OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1922, Page 7

OPUNAKE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Another of our old identities (Mrs. S. T. Cox) passed peacefully away just after midnight on Wednesday. Deceased and her husband came to this district oyer 35 years ago from the Rangitikei district, settling on the Kameora Road, and enduring all the hardships that beset the pioneers. Mrs. Cox was 65 years of age. The funeral of the late Mr. Paul Cook, which took place on Tuesday, was attended by many mourners. Deceased came to Oaonui from Canterbury some 35 years ago. A member of the Town Board, when motoring to the local hospital, got his car stuck in the road. There is no metal on this road, and this incident will bring forcibly under his notice the necessity of having this road metalled. The road, or what is intended for a road, is used on dark and wet nights by drivers conveying sick persons to the hosiptal, and it should be one of our best roads. This reminds me that there is some talk of Opunake ratepayers moving for secession from the Egmont County. It is not likely to get beyond the talking stage. When it comes to making comparisons regarding Opunake, the council will come out to the best advantage. Last year the council received from Opunake ratepayers £6OO. Out of this they paid our quota of the hospital and charitable aid rate (an increasing one), and interest on bridge loans. The council do give us a good main road. Th© Town Board received something like £l3OO from the ratepayers, but where are their good roads. Another important point is if the Town Board goes in for a loan to put the streets in order and the ratepayers cut out the council the Opunake ratepayers will have to face a machinery loan of some £2OOO. You cannot control a main road with a plant consisting of a wheelbarrow.

Pihama, or a portion of that district, complain of the high rate (which is the same rate as last year) and have asked for a reduction. A reduction in rates is a popular cry throughout the district, but it cannot yet be done. Opunake. which is not composed of wealthy residents, will pay a half-penny in the £ more in rates than the outlying districts.

The Rahotu riding ratepayers have held meetings to discuss merging into the Taranaki County. Personally, I would like to see the extreme ends of the county merge into counties where their interests lie. When this is done the Egmont County will be a compact county, with a consolidated community of interests, and we would then have county interests, hydro-electric interests and harbor interests solidified. The Esmont County should facilitate, and not oppose, that portion of the county that is desirous of seceding, so that we can consolidate all our interests—country interests —controlled by representative cqunty settlers. We will then progress, and at a cheaper rate. It would be a good move on the part of the Town Board to cart out a couple of hundred yards of boulder stone and place it in heaps, so that when ablebodied men out of- work apply for work the board can supply them with stone knapping. Stone broken by hand has considerably Irtnerer wear than crushed metal. By such means the board would help the hard up. and the work done would be beneficial to all. The selection of Mr. Astbury as the Liberal cand'late for the Egmont. seat has been well received by the Opunake Liberals. He is a good type of country settler.