DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 300, 12 May 1913, Page 6

DISTRICT NEWS.

AWAKIXO-MOKAU.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) I received by Saturday's mail a voting paper from the Awakino County Council, a body which has been in existence for but a few weeks. The contents of this ''feeler" are as follows: Tn order to enlighten your Council as to the wishes of the ratepayers on the question of merging portions of the County into adjoining Counties would you kindly answer the following questions:— No. L Are you in favour of working the County as a whole? No. 2, Are you in favour of dividing tho County with the object of merging into adjoining Counties ? No. 3. in the event of a majority of the ratepayers deciding to divide the County, state which County you prefer \ to join? Before attempting to discu-s the proposals I should like to draw the County Clerk's attention to the . fact that he has not exercised a great deal of care in issuing the ballot papers, for quite a number oE ratepayers have received no ' communication in regard to this matter. Probably he may have only an obsolete roll. If so the sooner he obtains possession of the most recent one the better will he be able to grapple with ratepayers' polls. I From the contents of the paper and ' the short time since the inauguration of n our infant Council it is only too appar- c ent that a certain faction of the County t was anxious to, have a County Council i so that the machinery of the Counties c Act could be brought into play for the c purpose of abolishing the County by ] merging into other areas. The super- 8 ficiai configuration of the country will ( undoubtedly mar a progressive action on ] the part of the members for traversing ( the County from north to south, and but a short distance from the coast lie ] the Whare Orino Ranges, a natural bar- r ricr between east and west. That inter- ' course, business or otherwise, which is ; necessary for communal administration, is absent. The Mahoenui portion of the . ratepayers, but rarely journey through the Awakino portion, that is the south- ' west end, owing to the road across Tau- ( matemaire being practically impassable f for eight months of the year. At the 1 present the outlook for this road this 1 winter is not promising. Now, these ( Mahoenui settlers are gradually concen- ' i trating their business towards Te Kuiti, 1 so, of course, they want good roads in 1 that direction. Waitomo County, the 1 one most convenient for merging pur- i poses for them, is but a few miles from 1 Mahoenui township, and again one might 1 say that a metal road will be an accomplished fact through that County, between Te Kuiti and Mahoenui, by the end of next summer, that is if the present rate of progress be maintained. These people undoubtedly think that it is better for them in every way to merge into Waitomo, but they must not forget that the finances of Waitomo are not in a very rosy condition. I believe they have reached the limit under the Advances to Local Bodies. Surely the Mahoenui settlers do not think they are going to escape the burden of the already heavy rates of Wiatomo. If so, ' they will find they have been grossly self-deceived, for the Waitomoites are i not going to bring a road to their very ' doors, and they, the Mahoenui settlers, come in as a fresh riding free of liabil- : ities. In the course of a year tor two ; the Awakino Valley road will, or ought to be, finished; this will obviate , the .terrors of Taumatamaire, for the new road between Mahoenui and Awakino will be practically level, and the distance shorter by miles than that to Te Kuiti. The Mahoenui people will then find it much cheaper and more convenient to trade with Taranaki, via Mokau. In regard to other phases of the question I shall endeavour to deal with them next week, but I would ask my fellowratepayers to think over the matter, as it is one of vital importance. Our country is debt free, and the least our Council can do is to endeavor to fulfil their duties, i.e., transact the County's business, instead of doing their utmost to break up the County so that they may serve their own locality, which policy is petty. The chairman, Mr. C. Leech, has my sympathies, for he apparently has not a very harmonious body over which to preside.