RAHOTU RATEPAYERS.
' EGMONT OK -JAKASAJU COUNTY? THE QUESTION OF A CHANGE. NO DECISION REACHED. A fair number of ratepayers of the Kahotu riding met in the Rahotu Hall yesterday to discuss a proposal for merging into the Taranaki County. Mr. M. Fleming (Cape' Road) presided. In opening the meeting Mr. Fleming remarked that all knew the object for which it had been called. For some time past things had been going from bad to worse. The E-gmont County, to which Rahotu at present belonged, had not dealt fairly with ratepayers in and around Rahotu. He had noticed roads being patched in a desultory manner by men armed with shovels, when £3OOO worth of plant, in the form of scarifiers, lay idle at Opunake. Tf they merged there would be little or no difference as regarded rates, while they would then be part of a local body having a definite policy. He wgs of the opinion that it would 'be advantageous to ratepayers in that riding to merge with the Taranaki Council. Mr. W. R. Wright said there had been a feeling for some considerable time that things were not what they ought to be. Seven years ago the Opunake men were in such a fix that Mr. Fleming and others had to go to the county’s assistance. With all the modern machinery at hand the roads were in a shocking state. Three scarifiers were idle at Opunake, and roads were merely being patched. An additional reason was that there "was a strong movement round Eltham Road to cede from the Egmont County, while at a meeting of the Pihama Dairy Company a resolution was passed stating that if rates were not reduced suppliers would endeavor to merge into the Waimate County. People had no confidence in the present Egmont Council; they wanted a competent engineer, ot a good foreman that understood his job. Tar loans couid not be raised fron> existing rates. A loan would be required and New Plymouth was mentioned as a possible place in which to raise one. THE MATTER DROPPED. The chairman considered it unwise to merge at a rate in excess of that now lating. They wanted to retain the tollgate, but Mr. J. Connett favored its abolition if rating on unimproved value was adopted. Considering that most of their traffic went towards New Plymouth and supplies were brought back from there he thought it a more natural thing to belong to the Taranaki instead of the Egmont County. Mr. H. N. Chapman (Stent Road) said the scheme had been mooted in the northern part of the district some time ago and certain questions had been submitted to the Taranaki Council for consideration. He then enumerated the questions and the answers as, follows:
1. What would be the.rate? —-The rat ing would be on unimproved value.
2. Would bush roads have sufficient money spent on them for their upkeep? —All roads would be treated on the same basis.
3. What representation would the Rahotu riding have?—Three councillors. 4. Would the riding be divided into wards?—No; but it would be divided into two ridings.
5. When would the merger take place? —About April, 1922.
6. What would become of the tollgate?—The gate would remain as at presefit and receipts would be divided in the proportion three-seventeenths to Omata, five-seventeenths to Rahotu and nine-seventeenths to Okato.
7. Would the merged area be required to raise a special loan for tar-sealing?— The question of tar would rest with the riding concerned.
8. Would rates bp increased?—The amount of work done would depend upon the money provided. Tf additional work was necessary more funds would be required. 9. What would be the cost of merging? —There would be little cost.
Continuing, the speaker said that ratepayers in Rahotu felt the toll-gate divisions could not be tolerated. Those questions .affected negotiations between the Taranaki Council and a northern area about as far south as Pungarehu. Mr. W. R. Wright suggested that a fairer representation would be obtained by means of wards.
‘Mr. Fleming stated that, in the event of merging, accounts would have to be adjusted between those concerned and the Egmont Council, but the ratepayers would be liable only for money -actually spent in their ridings. POSITION UNDER CHANGE. Mr, W. J. Gray stated that he lived on the extreme edge of the Taranaki county. The Punilio bridge was not a good boundary. He would like to see younger men helping the older ones to a greater extent in public affairs. Because of the port of New Plymouth being the natural outlet for the district he believed it would be to the advantage of everybody concerned to merge into the Taranaki county. Mr. T. P. Hughson asked for a more definite reason than that already given. The district had once been a part of the Taranaki county and had merged into the Egmont county. Now +hey were agitating to get back again. °Mr. H. Chapman drew attention to the possibilities of the New Plymouth hydro-electric scheme, and remarked that ©ounake could not extend the same ■facilities. The chairman explained the formation ui the Egmoni county, bul stressed the po'nt that if they joined ’IT v.naki they V. mid be paying for the roads they used n >st. Ratepavers went to New Ply- * mth often, and rarely to Opunake, so Jut they could inspect the road each time it was traversed. Antiquated, methods prevailed in Egmont, but laran>ki repaired its - roads in a thorough "nd permanent manner. B Mr. S. M. Wallaby asked if any financial obligation would be involved. He considered that the chairman of the Egmont council had been placed there by choice and seemed to be giving satisfaction because he still retained the posiMr Wallaby then moved that the matter be adjourned till more definite information was forthcoming. Mr. M. Lawn seconded. Two amendments were proposed, nut lapsed for want of seconders. The motion was then carried. , , . The chairman then remarked that as the meeting did mJ «e?m to be very enthusiastic they had better let the matter drop for the present.
IV he took my advice. But to give him his dues he does talk common sense, which Is a rare commodity now-a-dnys. It ''Employed would only follow "A Cockle's Hack there would he no shortage ot labor out in the country It is a great pity someone did not spank Mm more when, he was young. It they did he might not have thought it beneath Ms dignity to lower himself tor. such r. worrny position as cow spanking.—l am, etc., 1 "A CQCKIE. A urea. August 22.
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Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1922, Page 7
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1,103RAHOTU RATEPAYERS. Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1922, Page 7
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