HEAVY RATES, OR TOLL-GATES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 83, 4 May 1909, Page 4

HEAVY RATES, OR TOLL-GATES

A QUESTION FOR THE OMATA RIDING.

HURWORTH MEMBER ASSERTS HIMSELF.

An interesting discussion took place yesterdav afternoon at the County Council meeting. Wh«n the members had settled themselves down seriously to the question of fixing upon the amount of rate to be struck for the ensuing year, reierence was made to the big overdraft of the Oinata riding, and one councillor said that it seemed necessary this year to introduce the differential rating scheme. The chairman said that the average maintenance metal expenditure 011 roads in the county for the past eight years worked out at £56 per mile. So the Omata riding, with 25 miles of road, would absorb £ 1400 in the next twelve months under that head. The amount of metal granted for the Omata riding for maintenance purposes (exclusive of metalling Oakura deviation) for the ensuing year, was 4800 yards, costing £1362 tipped J>n the road.* If they adieu to this the expense of two foremen's wages for twelve months (£2Bl 14s), the expenditure would be X 1644 4s. This exceeded the estimated revenue ( £1077) for the current year, without making provision for—Riding account overdrait at March 31 ( £11)11 14s), casual labor, crushing charges, including driver, steerer, coal, etc.; sundry carting; and miscellaneous riding tjxpenditure. " Cr. Andrews said that, of course, the Hurworth riding, which had been part of the Omata riding up to March 31st, would now shoulder part of the old riding overdraft. . Cr. Hopson: Of course. COUNCILLOR CARTER OBJECTS. Cr. Carter, representing the Hurworth riding, said he would strongly oppose any proposition in that direction. The Council had no right to impos'e this burden on his district.

,1 Cr. Hill said that in ordinary fairness i, the Hurworth riding, should assume this; ;.' liability, seeing that it had th e use of ': the Council's plant, and' so on, the pur- „ eliast- of phich had partly caused the r . overdraft. ' a The chairman said that had the ratc- ,. payers in the new riding formed a sep- „ arate county, as they might have done, v or if they had joined tire New Plymouth !l borough, which they had at one time f proposed to do, there would have been ai aH adjustment of accounts between the j severed portion and the county, and U then the county would have passed over .. a share, on th c valuation basis, of its { overdraft. He thought the Hurworth . riding should still undertake that liabi--0 lity, although there had been no severance. But the Council could not fairly r ask the riding to take .its share of the 1 Omata overdraft on a valuation basis, f as was suggested. f Cr. Carter said that to spring this proposal on the new riding at this stage , constituted a distinct breach of the understanding arrived at when th c rateI payers of thc three road districts dcciilt ed to merge into a county instead of 1 going on with their own county scheme. H c didn't think that thc Couneil would , be wise, cither, in pressing thc point. I The Council had recognised long ago , that the Ilurworth riding.as constituted in three suburban road districts, occupied a peculiar position and was entitled to l special concessions. The Omata riding , was now in an unfortunate position, [ but tlie Hurworth riding was in no way , responsible for the Omata overdraft, nor I had it received the slightest benefit from i the works which had forced them into ; that position. It was to escape being taxed for works in the present Omata riding, without getting adequate return, that the ratepayers had abolished their road boards and come in as a separate riding of "the county. They were given to understand at thc time that they would not be asked to shoulder thc Omata riding burdens, else they would liave taken propositions elsewhere rather than merge into the county." Even now many ratepayers in. thc lower portions of the new riding, adjoining thc borough, were talking of merging into the borough, on necotint-of the excessive charges imposed by the Borough Council for the use of the municipal water supply. That was the feeling in Vogeltown. He did not wish the Council to take this as A THREAT, but he thought the Council would be extremely unwise in endeavoring to foist this burden o:i the Ilurworth riding. 1I P repeated that thc Council, and particularly the chairman, had assured him previously tbat the Ilurworth riding should not lie made to carry Omata's burden. " ; The chairman: And I still say so. Cr. Andrews (Omata riding)' objected lo the riunviirth riding "coming in ! free."' The two ridings hud been work- ' ing together for sonic time, and the Ilurworth member had voted for cxpenI dituic in the Omata riding as an Omata representative; so fre should be prepared to take some of the responsibility. The | jieople in the new riding were quite en- '. titled to special consideration, but tliev were "effing it, for.they could get along J on a half-penny rate, whereas lie could foresee a 3 TWOPENNY ISATK OR TOLLOATES : for Omata. "* 1 Cr. Hopson asked whether any ( amount of the overdraft taken over bv r Hurworth would be placed to the credit a of Omata. '

