QUESTION OF ROAD MAINTENANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1919, Page 6

QUESTION OF ROAD MAINTENANCE.

COUNTY COUNCIL'S PROPOSALS. FAVORED AT OKATO. The question of road maintenance was discussed at the meeting of the Okato Dairy Company yesterday, when the opinion was strongly, expressed that those who use the roa'ih should be prepared to pay towards their maintenance. The subject was introduced by Mr. W. J. Gray, who said that the county council had recently gone into the question of improving the main road, and he and others thought it was necessary that revenue from some other source than the rates should be provided towards the cost of the work. For this reason tlfe Tarauaki County Council had .given the matt.er ( due consideration, and had decided to mtroduce a wheel tax or tolls. This had raised hostility in certain quarters from men 'whom he called singletaxers, who thought that the farmers should bear all the burdens. The main question as to maintenance of roads today was the motor-car. The farmers had provided the roads out of revenue, and now they were asked to raise a loan to make the roads like glass for the motors. He, however, would ask' the farmers, unless some other system. of raising the revenue than by rates was provided,. to turn the poll absolutely down. '

Mr. J. Grant said that he had heard a good deal of howling in the public press oter the actions'of Mr. Connett and his colleagues on the council, whom he congratulated"'on their action. New Plymouth peojSle said that it was going to put a barb'-wire fence around thejr town. Well, supposing the farmer stopped going near New Plymouth, how would they feel then? He had lived on a road for 18 years and still had to \ise a Jjullock dray, and had to pay toll. The press criticised the proposals, but did not •formulate any other scheme, beyond saying that the ratepayers should raise a loan of £250,000. on which he Supposed they would have to And the rate. Every ratepayer in Taranaki county would stand by Mr. Connett and his councillors, for they were the only persons who had the back-bone to stand up for the settlers. He was paying rates now equal to 4s 6d per acre,on leasehold land, and working 18 hours a day to keep up roads for men in motor-cars who only worked 30 hours per week.

Mr. A. Corbett considered the settlors should not support the loan until they got justice done to the hack-blocks roads. Mr. Gray said that the main question was to support the action of the Taranaki County Council in getting assistance from outside in maintaining the roads. He knew of some families living in the- back-blocks 8 or 10 years, who came awav absolutely penniless and disgusted. He moved that this meeting congratulate the Tafannki county chairman and members of the council on their action taken in the matter of raising revenue for the maintenance and improvefment of the roads hy a wheel tax or tolls, and gives a distinct understanding thut if this revenue is not guaranteed before the date of the poll the ratepayers of Okato will turn down the loan proposals. ' The chairman' pointed out that this would be cutting off their nose to spite their face, as at present it coat £3OO per, mile to maintain the road, whereas after it was tar-sealed it could be maintained for £l2O per mile, which would allow more money for the by-roads. Mr. J. Grant; in seconding, said that the New Plymouth people were asking a certain thing, and he thought now was the time to take a stand

Mr. J. S. Cohnett (county chairman), who was invited to speak, expressed his pleasure at seeing them behind the council. He had advocated what he had done with a view to benefiting the back roads, as lie felt they were taking 'too great a share of the revenue for the main road settlor than was fair to the back settler. He felt thai if the main roads were tar-sealed they would Jiavo more money to spend on the by-roads. He, however, did not think it was fair to ask the ratepayers to provide the extra rate for this loan, probably -Jd, and let the motor cars go free. This motor traffic \jas increasing, and it was only fair that the incidence of taxation should be .fairly adjusted. After hearing the agitation he was more than ever convinced that the council was on sound lines, and it would be their endeavor to get the assurance that Mr. Gray wanted before polling-day. He had gone into the matter with plenty of ginger and felt that he had held hk end up successfully. He was satisfied after hearing the deputation that it had no ground to stand on, as it reiterated the arguments that he had explained away at the public meeting. He felt they should have some assistance from those who were fighting them most, anJ that was the borough of New Plymouth. It had been said that the proposals would put a barb-wiretfence around New Plymouth. Well, if it did; a fence could not have any woTse effect than bad roads. He did not want to criticise the New Plymouth Borough Council, whose 'troubles he appreciated; but supposing the whole of the county road to Qkato was in the same condition as that piece from Moturoa to the county boundary, what would be the wear and tear on motors, etc., and what a howl there would be! Motor car owners appreciated a good road, and when they used one they should not object to pay^'for it. ~He certainly hoped before, polling day to, have the assurance that the County Council would be able to derive revenue from motorists and' those benefiting by good' roads, and he hoped rate on the loan would be very much reduced, if not wiped out altogether, by outside revenue. ~'

"• Mr, C. Andrews said he had come to the conclusion that the • county should have gone in for a big loan of £150,000 for metalling all the by-roads, and then there would be no doubt of its being carried.

Mr. Connett pointed out that it would take four years to expend the proposed loan. After that, no doubt, the council would take steps to go in for loans for the by-roads. ■ Mr. Andrews considered that if they went in for a big loan, the present loans should be pooled. Mr. Wooldridge said that when the J press said the council should raise revenue by legitimate means it meant to put the burden on the backs of the ratepayers. The chairman said that at another meeting at which ha was present a speaker compared the Egmont county roads with Taranaki county roads, stating that they were nearly as good and were made out of revenue; but the speaker pointed ont that Opunake was at a dead end and the Egmont roads had to carry the produce of from one to nine dtigr, nwtori«-.ov«r-it» roadt, Bhersas

T.iranaki carried all those nine in addition to its own. Mr. Cnrbett thought there should be one county from New Plymouth to Opunake. The motion was then carried unanimously, i