WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1829, 27 March 1884, Page 2

WAI PA COUNTY COUNCIL.

TO fHK EDITOR. Silt,— On March Ist, your correspondent at Te Awamutu made certain statements re the spending of the Roads and Bridges moneys in Rnngiaohia Riding, which show that he is utterly ignorant of the subject, and on March 25th, a correspondent "Waipa," evidently one who comes from the Newcastle Riding, re-echoes his sentiments, and tries willfully to mislead ratepayers in general, in order to throw mud on the council. For your coirespondent at Te Awamutu. He says — " Give us our own rates &c, which amount to £250.'' Well, does he not know that the £290 allocated to the Riding is borrowed and gift money ; and that the rate which is now being levied is still available for " repairs " to main roads in the riding. If he does not, I tell him that such is the case ; and if he is not aware of the fact that the payments to be made fur the £300, amount only to about £2 (or less) per annum, of the Rangiaohia lates, I also tell him that that is the case. Furthermore that £2 per annum interest, will be paid out of the late now being levied by the county, and no extra taxation of any sort will be required on account of these moneys. They are simply a present from the Government. All this I firmly beliavo your correspondent knows perfectly well and yet he deliberately trios to mislead the ratepayers for purposes best known to himself and those who systematically try to malign the council. I can inform the ratepayers that there is some £500 in all, including the rate when collected, available for main road works in the Rangiaohia riding ; and, more* over, that £176 was spent in repairs on the Te Awamutu-Ifthikibi roads and round there, by the eounoil before any rate was struck at all. So much for the gross injustice done to Rangiaohia. Now for "Waipa." He complains that Newcastle is badly treated. Newcastle riding is spending now £225 of Roads and Bridges Construction Act money, and had a culvert (brick) built at a cost of some £85 by the council, besides some £80 qv iJ9Q spent in repairs on main, roads, all during the pas£ twelve, months find before any rate was sfcrupk, and yet " Waipa " objects to being asked, not to pay extra taxation, but simply to allow about £2 per annum to be taken out of the county rate to pay their share for the next ten years of the borrowed moneys. That is all it really amounts to, and "Waipa" knows it well, but he also detests the oounoll, and tries to miq|^ad. his fellow ratepayers. However, oue thing is very certain, and that is this. It is quite impossible to do away with the councils. Mark that, Waipa, my friend ! Now, as to which does the best work. During the past few years, Newcastle has had special grants of £1,200 and £700. They have also had a Supr-aiiie Court injunction on. {;ha\r rates,' and finish up, haavllji in "debt, and yet these are the men who want the command of the county funds. Don't they wish they may get it ? We also know of the row that took place over spending a certain £300 grant in the Rangiaohia Biding in the wrong place (accidentally, of course), and yet they want more, but the Government know better. Once bit, twice Bby. I do not think such things are likely to take place with tbe county council, nor are councillors so likely to get roads made to suit their own. selve.3 solely, as many board men done in days gone past. - No Sir, the council is doing good work, andlongmay it continue d.Q W, %t $fl| Hjfoswfyil «to<sQsa .>WHM

only take the trouble to elect a good man to look after their interests in the council, instead of listening to interested parties who endeavour to mislead them, they would do much better. The voting on u Fool's Day" at Ohaupo will show Wai pa and his confederates who the fools are. — I am, &c, Councillor.