The chairman: That's for the C mail | lo decide. The chairman added that councillors had to decide one of three questions: I'D Was it fair to saddle the llurworth riding with a share of the Oiuata riding overdraft? (2) Was it fair lo (saddle that riding with a share of the countv overdraft? or (3) Nhould the riding conic in for nothing? Cr. Hopson could see no reason why the new riding should not take oyer its s'harc of the Omata riding debt. He had warned Cr. Carter that he was only making a rod for his own back ! when he fougtt th,. Council over the metal quantities, a few meetings back, j

The chairman moved that the Hura valuation basis, of the county overworth riding take over its share, upon draft as it stood on 31st March last. Cr. Andrew,; seconded.

Cr. Tate was in .favor of holding over decision On the matter until the next meeting. The Hurworth riding was new, and Cr. Carter was new, aud was not as well in touch with these financial matters as the other members of the CouncilCr. Hill: I wouldn't like to say that! Cr. Tate said he wanted to deal with the situation justly. He coudn't do that without further information. He wanted to know how much the Hurworth people were being asked t 0 pay, and ho wanted to he- clear .as tq whether the Council could demand that they ehou'.d pay in respect of work from which they had received no benefit, or to liquidate a debt which Ihey bad not contracted. But by a shuffle of the cards some councillors wanted to hold these people responsible. He was sure that if the motion were carried the Hurworth riding, or part of it, would soon be merged into the New Plymouth borough. He moved ! an amendment that the matter be held over. Cr. Hopson seconded. Cr. Stevens 1 said that if the amendment were carried the Council would be unable to strik e a rate at this meet-

After further discussion, Cr. Carter warned the Council that if the motion were carried there would be a tremendous stir, "the beginning of a quick end." He gave notice of a further amendment. "That the Hurworth riding is not prepared to take over any portion ,of tile Omata riding liability." The amendment was carried, and further consideration deferred for a month. THE RATE.

Cr. Andrews said he would not like to pledge himself to any heavy rate in his riding without first consulting the ratepayers. At the same tinie, he couldn't see how the formation of tile new riding would affect Omata's finance, for the £!)D0 raised in Hurworth would be spent within its own boundaries. It didn't matter a penny to Omata.

Cr. Carter: That's sound finance. You've had £9OO a year from us for your roads for nine or ten years. Now you're going to lose it,''and you say it doesn't matter.

The chairman suggested striking a level three-farthings rate and onetwentieth of a penny bridge rate, the Council earmarking a portion as a bridge fund. In Moa and Waitara such a course was absolutely necessary. Cr. Garter showed by figures that Hurworth could manage on a smaller rate.

Cr. Tate couldn't sc-e how any of the rulings could earmark money for a bridge fund this year.

The chairman suggested a toll-gate iii the Omata riding, whose roads had to carry the traffic from the Egmont County.

Cr. Tate applauded Cr. Andrews' decision to lav the position before the ratepayers with a view of choosing between the toll-gates and a separate rate. That district, he thought, had a' good claim on the Government ior assistance, seeing that it had no railway or water communication. It would take three years to catcli up its debt on the present rating basis, without doing any work at all. If the new township were gazetted it would be worse. Eventually the meeting agreed to the chairman giving notice to move to levy a general rate of %d in the £ and a bridge rate of l-20d in the £ in Moa Waitara and Omata ridings, and that a toll-gate be erected, or a separate rate of '/j.d be levied in Omata: and that >/ 8 d be levied in Hurworth.

A special meeting will be held in a fortnight's time to receive Cr. Andrews' report of the ratepayers' meetings in tits riding, and to strike the rate.