LIABILITY DENIED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 283, 30 November 1931, Page 5

LIABILITY DENIED.

COST OF METAIiIiINCr ROAD

WAITAKERE RATEPAYERS' ACTION

A special meeting of the Kumeu Ratepayers' Association was held in the K.umcu Hall on Saturday afternoon. Mr. W. A. Bishop, chairman of the Waitemata County Council, and his councillors were invited to attend, in order to discuss the finances of a section of the highway ill the Waitakere riding. Mr. J. A. Lambdcn, president, was in the chair, and there were present, Messrs. I W. A. Bishop, L. Ken-Taylor, W. O'Hal(loran, S. Phillips and A. Paltridge, and about 100 ratepayers. Mr. E, Glasgow emphatically stated that his riding was not liable for the cost of forming and metalling about one mile and a quarter of a section of the highway in Lincoln Road, and strongly condemned the failure of the County Council to stand by him and his ratepayers against the unjust charge. The council originally decided that it would not accept liability for the amount, but later rescinded this motion, and now the Waitakere ratepayers were liable for the money expended. Mr. Glasgow read a letter from Mr. J. McEnnis, then chairman of No. 1 ]Jisjtrict of Main Highways Board, stating I that grants for construction work of this nature would he free money. Mr. Bishop, chairman of the Waitemata Council, stated that he searched the office files, but could not find a copy of the letter, and when in Wellington he found the Highways Board also was unahle to trace a copy. However, he was later advised that the letter had been repudiated by the board. Mr. Glasgow in reply to Mr. Bishop, stated that he had no doubt that the utmost Mr. Bishop could do had been done by his having the account reduced from £1800 to £025, but the point at issue was that the ratepayers of Waitakere riding refused to accept liability for any of the cost. The matter is further to be discussed at a County Council meeting. The ratepayers unanimously supported Mr. Glasgow. Considerable discussion followed on derating of rural lands, and the following motion was unanimously carried: ''That this representative meeting of Waitemata County ratepayers strongly advocates total de-rating." Unemployment benefits to farmers were explained in detail to the meeting by Mr. Bishop.