TAKAPUNA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 49, 26 February 1916, Page 11

TAKAPUNA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l have read the report of the Takapuna Borough Council's meeting in your Thursday's issue regarding the taking over of roade in the Borough by the Waitemata County Council. The Takapuna Boroligh Council has recently Bad much space devoted to.this subject, and th'e v bulk of the' statements that have gone forth to the. public are so absurd-as not t6'~be wbTthy of a reply. The ; Borough" Council'seems' to have an, obseseion "that roaejs . in , th§ should be constructed and handed over in a mantier" equal to that of Queen Street. One of the sensational statements that appeared in Tuesday's issue was that the County Council had allowed quarter-acre farms on- a subdivision at the back of the Lake, near Barry's Point. Let mc say that the smallest subdivision on this estate is well over an acre, and there were several fouracre blocks. From, the I'ress report itij would appear that the, County. Council had, retained deposits fot.rpad cpnstr.uction without the roads being, constructed.: I refer the Borough Council to the fact that ,on settlement of accounts, assets and liabilities, between the Waitemata County Council and the Takapuna Borough Council, an auditor, appointed by the Borough Council, made a search: ing investigation, and his Teport showed that of the ■ amounts received for the construction of roads, totalling £629 1/6, the sum of £64 19/0 remained unexpended. This .statement was.,ratified 'and accepted by the Borough Council, iand they .were also given credit for the I amount in. the settlement and , award made between , the,. two boiUes. ' The .County Council did not accept "any unfo'nriocT Voads' -at t.he front of the Lakef and; fhej- : wferp : all : metalled. Regarding land on tlieranges at the back of " the lake, and eubdivisional.. farm areas, metalling conditions were not ineisted upon. What the ' Council have done they nave,.done,, artd if harsh, conditions had been imposed. the land. sub: division and Settlement that have taken ilaee would have been absolutely barred, in that there would not have been any inducement to subdivide land if the bulk of the profit went in road construction. I can only conclude by asking the Takapuna Borough Council not to "stone" the Waitemata County Council, but to "stone" the roads with, the hundreds of pounds of extra rates put valuation. ..■qf ( ith<> they complain co b'it'tjerly '.of.—l am, etc., "" C. A. .CAWKWELL, - • " ii .County Clerk:

LAND OF THE SENTJSSI. Captain , writing from.Sahra on' December 23, says: "We are now in. tne desert, miles away from, anytnlns In the way ot ciTllisatlon. The column under Colonel Wallace includes all arms—lnfantry, cavalry, and artillery. Wben we wili return I liave no idea. The enemy ,1s making desperate efforts to get tbrongli to -Constantinople, . and on to ■ Egypt ana Bagdad. If be succeeds he , will-.have a fresh field from which to dnco- supßV.es, •for he must be at his -wits' end at present to get requirements. There is no room for slackers in this job, and anyone up to the age of 43, married or single, if he can shoulder a rifle., should be with us in the thick of it. This is my second .campaign, having seen the Palllpoli business through from the first day to the last. without a scratch. Xow we are fighting the liervlshee and Bedouins in the land of the 'Mad Mullah,' who has alwaysteeh a source of trouble, although British military organisation has been too much for him. The unspeakable German has armed these cutthroats and brigands with the modern rifles and grine. For many years past Great Britain has managed in the interests ol ■ civilisation to keep arms and ammunition away from them, but in one fell swoop they have been aririeu and equipped in such a way that for many years they must prove a menace to the whole of the white race of Africa; .'■ In this land of the-Seiiussf and' ■the-,Mad Sliillah, anfl in the little dceert town'-of Jlarsa'Ma'traali thero*are-a gaoil few Australian-boys:" " • >- ■