-valuation pn. Mr W. Kilsby (koputaroa.) seconded the motion which was carried. Cr J. McLeavey moved: That this large and representative meeting impresses on the . Government the urgent necessity of enforcing the Highways Act at the earliest moment, as it takes all the revenue to maintain the main road owing to the heavy traffic upon it; copies of , this resolution to he sent to the Min-

ister for Public Works and the members for the district. ,The motion was carried. LETTING THE MAIN ROAD SLIDE. Mr Gimblett asked whether in the event of the Highways Act not being enforced soon, was money going to he poured on the main toad as in the

i past. | It was : suggested that another reso- ( lution be passed asking the County j Council to let the main road go. j Mr Monk: If you pass a resolution j like that—to let the main road , slide— I it, is Good-bye as far us I am concern- | ed. I would not have it on my mind [ for a minute.

As no one had any further proposals, Mr Bishop moved that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the Chair mas and to Mr Monk for attending, and to the Farmers’ Union for calling the meeting. This was carried and the meeting adjourned just before 2 o’clock.