TE PUKE ROAD BOARD.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6490, 17 September 1915, Page 3

TE PUKE ROAD BOARD.

Meeti-jcf Protest.

A meeting of ratepayers of the Te Puke Road Board District was held in the Mission Hall on Saturday, lltb, and was well attended. Mr A. B. Morton was voted to the chair.

The chairman said that he hoped ratepayers would discus 3 the matter amicably, and not indulge in personalities, as the matter in hand was one entirely of policy, by which the Board would be guided in future. M-sn-s Lally and Dovvell were then called upon to state their case.

Mr Lally addressed the meeting at some length as to the legality of the Eoard's action in taking over roada, funned with peat and fascines, from the syndicate of Bell's Block, and explained that the Board would,if it took over such roads, be saddled with tremendous expense in their future upkeep.

Mr Dowell also .spoke and considered that the ratepayers should strongly object to the proceedings.

ttlr W. A. Bennett then addressed the meeting on behalf of the Board, explaining that Papamoa rates had been spent for a great number of years on the Te Puke Block roads, and that Papamoa had quietly allowed this state of affairs to go on until Te Puke settler? looked upon it as the ordinary procedure He begged to move the following resolution: — "That this meeting of ratepayers would suggest to the Te Puke Road Board the. advisability of the legal division of the Te Puke Road Board into two sub-divisions, viz., Te Puke and Papamoa, tne Te Puke subdivision to consist of all the lands on the southern and eastern side of the County road running from the Waiari River to the Waitoa stream via Upper Papamoa; the Papamoa sub-division to consist of all the lands on the northern and western side of the County Road running from the Waiari River to the Waitoa stream via Upper Papamoa. "

Mr Lally moved as an amendment "that the Road Board be asked to have four feet of clay put on all new swamp roads before being taken over by the Board

In speaking to the amendment Mr J. vV. Ellis of Te Puke paid that he was prepared to follow Mr Lally in a reasonable request, but to ask the syndicate to spend £12,000 on six miles of road was blocking settlement The Chairman then put the amendment separately, which was negatived by a large majority, the motion being carried by six votea.

After the meeting a number of ratepayers expressed the opinion that the Road Roard should be merged into the County, the administration and supervision being so much better* It is probable that a move will be made in this direction.