COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXII, Issue 15, 19 January 1910, Page 5

COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

THE WEBER ROAD

At the Dannevirke County Council office yesterday afternoon, a conference was held between representatives of the Dannevirke County and the Weber County Council, to discuss the question oi the maintenance of that portion of the Weber road within the Dannevirke County. This matter was brought up at the last meeting of the .Dannevirke County, by Cr. Ericksen, who moved that representatives of the AVeber County be invited to meet the Dannevirke County, and the conference yesterday was the result. The representatives of the Weber ouncil were Crs. L. G. Crosse (chairman), Dr. Riddell, and Jensen, and the Dannevirke Council was represented by Crs. Cowper (chairman), Armstrong, and Rath bone. Cr. Ericksen was unavoidably absent. Cr. Cowper, who occupied the chair, stated the purpose of the conference, explaining that it had been suggested at the last meeting of the Dannevirke Council that the Weber Council should be invited to consider the question of sharing in the cost of the up-keep of that portion of the Weber Main Road lying within the Dannevirke County. The maintenance of this part of the road cost the Dannevirke County the sum of about £I9OO, outside the expenditure on the Manawatu traffic bridge, which had involved an outlay of something like £2537. These circumstances, he thought, were strong reasons why the Weber County should contribute to the cost of the maintenance of the road. Cr. Cross at once indicated the mind of the Weber Council on the subject by firmly stating that his council would not only not contribute to the maintenance of the road, but they were prepared to defend any action which the Dannevirke Council might take to compel them to do so. Their reason for adopting this attitude was that they were in precisely the same position in connection with portions of other county roads and bridges beyond their own boundaries, and if they admitted the principal of liability in connection with one, they could not deny- it in connection with another. A long discussion then ensued on the question of the class of traffic which came over the road, Cr. Cowper contending that the Weber ratepayer sbwned as many sheep as the Dannevirke ratepayers on this side of Mangatoro, and therefore used the road as much as them. Cr. Riddell argued that & very large portion of the traffic which came over the Weber road did not in reality come from the Weber County. As a matter of fact, most of the stock which travelled over the road originated either in the Patangata or the Akitio County, and it was not just to try to saddle the responsibility on to the Weber County, which was a small body lying in the centre of a number of larger bodies. In his opinion, what was needed was the bringing of the main road into one county or making it a Government road. At the present time the main road had to sustain the traffic from four ' different counties, and under these circumstances, it was unfair "to cite the Weber County as responsible for it all. Cr. Cowper remarked that there was no intention to cite the county. What they wanted was a friendly discussion. Cr. Cross then suggested that a conference should be held between the Dannevirke, Webar, Patangata, and Akitio County Councils, with a view' to discussing a readjustment of the respective county boundaries, and removing some of the anomalies which at present exist. Cr. Cowper said he of coiirse could not agree to such a proposal before lie had consulted his council. Dr. Riddell thought the dividing line between the Weber and Patangata Counties should be the Maori boundary, that the Akitio run should be brought into the Weber County, which should then run out to the sea, and take in that part of the Patangata County round Wainui. Then they might, in fairness, ask for a contribution to the maintenance of the main road to Dannevirke, as then a very large share of the traffic going over it would originate in the Weber County, but if they were cited now, it would simply mean that they would have to retaliate upon Akitio and Patangata, and that they did not desire to do. There being no possibility of getting the Weber representatives to fall in with the ideas of the Dannevirke representatives, and after some further discussion the conference broke up without anything practical being accomplished.