WAITARERE ROAD.

Shannon News, 5 October 1923, Page 2

WAITARERE ROAD.

SPECIAL RATING AREA TO BE FORMED. A meeting pf settlers Interested in the Waiitarere road and the councillors of the Wirokino Riding (Messrs Harkness. Broadbelt and Catley) was held in the 1 Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. Mr J. Linklater. M.P., also attended by request. Mr S. A. Broadbelt occupied the chair, and there was also present the Hon. E. Newman and Messrs N. Horrobin, L. James, E. Kidd. S. Easton, E. Easton, L. McDonald and W. H. Wilson. The chairman in opening the meeting said that at ,the request of the settlers on the Waiiarere road, the councillors for the riding hhd visited the roiad which was found to be in a very bad condition indeed. It would appear that It would be necessary that the settlers should h‘elp\ themselves by forming a special rating area. County funds did not permit of metalling a road, and were sufficient for upkeep only. He understood from the County Engineer’s estimate that the work would cos about £I4OO. It would also be necessary that the settlors should clean out the,drains along the roads as these contributed considerably to the present unstisfactory state of the road. There was a Government grant of £SOO towards the cost of the wqrk: the County had also £BO in hand and it would he necessary to raise the balance of the £I4OO. The intention was to form the road from the main road to the comer of Mr Wilson’s property. Besides this Mr Newman wished to get access to his property further on than this point and was willing to donate a right of way for the purpose. This would come in under a; further s cheme. Tn answer to Mr Horrobin, he said that, the Government money would be ,available only in the form of a. subsidy and not for the purpose of doing work up to that amount only. Cr. C. I. ■ Harkness spoke of the bad state of the road. ' The settlers were, however, in the fortunate: position of having a Government grant of £SOO to starti with:. They had Mr Linklater present and had much to thank him) for, for the good work he had done towards £ letting this amount.

Mr Horrobin said that ,as far as the drains were concerned it was the Council’s fault for not seeing that the settlers had kept them, open. This was a County road and it was their responsibility to> see that it was not damaged. There) was- now a Government graiji of £SOO and the least the County could do- was/to subsidise this by a similar amount. ' The work would cost £l4uo with an extra £IOO for contingencies, and. the settlers would be prepared to rate themselves for the remaining £SOO. They had been paying rates on this road foi some years, and had had absolutely nothing done, to the road in return. If the County Council were'to strike a rate over the whole County to pay for their contribution it would be only a lair return for these rates which had been used on the main roads. Crs. Harkness, Catley and Broad-* belt pointed] out that it would be necessary in such al case to take a poll of the County and that in such, a case the loan would inevitably be turned down. Practically every road in the County had been metalled by ■means ol a special loan,, and while Other districts had their own special rates to meet it was unlikely that they would be willing to shoulder a part ol what might reasonably be considered the Waifarere settlers special responsibility.

j The Hon. E. Newman said that when the amount of the Government i assistance had been taken into consideration, the rate 1 on a loan to do the work would be only about £4O per yieair, which was a small amount compared to the benefit which would he derived from having a metalled road instead of the present practically impassable track, and he strongly advised those present to form a special rating area. As far as lie was personally concerned he had property further in than the point to which it was proposed xo make the road and which he. wished to cut up for dairy farms. He was prepared tp dedicate a right of waiy for. the purpose of forming a road to this property, and was also prepared to be rated with others wlto would benefit by. such a road for its formation. If this road was made he would be willing to have his property included in the Waitorere rating scheme aho, which as fie would benefit by it, it was only right he should pay for . Mr James suggested that as the read was; in fair order when it was handed over to the County it was only right tliat that body should put it in ai similar condition before- asking the settlers to weight themselves with ia loan. Mr Linklater said that it was up to the settlers concerned to take advantage of the Government offer. He had been very interested in the argument that the rates raised on this road had been spent on main roads, but they must, remember that without main roads it would be impossible to live on the subsidiary roads. He would seriously advise those concerned to take (advantage of the £SOO Government grant which they now had in hand. Next year they might not he able to get it. Mr Easton asked if the settlers rated themselves for this part of the road would they be brought in later if the remainder of the road . was being made.

The chairman said that in this connection the people further on should pay for any further extension of the ■ road. He did not think that the Wai- ! tarere settlers could be fairly brought i in and as. far as he could answer for ! the County, and he did not t think i there .was any legal reason against it, he was prepared to agree to this. After some fuitther discussion, it was proposed by Mr Easton and seconded by Mr Hor robin that a rating area should be formed to metal the road up to 1 Mr Kidd’s property. Mr Newman: said he wished to make his position perfectly clear: If this road was not made to his property it

Was not fair that he should 1 ■ contri-J , butfe to the rate. He would later calk on the Council to see \vho,t could bel done. The chairman then put the motion that a special-rating area be formed] and the sum of £9OO bo raised towards] the cost of the work. This was carried unanimously, it being decided that the settlers be given notice to clean out their drains so as to have them open in time for the beginning of toe work.