ROAD DISTRICT MERGER.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1918, Page 6

ROAD DISTRICT MERGER.

MATTER TO BE PUT BEFORE MOA RATEPAYERS. In his report to the Taranaki County jCouncil yesterday the chairman (Cr. j. jS. Connett) referred to the deputation to the Moa Road. Board in respect to the proposal that the road district should merge into the country. He thought the refusal of the board to approve a conference to discuss the proposal should not be accepted as final. He considered that the ratepayers of the district should have an oportunity of expressing their opinion on the proposal and in order to effect that he moved the following resolution: That having sent a deputation to the Moa Road Board requesting a conference with a view to amalgamating the road district and the county, and thereby saving to the ratepayers of the two bodies the sum of £I3OO per annum, and such request being refused, immediate steps j be now taken to place the matter before the ratepayers of the Moa Riding for their opinion, and that Councillors Morton, Capper and the mover have full power to deal with, the same. Mr. Connett said that if the matter was fully explained to the ratepayers, and they did not favor the proposal, then the carrying on under present conditions with the consequent loss of revenue, would be their responsibility, and the Council would have the satisfaction of knowing it had done all it could to effect an improvement. The motion was seconded by Cr. Capper. Cr. Simpson said he considered the ratepayers were quite capable of deciding the matter for themselves, and the Council would be simply wasting its time, as since the deputation had waited on the board members of ratepayers had expressed disapproval of the proposal. Cr. C. Andrews said he believed the ratepayers did not understand what the proposal meant and he thought they should be made aware of what was involved. On the motion being put it was carried, Cr. Simpson being the only dissentient.