WEST COAST ROADS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 256, 26 October 1923, Page 8

WEST COAST ROADS.

:Tn the- Kdltnr.i Sir, —I beg space in your issue re the City Council's reserves in the Titirangi Riding. There are the gifts-of-the late Mr. John McLachlin of 1927 aciirea at Cornwallis, and Mr. Wesley Spragg's of 707 acres at Katerekei. The Huia Road goes through these properties, tance of about five miles. There are also several hundred acres in the Huia district and 400 acres in the Brooklyn Valley below the catchment area, besides all the Park area in Titirangi. These reserves, I consider, are about one-eighth of the capital value of the Titirangi Riding. The Mayor, Mr. Gunson, expressed the-opinion that the City.Council had been very generous* with the Waitemata County Council, having recently contributed £1000 towards the metalling of the West Coast Koad through the council's watershed areas. It later increased that amount to enable further works to be done, as : well as providing various smnll votes for wort on the Auckland-Titirangi Road. Now, sir, the Titirangi Riding has had no money from the City Council for the Auckland-Titirangi Road. The following is the amount the Titirangi Riding has had from the City Council during the 15 years I have represented that Riding: —A yearly donation of £25 since 1918, to assist in maintaining roads through Cornwallis Park; contributions towards metalling Park Road, Titirangi, £2aO; contributions towards grading ana widening Millbay Road, £250. Those sums were got through mc making out a good case to Mr. Gunson, for ''J , **.: was very thankful, knowing as I o' 4 that there was no legal obligation on the City Council to give anything. *° one will wonder at mc not wishing any more reserves in Titirangi Riding. Tne riding had a loan of £5000 for road improvements, of which a large port'" ,l was spent on roads through the City Council's reserves, of which the interest and sinking fund is a charge on the ratepayers for a number of years. —I *"*> etc., MARSHALL LAING, Member of Titirangi Kiding.