THE OROPI ROAD

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5488, 23 March 1910, Page 2

THE OROPI ROAD

(To the Fxlitor.)

Sir, — Your lea'dtng article in List 'Friday's., issue u^on tihe County Council's* treatment of the Oropj Sawmilliug ('"infyany warrants comment, as, in ■m!yi opinion, it is misleading, and not quite fair to the Council.

Of course th2re is no doubt that the starting' of the sawmill is a. good thing for the place end should bo encouraged and .all that. We are very anxious to see it prosper, but the' County Council is not in exist--1 ence to specially favour particular local industries, or to benefit private companies oi' individuals. Their business, as I understand it, is t<» administer impartially .thj funds collected from the ratepayers for "their Ixmefit, their motto being '-'the groatest good to the greatest numiber."

Now, the properties owned by the company are rated upon the unimproved value (which -is very low) same as other, lands in that dis--trict, and the Council does not get any royalties from, tfae timber removed, as they would do if it was Government land j 1 so that they have no special, revenue to entitle them to incur such a large expenditure benefit of 'thj timber industry..

With regard to making 1 a by-road to the sawmill this would h«vo to come out of Wawnia^pu special rate money, and their funds would not allofW the Spcciail Rote! Oainmilttiie to iricur .such a, targe 'expenniture out of ordinary revenue. . As to forming a "special rat ingi district," I ta]ke |it that"*t i« ithe Iduty of those interested to find out if the Oropi settlers would be ! willing to pay the special rate- for that purpose, and also to take t!hs necessary legal, sttfps io form suoh a special . rate district, (same as is nV»w being done at Omokor'ola). I think I could promise that the Council would then heartily support the proposal. - AVith refarGnce to the Council's "attempt to throttle" fche industry-, we : 'disclaiiin any suoh charge. We were bound to act upon t'he engineer's report, stohqt heavy loads were being taken wheh were destroying the new fortniation! that, had just .bet-n carried out at heavy expense. As it then appeared to me, to put the -by -laws in force wais the cifly Way to ib.rirtg questicn of regulating the traffic promptly upon a business footing. I don't think, the Council wish or intend to act in. 'ah jinjust or arbitrary manner. They Wve to face the fact that a large extra expenditure will probably have to be incurred during; the coming :winter to keep the Oropi lload in decent order for the general public as well as for the Milling Company's waggons, and the Council \rould he quite entitled (if this extra expenditjure 'has to be incurred) to enforce the !by-laws a?id chjarge license fees upon the timlb'er w-aggons in lieu of royalties which the company has not to pay. The Council must also put a reascnafble limit to the fc£uantity of timber -the «aggons jwilll t>e allowed to ; c^rrfy idw-' ing the' winter.

The miaitter is -liow open for discuss on between the Council and the compfrny and "I don't expect ,thc OounoSV wiU'l>c ,lkW<}' tfnrea»an[a!hl© if approacht>i in a proper irianner. I mig-bt here remind you that the Odwrfotl grantedr ?IJhe dc|nip^n]y p«rmissicn, free of choirge, to erect a tram Hne upon) tiki public roads : this they, have (rtot commenced to form, 'ftp far <o|B I ivnU awtaro. Then fhere is the question of metalling. You surei.v do not think the rejj^i of tho f otinty *ouKI rat* ' extra to metal the Oropi Roaid, to benefit tjthe timber industry ? As you must *mow the last £3000 loan w a s |or tflrce rtd4r>KS, end Waimapu's share is only £1100. Now, the rates pafld by «^hc land on the other side I 61 J'u<lfl>a fcriiig*' e-ntitles that district to at least £*700, and this only Jeaves -£400 for Greerton, Oropi aind Turua. The GaXe^&i ipeojple pay most of the rates and they are Hfflffeh crfovtg-jL to'. tbJivkx thftt th<> most of the money t-bould be. spent On their r-Vad. X know I .got sertr ous ■bkune fr«jro the Pa people U>r pw>Doßing that the allocation of the £400 *>e pos^pcyiecj in or»ler that vAi*o req!«iiTeincTi+.s -o^ t-he Or-opi 'wmi tV 1^ 1 * rojads . nY%rh:t .be cofnsi'dered Th^t allocation has not been made yet.\ I thought that I»he Oropi peool'C^wouW have made an effort to tret sow, e of that men^v spent on litieir roM. but they 4»a.v© <not -ttnDrc&ched ""^hs Ctxmcil e» yet. fThp Turn*. peopJ« have naked that a'deviation or sJ^>s* a 'n**a^ 'hnprovement should 'be ro-awA to what is Vinown as "Pratt's HilK l^^ Wfth nMardr.td y^ur iniplled in «inuatio4« that the'cmfncillors from other n**inJ3r« .ar*' <n<,t -?o <an»iou* for fcho welf&re of ttielr dT^tricta as= 4re the Te "Puke. represenffl^veSi well, I leave the pufolic to judged ;thf»t. I certainly am not disposed ■to try to tirfend myself.— Yours, etc M. SPBNCE,