THE MOKAU BLOCK

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 65, 3 August 1912, Page 6

THE MOKAU BLOCK

TILE ROADING PROBLEM. A QUESTION' OF FINANCE. The Mokau block lias been very prominently !>efore the public during the last Year or two ever since its sale to the present syndicate. The roading oi it has also been very prominently before the Clifton County Council during tile past twelve months or so. First Mr. Sladden, engineer 011 behalf of the syndicate, asked th-e council, who are the local body controlling a. large portion of the block, w.luat were its requirement* in regard to roading, and these wereMuly submitted. A meeting or two later Mr. C. A. Loughnan, solicitor to the syndicate, waited on the council and asked that the council should declare the block, part of which was in the Ohura County, a special rating area and raise a loon for the purpose of making the necessary roads, a. rate to be .struck over the area j for the purpose of paying interest and I sinking fund. This proposal the council [declined bo entertain.. At yesterday's meeting another phase of the question I was introduced, when Messrs. C. A. Loughnan and J. Quiltiam, representing itlio syndicate, waited on the council with [an alternative proposal, viz., tluat the | portion within the Clifton County should jbo formed into a road district. Mr. ; Loiigjman .said that as the council had | refused the previous .proposal, be had I reconsidered: the matter, and the simplest f way was to form the block wifcliin the I county, viz., 34,000 acres, into a road district. He pointed out that this could '.be done under tho Road Boards Act, I and if a petition by the majority of the I ratepayers within tire area was present- | ed to the council it was practically miuv j datory on the council to pass a special , order declaring a road district. However, he wanted to work amicably with the council, and before he moved in the matter wished the council to affirm the principle. He thought that all the council's objections would 'be covered 1 by the Road Boards Act. The council retained all its present rating powers, a.nd had full control. It surrendered no rights, but the road district could raise its own loan to make its own roads, and the council was relieved of maintaining them. It removed all possible complications. The same thing luad been done in other parts, where estates .had beon purchased and the purchasers formed thiemselv,<s into a road board and did all the roading. Under the Act the council ,had power to grant a subsidy. Cr. Kennington asked "would the rend board merge after it had borrowed the money and made the roods, leavin" the 'council to maintain them? ° ! Mr - Loughnan said that he had carried ;the matter no further tha.u the formation of the road district. Pro.ba.bly, however, fchey would not want to hierge. lie would be candid and admit that the company wanted to get the road formed out of money which would be charged against tho property and repaid by the owners by a special rate. In reply to a further query as to what objection the company had to making the roads itself, Mr. 'Loughnan replied that the heavy cost would load the land too much, a.s it would have to be repaid immediately by tine purchasers .either in cash or in the form of a mortgage. The company, moreover, had not got the capital available. They had no idea that thor would liavo to find t'lie money for roading out of their own capital, and it came as a thunderclap to them to find that tine council \vud not "•oino- to assist. " _ Cr. O'Sullivaji remarked that the council could not borrow sufficient from the Government for its own requirements, to which Mh\ Loughnan replied that he knew where he could obtain the nedtesary finance at a reasonable rate of interest, so as not to necessitate a rate of more than 3d per ac-re, less than Id an the £. Tine roading scheme had been amended considerably, and was not ea extravagant, as at first prepared. It had been red need bv 15 miles, and would require a loan of £15.000. - Some irregular discussion thetn ensued a-s to the value of the land. The roadl ing question then cropped up again, Mr. Kennington asking whether it Was oorI rect that the company was putting in an 1 8ft. road instead of the loft, road that the council Itad agreed bo. Mr. Lou>»h- ---• nan stated tlsat the company had no diesire to erode the specifications; in fact, it could not do so if it wished to It •waw intended to throw the: block on' the market in January, and the trade now Iwing formed was merely to.open it up so thht intending purchasers could view it. Or. O'Sullivan said that the trend now was to; ulw>ii.s.h road districts. If the Loml Cowrnment Bill was passed road bn!ird« won,lxl ■]>,. done away with. _ Mr. Loughnan: ''Yes; but I am dealing with the law as it now is." Mr. QuilUam pointed out that the Road. IWi'ds Act provided thai tine council shall, make the special order dee.larin« a lioaul district district if the majoril.T of ratepayers in a district petitioned for it. Mr. Loughnait, on.retiring, emplnasised the fact that they desired to meet the council ifiairly. and only wished to know whether the principle 'of a road district would be affirmed by the council before they went to the expense Mid delnv of preparing the petition. A road district would not aiTect the council's Kiting powers, but gave outlying districts a certain amount of local government. 'After _ a little desultory discussion the deputation withdrew. After a very brief debate the wmneil decided, om the motion of Cr.s. O'Sullivan and Sander, to hold the matter over until next meeting, in order to obtain further information and legal advice.